UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County

University of California

UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County

January in Sonoma County

Come Preserve with Us! UC Master Food Preserve Program

Learn about the UC Master Food Preserver Program, community involvement and annual volunteer requirements at one of our two training information meetings:
Friday, January 22: Noon—1:00 pm or
Friday, February 5: Noon—1:00 pm
Click here to RSVP. Can’t make either meeting? Sign up at the registration site to receive a link to a recorded meeting.

The Wonderful World of Worms - Zoom Talk

Would you like tastier veggies and bigger blooms in your garden? Do you want to compost but don't have the space for an outside pile? Composting with worms is for you! Come learn the basics of how to set up worm bin, what to feed them and how to care for them (it's easy). Troubleshooting problems will also be covered. You’ll be ready to start right away! Click here for more information.

Food Gardening

Fruit Trees - Bare Root

January is the ideal month to shop for bare root fruit trees. Selection is excellent when you shop early. Bare root is an economical way to start or expand a home orchard. Also, January and February are traditional months for pruning. Read more.

COVID-19 Notice

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

All in-person events are suspended. Library talks have been replaced by Zoom events. Please check the "Upcoming Events" section at the top-right of this page for currently scheduled events.

Thanks for your patience during this time. We will inform you when the in-person 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

The Garden Doctors
Dana Lozano & Gwen Kilchherr, The Press Democrat
What variety of oregano should I grow? 10/16/2020

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

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

Getting Help

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
The Wonderful World of Worms - Zoom Talk	2/13/2021

Sundays with Sue

By SCMG Sue Lovelace
January 17, 2021

Pruned fig tree

I love January in the garden. There’s no better time of the year that the features of the garden can be seen so visibly, so vulnerable in its nakedness but so strong in its structure. I went out to prune a few shrubs and was struck by the architecture of those that were barren but also so dramatic and beautiful. As I was deciding how far back I was going to prune a Smoke Bush (Cotinus), a little bird landed on a branch to observe the garden. Okay, okay, I’ll leave it a while longer. Heaven knows there’s plenty else to do!

Yes, there is plenty to do! Fruit tree pruning is on top of the list. I’m what you might call a reluctant pruner, afraid to limit my fruit supply by pruning too much and so always, always not pruning enough. I have a fig tree that’s been begging to be pruned, too bushy with fruit up high. Advice is what I needed and when I saw Steve Erhmann, the self proclaimed “Hatchet Man,” was going to be doing a presentation on fruit tree pruning on “Veggie Happenings” (now available on You Tube), I tuned in. Right there and then he said a fig tree could be pruned with abandon. Well, that’s not exactly what he said, but he did explain that figs grow on branches formed this year and are full of latent buds that will form new fruit. He also talked about opening up the center to fruit trees to let in light which in turn will help form and ripen fruit.

Fig tree - center branch removed

My first cut, with the help of Paul, was a huge branch in the middle of the tree that clearly opened up the center and thinned the tree. By the way, thinning cuts are those made back to where the branch originated. To finish pruning the tree, I referred to Master Gardener Joe Michalek’s article on growing and pruning figs. Joe, a seasoned gardener and friend who grows multiple fruits and edibles, also advised cutting back to the third node on each branch which helps reduce the overall growth of the tree. He explained that this would limit the first fruiting of figs, but since we only get fall fruiting, it would not be an issue. With this direction, I finished pruning the tree. Joe also recommended thinning figs to seven on each branch unless you have a long season like the Central Valley.

Owl nesting box

I am very excited to report that Paul built an owl nesting box! We have been hearing owls at night and after seeing cute pictures of barn owl babies, he got to work. Again, I’ve gone to master gardener friends, Dandi Hagler and Pattie Dawson (see her post on the SCMG FB page), for advice and they assured me that barn owls are assets to any garden, snatching pesky rodents to feed their nestlings. Grandson, Karson, came to help install. Thank goodness for helpful grandkids!

Compost, Compost, Compost was a mantra stated by Kitty Fritz in the Veggie Happenings presentation in regards to sprucing up berry beds. Compost is also needed by other perennial fruits and vegetables to give the soil a major boost. As we know, healthy soil is “everything” to all plants! For me that means getting out the sifter (a wire screen) to sift out rocks and large branches from our homemade compost and sharing the wealth throughout the garden, starting with the artichokes, fruit trees and berries. When planting new vegetable starts, be sure to add at least a one-inch layer to the top of the soil before planting.

Speaking of vegetable starts, many cool weather vegetable starts (spinach, chard, potatoes, lettuce, arugula, bok choy, mustard, etc.) can be planted in the next few weeks. Row covers can be used to protect from sudden drops in temperature and to keep zealous birds from nibbling or digging around them. My new favorite row cover is a mesh that lets in moisture and sun. Here is a picture of one I purchased online but have found variations of this at a local nursery. Bulb onion seeds can be started inside now and planted outside in March. Numerous seeds can be planted in one little pot, then separated in water before planting in the ground. Be sure to note spacing on seed packet. Read more about bulb and bunching onions here on our website.

Many of you will be starting seeds of warm season vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, etc.) inside to be transplanted in late April/early May depending on your individual climate. Vegetables like squash, beans and cucumbers grow best when directly seeded in the ground when the soil is warm enough (65-80 degrees). Printing out our Year-Round Food Gardening in Sonoma County document is so helpful. I keep several copies inside and out, and refer to them all the time. Also, check out the food gardening tasks to do in January.

I could go on and on as to why January in the garden is so great, but perhaps you know that already. Do enjoy your week in the garden wherever it is or maybe just some time outside.

“I’ve always felt that having a garden is like having a good, loyal friend.” C.Z. Guest

Webmasters: Kim Roche, Stan Pawlak

Website Editor: Penny Fink

Food Gardening Editor: Open, master gardeners please apply!

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