UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County

University of California

UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County

November in Sonoma County

The Australian Grass tree

Australian Grass Tree, photo by Penny Fink

Looking for a centerpiece plant for your garden? This striking and very interesting native Australian plant has some great qualities. It is slow growing, but would provide great beauty, interest, and a delight for bees, butterflies, and birds for a many years. Read more here.

Fire Resistant Plants?

A new article, Fire Resistant Plants?, which addresses the most important priorities in reducing fire risk in your landscape, has been added to our Firewise Landscaping Series. This succinct article adds practical advice for the homeowner. Do also look at the other articles in the series as they are all helpful.

Food Gardening

Persimmons

Master Gardener Food Gardening Specialist Bryce Sumner tells us that persimmons are well-suited to Sonoma County gardens: they need little winter chill, they blossom when there is no danger of frost and they fruit when most other trees are finished producing. Plus they are highly ornamental! Learn more.

Watch the new Sudden Oak Death Video

The Sudden Oak Death team at the University of California Division of Agricultural and Natural Resources has just released a new video that is well worth watching. There's a lot to learn here, all presented with great visuals to aid our understanding of Sudden Oak Death. Makes learning about SOD easy!

Growing a Thriving Vegetable Garden with Less Water

The Food Gardening Specialists (FGS) of the UCCE Sonoma Master Gardeners are excited to present water-wise food gardening strategies. Given our hot, dry summers along with the prediction of extended drought, we can’t afford to waste a drop. This video demonstrates how home and community gardeners can grow a thriving vegetable garden with less water. In addition, this video is complemented by a planting scheme and a drip system instruction and shopping list that reflect the 4x8-foot demonstration vegetable bed in the video. Click here for these documents along with additional helpful documents for food gardening with less water.

Ask a Master Gardener
Questions and Answers from the Helpline

Watch to Learn What Master Gardeners Do

Fight Invasives!

Master Gardener-staffed Help Desks are located
at Sonoma County Farmers' Markets and Fairs

Master Gardeners are volunteers trained by the UC Davis Cooperative Extension.

Sonoma County Master Gardeners will provide environmentally sustainable, science-based horticultural information to all of Sonoma County’s population. We strive for diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our organization.

UCCE Farm Advisor: Stephanie Larson, County Director

SCMG Coordinator: Mimi Enright

Workshop Calendar

Event Name	Date
Building a (Mostly) Native Habitat Garden - Guerneville	12/1/2018
Rain Water Conservation: A beautiful Way to Save Water in the Garden - Healdsburg	12/1/2018
Composting and Vermicomposting - Sebastopol	12/1/2018
Composting and Vermicomposting - Windsor	3/9/2019

Find links to past workshop handouts under Resources/Workshop Handouts.

Sundays with Sue

By SCMG Sue Lovelace
Updated: November 18, 2018

I have tried multiple times to come up with the words that would appropriately describe the multiple fires and destruction that have occurred since I wrote last week. From what we see on the TV and multimedia, hear from friends and family, and experience ourselves in the way of heavy smoke, there are just not enough adjectives or expletives that would even come close! The suffering and loss, the heroism of our first responders and the communal, neighborly acts, plus the aid from perfect strangers in response to the fires evoke a long and wide range of emotion and caring that we all share. I send hope for a better week.

Speaking of smoke in the air, is everyone wearing a mask? Not wanting to limit my activity outdoors, I have been better about donning a mast after a few headaches and coughing spells. According to what I’ve read, the exposure might not feel bad at first, but can escalate with repeated outings without a mask. So, wear a mask! We are also told to stay inside, but that’s really hard!

A few of us, in masks, met at Bayer Farm to cut and pull out the pepper and tomato beds, then replace with cover crops (fava beans, barley and a green manure mix) which we covered with straw and a bit of burlap. Other cover crops planted through out the garden, earlier, are up and growing strong.We finally finished a new and improved coop for our 5 chickens to roost in at night. It was difficult getting them to go inside but, now, a week later, they seem to accept, and maybe even enjoy, their new abode. Chickens are so interesting to watch, especially when it comes to their entry into the coop at night: the order they take to enter the coop seems to depend on the hierarchy of the group, and then, once in, the position on the “roosts” is maintained and sometimes fought over. For that reason, we included 2 “roosts,” making it possible for the lowly chicken (right now, it’s Peaches who is heavily molting and perhaps down “on her game”!) to have a comfortable spot. Peanut, the older gal in the group, does not bother with the sniping by selecting a cushy spot in the nesting box. I welcome any observations, stories, or analysis (of the chickens, not me!) you all may have on my Facebook post.

Please do have a good week!

“Without chickens, my wallet would be full, my house would be clean but my heart would be empty.” A quote on Pinterest

Master Gardeners in Print

The Garden Doctors
Dana Lozano & Gwen Kilchherr, The Press Democrat

Divide up bearded iris, plant bigger bulbs for bigger blooms, 8/17/2018

Harvest time is here. Now what?, 8/3/2018

Garden Wisdom
Sonoma Magazine 7/2018

"The article Garden Wisdom in the July 2018 Sonoma County Magazine highlights Sonoma Master Gardeners' focus on fire-safe landscaping, features a photo of Master Gardener Ann Lowings in her garden, and includes quotes from Master Gardener Mimi Enright."

Red Flag Warnings

SoCo Correspondent Emagazine, 7/2018

"The July issue of the emagazine, SoCo Correspondent, reprinted an article on Red Flag Warnings from the FireSAFE series on our website, written by Master Gardener Phil McRae... read it from the FireSAFE series, or, read it as published by SoCo, here."

Webmasters: Kim Roche, Stan Pawlak

Website Editor: Penny Fink

Food Gardening Editor: Stephanie Wrightson

Staff Photographers and Videographers:
Cie Cary, Electra de Peyster,
Coby Lafayette-Kelleher, Laura Salo Long