UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County

University of California

UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County

October in Sonoma County

October is the perfect month for planting bulbs

Why not tuck as many as you can in now and enjoy the beautiful results next spring? Here's how: Bulbs for Sonoma County

Wondering what else to do in your garden this month? Check out our October Garden Tips.

Bloomin’ Backyards are Back

The Bloomin’ Backyards team is working hard to prepare six unique Petaluma gardens belonging to Master Gardeners for the 2020 BBY Tour. The gardens have been selected for their beauty and as displays of sustainable gardening practices. Each of the gardens will be featured in an article on the website over the next six months. You will learn what to look for in each, and understand what to appreciate such as: goals of the gardener, special features of a particular garden, and important gardening practices such as sustainability, firewise choices, and other valuable horticultural methods.

Photographer, Janice LeCrocq Photography

The first article features Sara Malone’s garden. Enjoy! And, watch this space for new articles.

The Spring 2020 Bloomin’ Backyards garden tour is scheduled for Sunday, May 17, 2020 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Petaluma. Recognized experts will be on hand to demonstrate and answer questions on organic gardening, soil development, drip irrigation, integrated pest management, habitat gardening, growing fruits and vegetables, water catchment, firewise landscaping, and much, much more. The tour is a biennial event presented by the UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County.

Ticket information will be posted on our website in early January. Please visit sonomamg.ucanr.edu for regularly updated information.

Something is Eating my _____. What Should I do?

Cucumber beetles may chew holes in leaves. Photo from UC Statewide IPM project

This is a common question this time of year as newly planted vegetables and annuals grow - along with the many pests that consider them food and/or home. We encourage you to explore our Integrated Pest Management articles to learn what you can by yourself: Home, garden, turf, and landscape pests. If that doesn't provide the answer you need, then you can always call our help desk at (707) 565-2608; hours are Mon., Wed., Fri. 9-12, 1-4; or send an email to: mgsonoma@ucdavis.edu.

And, never forget the benefits of adding beneficial plants to your garden: Recommended Plants for Sonoma County for Beneficial Insects.

Have a happy garden!

Food Gardening

What Does A Greek Goddess Have To Do With Fall And Winter Gardening?

When food gardening in the fall, our objective is to bring cool-weather crops to maturity or near-maturity before the earlier of a) our first frost/freeze date or b) the last day in the year in which we have ten hours of daylight. The period of winter with less than 10 hours of daylight is sometimes referred to the Persephone Period, after the Greek goddess of spring. Read 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
What has happened to all of our butterflies? - Guerneville	10/26/2019
Healthcare for Succulents - RP/Cotati	10/26/2019
Pruning and Caring for Fruit Trees - Guerneville	11/2/2019
Fake News in the Garden - Garden Myth Busting - Healdsburg	11/2/2019
Native Trees of the Bay Area - Petaluma	11/2/2019
Crazy as Bat Guano: The Bizarre Story of Fertilizers - Sebastopol	11/2/2019

View More Events

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

Sundays with Sue

By SCMG Sue Lovelace
Updated: October 20, 2019

planting bed showing squares of garlic across from winter veggies protected by a row cover tent (hoping to keep rodents and other pests out.).

Have you heard that garlic repels vampires?! Since it is so close to the Witching day, Halloween, I thought I’d mention it! I’m not worried about vampires, but will be planting garlic nevertheless.

This past weekend, I went to the Sebastapol Farmers Market and zeroed in on the Singing Frog Farms farm stand. Working the stand was Elizabeth Kaiser, owner of Singing Frog Farms and rockstar, along with her husband, Paul, of the world of No-Till gardening. The work and education they have done with regards to this sustainable and regenerative practice has made them known worldwide. As I was standing there star struck, Elizabeth asked me how my garden was. When I told her I would be planting garlic, she said “Oh, the Holiday Root!” After quizzing her on this, she said that it is planted near Halloween, fertilized on Valentine’s Day and harvested on July 4th. Definitely got me thinking!

Even though garlic is not hard to grow, I feel like I have so much to learn about growing it. I enjoy trying new types and varieties and this year will have a more strategic planting to allow garlic to mature longer. In talking with peers at Bayer Farm, I also think I am not giving the roots enough space. I plant in a square foot garden and will plant 4 cloves to a square (6” spacing) in contrast to last years 4” spacing. Keeping garlic in the squares along the edge of our bed frees up areas on the other side that I will plant early spring annuals like lettuce which will be done in time to plant tomatoes and peppers. I guess what I am saying is that where I plant my garlic determines the planting for next year.

One does not have to have a square foot garden to think this way. Designating little areas for garlic to mature while freeing up space for planting other edibles is a long range plan to figuring out succession planting. Multiple vegetables can be planted in these freed up spaces that will be finished by the time the warm season veggies (tomatoes, peppers, etc.) need to be planted. This is especially helpful if your space is limited, and you want to do it all!

I will be planting soft neck garlic (Allium sativum sativum) which can be braided and stores longer, and hard neck garlic (Allium sativum ophioscorodon) which produces scapes (gourmet treat for some) and tends to be larger and in some cases has a better taste. If you plant in containers, it’s best to harvest your garlic “green” (yummy, too!) as garlic raised to maturity is best done in the ground unless you have a very deep container like a wine barrel.

The varieties I am planting are ‘Italian Red’, ‘Inchelum’ (Slow Food’s Arc of Taste award), ‘Native Creole’ (from Spain, heirloom) [all soft neck] and ‘Spanish Roja’ which is a hard neck variety of acclaimed taste.

Have you heard enough about garlic?! One more thing, besides being a great food and accessory to many dishes, garlic has been said to be very healthy for our bodies in that it is low in calories but high in vitamins. It has been reported to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. The truth about garlic repelling vampires: have you heard of any vampires in Gilroy?!

Just sayin...

Even if you do not plant garlic, enjoy your garden and have a nice week.

“The soul of pesto may be basil, but its heart is garlic.” Pittsburg Press

Master Gardeners in Print

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

How to grow bananas in Sonoma County 9/20/2019

Geranium versus pelargoniums. What’s the difference? 9/6/2019

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