UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County

University of California

UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County

September in Sonoma County

Get the Popcorn!

Make some popcorn and sit back to watch our latest training videos. Many new ones are now available. With a computer, go up to the navigation bar, hover your mouse over the Resources tab and click on YouTube Videos in the submenu. On a phone, tap the Resources tab and then tap YouTube Videos. Enjoy. Learn. Yum.

Summer Fruit Tree Pruning - Not Too Late

Pruning fruit trees only in the dormant season can lead to excess tree vigor and size. Complement dormant with summer pruning to manage the size and height of your fruit trees. Summer pruning, especially after harvest, is optimum to prune excessive, vigorous new growth of vertical branches and suckers. Some trees, like cherries and apricots, should be pruned in the summer as a rule to avoid pathogens otherwise prevalent in cooler, wetter months.

In our YouTube channel, you will find three video demonstrations on how to prune apple, peach and cherry trees, along with a demonstration on how to sharpen and sterilize your pruning tools.

For further reading please refer to UC ANR publication 8057: Fruit Trees: Training and Pruning Deciduous Trees.

Virtual Garden Tour

Join us on a virtual tour of a beautiful Petaluma habitat garden. The Master Gardener who designed, planted, and maintains this garden is devoted to our insect friends—the bees and butterflies that pollinate and propagate so many of the beautiful plants we live amongst. Suzanne's garden is a dazzle of flowers that delight the eyes and the wonderful musical hum of the insects her plants attract. Enjoy!

Food Gardening

Transitioning to the Fall and Winter Food Garden

Many cool weather veggies are the most nutritionally dense crops that we can grow. Plus, a fall garden is less work: when cooler weather and rain arrive, there are less pests and we have to irrigate less (pray for rain!). But, many gardeners are frustrated with their attempts to have a thriving fall and winter food garden. That's because they are missing some very important information used in planning the garden transition from summer to fall. Read more.

Received Unsolicited Package of Seeds?
Important message from USDA

People around the nation including California are reporting they have received unsolicited seeds that appear to be from China. Please read the communication from UCCE about this issue and what to do should you receive seeds.

COVID-19 Update

To reduce the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and in compliance with county orders, we have adjusted our services accordingly:

All in-person events, including library talks, are suspended
We are not currently accepting walk-ins or specimen drop offs at our Master Gardener Information Desk at the UCCE Sonoma office. Please send an email with your inquiry to mgsonoma@ucanr.edu. Our Information Desk team is checking the emails regularly and will respond to your questions as soon as possible.

Thanks for your patience during this time. We will inform you when the library talks resume.

Interesting new posts are frequently added to our Facebook Page. Check it out! And please check our Food Gardening page, and Food Gardening Articles for help in starting, upgrading, or extending a veggie garden.

Master Gardeners in Print

Argus Courier
Mannion Knoll Park: a walk in the woods 6/25/2020

Press Democrat
Common plants that don't deserve their bad reputation 8/28/2020

The Garden Doctors
Dana Lozano & Gwen Kilchherr, The Press Democrat
Tips on planting garlic and caring for olive trees 9/4/2020
Build the Perfect Raised Garden Bed 8/14/2020

La Voz
Ani Weaver
Usted puedo cultivar su propia comida. Siembre un jardin. 5/2020

Press Democrat
Meg McConahey, Sue Lovelace
Victory gardens are a growing trend during the coronavirus crisis 4/18/2020

Fast Company
Alice Waters, Missy Gable
How to grow a vegetable garden, according to legendary chef Alice 4/7/2020

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

COVID-19 Update

We are not currently accepting walk-ins or specimen drop offs at our Master Gardener Information Desk at the UCCE Sonoma office.
Please email your questions and attach photos if you have them. One of our Information Desk experts will get back to you.

Upcoming Events

Event Name	Date
First Irrigation Steps for a Water Wise Garden via Zoom	10/10/2020
Post-fire Soil Safety Webinar	10/17/2020

Sundays with Sue

By SCMG Sue Lovelace
September 20, 2020

Big excitement here in the Lovelace household! Fourteen of our nineteen Monarch butterflies (Danaus Plexippus) emerged from their chrysalises. This miraculous process started on Thursday morning and continued into Saturday. The remaining five chrysalises that were formed a week later are still intact.

Having had the caterpillars, then the chrysalises in a netted enclosure, we were able to see subtle changes throughout the twelve to thirteen days that they were in the pupa stage. The dramatic, dark mosaics that a monarch has in its wings starts to be very apparent as the bright green chrysalis becomes more transparent. Once the butterfly emerges, it’s crimped wings start to unfold to reveal the beauty we all know. It took several hours of flapping and drying out of the wings before they had the strength and confidence to fly out of the enclosure.

It was interesting and somewhat sad, to see some of the Monarchs fly immediately away. Others remained in the garden visiting flowers, even milkweed, then moving on. From what I’ve been reading, the fly patterns seem to be off of their normal migratory routes and the roads to their hibernation grounds can be very difficult, especially if resting spots with water and flowers are not available or pesticides are being used. Butterflies are especially susceptible to the harm of pesticides and the pesticides are highly targeted as one of the main reasons for their demise. It’s usually the forth or fifth generation of butterflies that migrate. Generations before that usually die after laying their eggs. I have no way of knowing what generation mine are except that it’s getting very close to migration time and the probability does go up as it gets later in the fall. I will say that this experience has tightened my bond with nature and I feel so strongly that we try to mend some of the damage humans have inflicted on wildlife.

We were able to clip and take out several tomato plants and tomatillos this week in our large raised planter. Flowering basil, shiso, oregano, chives, and amaranth were left in the beds to keep the insects buzzing. The mammoth lemon cucumbers will be next. However, they keep eking out very edible fruits which are hard to give up! Eggplants in our adjoining beds are producing still as are the zucchini. With the yield of a few tomatoes from our remaining three plants and peppers, the eggplant and squash complete the makings of a nice sauce.

Pole beans that I planted late in a wine barrel are now producing. As you can see, this is a slow transition to the cool season. Plantings of peas, lettuce, mustard and spigarello in other areas have given me a good base. Figs are now producing from our dwarf ‘Brown Turkey’ tree. The trick is to get to them before the rodents and raccoons take their share!

Another project has been the sheet mulching of the paths between the beds and laying tiny bark chips to hopefully keep weeds at bay. Before doing that, we let the chickens out to rummage for weeds and bugs. They were ecstatic! I don’t usually let them near the veggie beds as they are gated off to the side yard. I love watching them work the soil like only a chicken can. There’s nothing like the sing-song chitter chatter of happy chickens.

Male monarch - two black dots on the wings

Fires in our state and neighboring states continue with threats of more wind and lightening in the forecast. Our breathable air of the last few days has been a welcome reprieve from those very smoky days. However, it can and is supposed to change. Be safe out there and have a good week. May a beautiful Monarch pass by your garden.

“Love is like a butterfly, as soft and gentle as a sigh....Love is like a butterfly, a rare and gentle thing...” Dolly Parton

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Website Editor: Penny Fink

Food Gardening Editor: Open, please apply!

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