Gardening

Interested in training to become a Master Gardener in Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado or Tuolumne County? UC Master Gardeners extend research-based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices to the residents of California. Add your name to the interest…

Yearly drip system maintenance is especially important to make sure plants are receiving the water they require and that none is being wasted. Check the system early in spring before it is turned on for spring-summer irrigation. This would include opening the end caps and flushing the system.

It used to be that Californians never had to consider much beyond their own tastes when selecting plants for home gardens. But times are changing along with the climate, and the impact of backyard gardens is being considered on a scale never before questioned. Does the garden conserve water and enrich…

A summary of information from expert UC advisors on how to best prepare your home garden landscape for wildfire safety. Defensible space explained and recommendations for how to design and maintain our homes and adjacent property in ways that reduce their vulnerability to wildfire but also provide critically…

Peas are cool-season, frost-hardy plants well-suited to winter and spring vegetable gardens in Sonoma County.

A handsome and distinctive shrub, Heteromeles arbutifolia seems quintessentially Californian. As legend goes, its distinctive holly-like red berries visible in hillside chaparral in Los Angeles gave rise to the name for Hollywood.

Onions vary considerably in several ways, prompting gardeners to make selections carefully. There are differences in color, pungency or sweetness, bulb size and shape, and suitability for storage.

Brussels sprouts, a member of the Brassicaceae (cabbage) family, had their origins in the Mediterranean region but received their familiar name only after they were widely grown in Belgium. They do best in coastal regions where they are grown commercially in California.

Learn tips for growing vegetables in fall and winter. Discover cool-weather crops, planting strategies, and care techniques for a thriving garden year-round.

Look for our friendly UC Master Gardeners of Merced County and their info booth at the Merced Farmers' Market on the first and third Saturdays of each month. Info booth located at the 16th Street parking lot between M & K Streets Please stop by with your questions, Take home a vegetable seedling and garden…