Food Growing And Gardening

Primary Image
Kale in trough
UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

Preparing: Beds, Containers, Soil, Irrigation

Few areas of the garden benefit from detailed preparation like the edible garden. The two most important components are putting the infrastructure in place (beds and irrigation) and using healthy soil.
View Page
Primary Image
Cool season vegetables including carrots and cabbage, from Canva
UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County: Page

Vegetable Gardening Basics

Top tips for a successful vegetable garden: Choose a flat, sunny location with well-drained soil. Vegetables need a minimum of 6 to 8 hours of sun. Full sun is best. Prepare your soil well before you plant. Thoroughly remove all weeds, dig to loosen the soil, and amend with compost and fertilizer as needed…
View Page
Primary Image
Several kinds of winter squash
UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County: Page

Winter Squash (including pumpkins)

Despite its name, winter squash is grown in the summer. The name comes from the fact that the mature fruits can be stored for winter eating. Pumpkins are a type of winter squash.
View Page
Primary Image
Growing Blueberries in SCC 2024
UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County: Page

Blueberries

When/how to plant: Late fall through winter, using 2 to 3 year old plants. Blueberries require acidic soil; a soil test will help determine how much to acidify your soil. Be sure the soil has a pH between 4.5 and 6.5. If it’s a clay soil, use organic matter to amend the soil, preferably peat moss. Oregon…
View Page
Primary Image
Expert tips for growing beets at home
UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County: Page

Beets

Like few other vegetables, nearly the entire beet plant can be eaten below-ground bulbs and above-ground foliage. A good crop depends on careful thinning and transplanting crowded seedlings into fertile, amended soil. Bumpy, brown seeds are actually a cluster of several seeds that germinate in a clump.
View Page
Primary Image
carrots
UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

Tips & Techniques

Edible gardens are a world unto themselves in the landscape. There are many strategies unique to vegetable gardens that extend growing times, keep the garden healthy, and maximize crop yields. Here's a cheat sheet of common edible garden lingo and strategies.
View Page
Primary Image
Green and red butter lettuce growing in a garden
UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County: Page

Fall Garden Fair Vegetables

Fall Garden Fair vegetable descriptions. In Santa Clara County, we can grow delicious vegetables year round. Our cool season lets us grow vegetables that are typically grown as early spring vegetables elsewhere in the U.S.
View Page
Primary Image
Lettuce tasting
UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County: Page

Redleaf Looseleaf Lettuce Trial

We compared thirteen varieties of red looseleaf lettuce to determine the best production and taste. All of the varieties were very healthy and pretty to look at. Flame and Cardinale were judged the best at the tasting, Sunset and Bronze Arrow were tied for second and Susan’s Red Bibb was third. The very…
View Page
Primary Image
Five parsnips
UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County: Page

Parsnip

Parsnips are a root vegetable in the Apiaceae family, also called Umbelliferae, which also includes carrots. Cultural requirements are very similar.
View Page