UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County

University of California

UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County

September in Sonoma County

Join Us at the Kendall-Jackson Harvest Celebration Sunday, October 1st

The inaugural Harvest Celebration at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens takes place on October 1st from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year the UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County has been selected as Kendall-Jackson’s beneficiary and highlighted non-profit! Our environmentally sustainable, science-based horticulture mission and that of Kendall-Jackson align beautifully!

At the Harvest Celebration, guests will enjoy unique sensory experiences, delicious wines and seasonal produce, surrounded by the beautiful Kendall-Jackson estate gardens and also have fun listening to brief presentations and discussing garden questions with Master Gardeners of Sonoma County. Presentation topics will range from Sustainable Home Landscaping, Beekeeping and Planting for Pollinators, Food Gardening in Containers and Small Spaces, Water-wise Gardening, and Succulent Crafts with Pumpkins to exhibits highlighting Sudden Oak Death, Insect Identification, Plant Diseases, and Vermiculture. $125 general; $100 wine club members admission. Invite family and friends! It will be delightful! For more information or to purchase tickets, visit: http://www.kj.com/events/ harvest-celebration

Food Gardening

The Fall/Winter Food Garden

The Aggregate Nutrient Density Index measures micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants) per calorie. The top ten veggies in this index are (in order) mustard/turnip/collard greens, kale, watercress, Bok Choy, spinach, broccoli rabe, Chinese/Napa cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard and arugula. All fall veggies! To learn more about growing nutritious and delicious cool-weather crops. Read more.

GardenSense - On-site WaterWise Garden Consultations

Sonoma County residents wishing to schedule a garden consultation can click here.

Sonoma County Master Gardeners are partnered with the Sonoma County Water Agency on a project called GardenSense. The project is intended to help local gardeners further improve their water conservation practices. A free on-site consultation by a pair of GardenSense Consultants will demonstrate to residents how to easily conserve water (and save money) by creating a climate-appropriate garden that is healthy, environmentally sound, and most of all – beautiful!

Master Gardeners participating have received special training enabling them to become specialist Consultants to advise Sonoma County gardeners how to improve the water efficiency of their gardens.

Topics covered in consultations include advice on lawn removal, low water use plants appropriate to your site, conversion of sprinklers to drip irrigation, an irrigation assessment including overall suggestions for improving water efficiency, and sustainable garden practices.

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

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: Paul Vossen

SCMG Coordinator: Mimi Enright

Workshop Calendar

Event Name	Date
Growing Perennial Vegetables and Small Fruits - Petaluma	9/30/2017
Kendall-Jackson Harvest Celebration benefiting Master Gardeners of Sonoma County	10/1/2017
Composting - Guerneville	10/7/2017
Monarchs and Milkweed - Petaluma	10/7/2017

View More Events

Find links to workshop handouts under Resources/Workshop Handouts.

Sundays with Sue

By SCMG Sue Lovelace
SUNDAYS WITH SUE - Updated: September 24, 2017

It was a good week for planting fall vegetables; warm, but not unbearably so. Winds came up in the afternoon, lifting up my little food tents protecting the newly planted vegetable starts, thus, necessitating stakes or boulders to keep them from blowing away. Of course the challenge was finding space in between warm weather veggies that were still producing fruit, mainly tomatoes, peppers and cukes. As I often share, square foot gardens occupy 3 of my beds. One is 8’x4’, another is 5’x3’ and a third is 3’x2’. I like them for succession planting as when a square opens up, it gets planted. In addition to the sprouting broccoli I planted last week, I planted spring cipollini onions, bunch onions, carrots, and other salad plants (lettuce, kale, chard, Bok choi, spinach, and arugula) and peas. I am hoping we can enjoy a salad while the cucumbers and tomatoes are still around!

After attending a School Garden Network Workshop at Old Adobe School in Petaluma, it is easy to see why their far reaching guidance, education, nutrition support of school gardens and garden coordinators have been so valuable. In this particular workshop meant for garden coordinators in Sonoma County schools, we took a tour of the Adobe School Garden (Wow!), then learned all kinds of educational activities in regards to seeds (where they are on a plant, when to harvest, how to save, the many ways seeds are spread, and how the seeds grow). Later, we all went home or to individual school gardens with lots of seeds and tomatoes from the school garden. Thank you, School Garden Network, for all you have done and continue to do, so that children will have sound basics surrounding food growing and helping their environment by learning and employing organic, sustainable practices!! You rock!!

A lot happening with the Monarchs: 2 Monarchs emerged from chrysalis and flew away with 3 more any time. and 7 caterpillars close to each becoming a chrysalis; nature at it’s finest and a joy to watch!

Enjoy your week in the garden!!

“Create a garden; bring children to farms for field trips. I think it’s important that parents and teachers get together to do one or two things they can accomplish well- a teaching garden, connecting with farms near by, weave Food into the curriculum.” Alice Waters

Master Gardeners in Print

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

Got gourds? Garden Docs tell you how to treat them

Getting to the root of problem with rhododendron

Webmasters: Kim Roche, Stan Pawlak

Food Gardening Editor: Stephanie Wrightson

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