Gardening

Seed starting is an economical way to have healthy plants   Late winter, cold nights, teasing sunshine; it’s an opportunity to get a jumpstart on summer vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Seed starting is an economical way to have healthy plants for our summer and fall gardens. When starting…

Happy March! It’s time for This Month In The Garden, our monthly tips and tricks show we play on the first Thursday of every month here on In The Garden with UC Master Gardeners of Orange County California.The key emphasis at this time of year are three words: Plant, Feed, and Control. But don’t jump the gun…

“A rose, is a rose, is a rose, is a rose,” so wrote Gertrude Stein. The beauty and fragrance of roses have been extolled over the years in poetry and song. As beautiful as roses are, they do require some care if they are to perform at their best. Pruning exceptions: For foothill gardeners with…

Dirt is made up of four things: minerals (from decomposed rock), air, water, and organic matter. The organic material originates from living organisms (or stuff that was once alive), and a single teaspoon of soil may contain as many as 4 billion bacteria, 1 million fungi, 20 million actinomycetes and 300,000…

Citrus is a $3.3 billion industry in California, and it is currently under threat from one of the tiniest insects and the disease it carries. This week on In the Garden with UC Master Gardeners, we will detail the threat of the ACP (Asian Citrus Psyllid) and HLB (Huanglongbing or Citrus Greening). If…

Vegetables and herbs are relatively easy to understand, but flowers and foliage and shade versus sun — it can seem overwhelming!  Let’s start from the beginning.  What does full sun really mean?  A plant requiring full sun needs at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day in order to thrive.  If a plant…

 Starting vegetable seeds indoors can reduce the cost of transplants and allow you to grow varieties that may be difficult to find in nurseries. To get started, you will need a soilless mix; growing containers; and the proper moisture, light (like a south-facing window) and temperatures between 65-75°F…

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the selection of plants at the nursery? Or bought a plant that looked great at the nursery, but did poorly (or died) in your yard? Spring is here and it’s tempting to rush out and buy new plants for the garden.  But don’t be too hasty!  Choosing the right plant for a…