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Hear master gardeners at Nevada County Fair

Workshops offered each day of fair — with COVID precautions

Brown iris in field of flowers
Growing irises (like the bearded variety above) in the foothills is one of the topics of Nevada County master gardeners' workshops this week at the Nevada County fair. (Photo courtesy Sacramento Iris
Society)


Are you ready for some fair fun – and in-person master gardener advice?

Today (Aug. 11), the Nevada County Fair started its five-day run, and will close Sunday, Aug. 15. Held in Grass Valley, this country fair features the popular Family Farm with an answer booth staffed by knowledgeable master gardeners.

Traditionally, summer is fair season, but several of these annual events were canceled or scaled back due to COVID concerns. (That includes Sacramento’s own California State Fair.)

With spikes in COVID cases raising renewed concern, Nevada County fair officials ask all patrons to wear face masks indoors and outdoors, regardless of vaccination status.

Each day, members of the UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Nevada County will make special presentations and offer mini-workshops.

“Please stop by, say hello, bring your home gardening questions and plan to stay for one of our workshops – offered every day of the fair,” say the master gardeners.

Here is a brief schedule of upcoming workshops and times:

Thursday, Aug. 12

10:30 a.m.: From a Driveway to a Prairie

11:30 a.m.: Edible Landscaping

1:30 p.m.: Composting - Help Your Garden and The Planet

Friday, Aug. 13

10:30 a.m.: Container Gardening - Hands-On Demonstration

11:30 a.m.: Worm Composting - How to Be a Worm Wrangler

1:30 p.m.: Straw Bale Gardening

Saturday, Aug. 14

10:30 a.m.: Secrets of Growing Native Plants

11:30 a.m.: Growing Beautiful Dahlias in Nevada County

1:30 p.m.: How to End Your Tomato Season

Sunday, Aug. 15

10:30 a.m.: Creating Fairy Gardens

11:30 a.m.: Growing Iris in the Foothills (free iris corms for attendees)

The Nevada County Fairgrounds are located at 11228 McCourtney Road, Grass Valley.

The fair is open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m to 9 p.m. Sunday. General admission is $10, seniors (age 65 and up) $7, children (ages 6 to 12) $5. Children age 5 and under are admitted free. On “Three Dollar Thursday,” all admissions are $3. Parking: $5.

For more details and directions:
https://nevadacountyfair.com/

For more on Nevada County Master Gardeners programs: http://ncmg.ucanr.org/

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Garden Checklist for week of April 21

This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.

* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* Smell orange blossoms? Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.

* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.

* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash.

* Plant onion sets.

* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias.

* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.

* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.

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