Nutrition & Health

Here in Santa Clara County, we can grow vegetables year round. This Vegetable Planting Chart provides month-by-month planting times for warm and cool season vegetables. Vegetable Garden Basics: Information on successful vegetable gardening and how to get started Vegetable talks and tips videos: Full length…

When to plant: Citrus can be planted almost any time of year. The best time is after the last frost in spring (mid-March) Harvest window: Year-round, depending on variety Fertilization: Nitrogen in January, again in May/June timeframe. Monitor for zinc, iron, and other micronutrient deficiencies and…

Sweet potatoes are grown from ‘slips’, the term for sprouts from a sweet potato. Due to pest quarantines, most nursery companies cannot ship slips to California. But they are easy to grow yourself. Start slip production in February to March. Transplant to garden in May to June.

Mâche, Valerianella locusta, is a small, tender salad green, also called corn salad or lamb’s lettuce. It is popular in Europe but not well known here. It grows in little rosettes and has a mild, slightly nutty flavor.

Keep an eye on the weather report - protect frost-tender plants when the temperature falls below 32 degrees. Divide perennials like daylilies and chrysanthemums. Prune crepe myrtles, cane berries, and roses, and clean-up trimmings.

Fava beansalso known as bell, broad, and horse beanshave value as a cool-season crop in home food gardens as well in agricultural fields.

Chard is a favorite leafy green for many Sonoma County gardeners for its adaptability to both cool and warm weather, making it an easy year-round crop. Care is the same as for beets, a close relative with a different root structure. Summer heat and winter frosts are easily tolerated.

A member of the nightshade (Solanaceae) familyalong with tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, and potatoeseggplant has been a staple in India and the Middle East for centuries. Its name is derived from the egg shape of its shiny fruit.

The FDA, Universities, and Cooperative Extension programs across the country have a wealth of knowledge about Food Safety. Explore resources from our partners at the pages listed here:Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety- Microbiological food safety, food chemical fact sheets, and nutrition…

The Calaveras County Master Gardeners are dedicated to educating the public about UC research based information relating to home horticulture, including basic gardening, pest management, site-specific planting, fruit & vegetable gardening and other topics.