Public can 'attend' virtual convention Sept. 29-Oct. 1
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Landscape expert and lifetime master gardener Pam Bone talks about root problems during Harvest Day 2019. Bone is one of four still-active members of Sacramento County's first master gardener group. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)
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California always has been a state full of gardeners, but the UCCE Master Gardener Program has been part of California gardening for just the past 40 years. The trained volunteers follow the program's mission to assist and advise the state's many backyard gardeners: "Advice to grow by ... Ask us!"
And here's the local angle: Sacramento County was the first Northern California county to have a program of master gardener volunteers; Riverside County had the first in SoCal.
A few of the hardy souls from those days are still around: Fran Clarke, Marsha Prillwitz, Virginia Feagans and Pam Bone. In 1980, Bone was on the UCCE staff when she became Sacramento County's original master gardener. Later she became a super-busy MG volunteer, often speaking at events and on Farmer Fred Hoffman's radio shows.
Later this month, the California master gardener program, which covers 50 of the state's counties and includes more than 6,000 active volunteers, was due to celebrate its milestone year during a Lake Tahoe convention.
We all know what has happened to plans like that this year, with the threat of coronavirus keeping everyone at home (and in their gardens). But the convention will still take place, although in radically altered form.
The best change: The public is welcome to attend the online event, which will be streamed via the statewide master gardener YouTube channel and Facebook page . It’s free, and doesn’t even require registration.
Mark your calendars now for these events:
Tuesday, Sept. 29
9-10 a.m. -- "Celebrating 40 Years of the UC Master Gardener Program"
Noon- 1 p.m. -- "Gardeners With Heart: Incredible Volunteers Doing Incredible Work"
3-4 p.m. -- "Houseplants: Soil, Water and Such for Sustainable Indoor Growing," with Ernesto Sandoval, director of the Botanical Conservatory at UC Davis
Wednesday, Sept. 30
9-10 a.m. -- "Composting for Soil Health," with Kevin Marini, coordinator, UC MG program, Placer-Nevada County
Noon - 1 p.m. -- Search for Excellence Winner: "Reminiscence Gardening," UC MG program of San Diego County
3-4 p.m. -- Search for Excellence Second Place: "Gardening with Underserved Communities," UC MG program of Contra Costa County
Thursday, Oct. 1
9-10 a.m.: "Fire Safe Landscaping, So. Calif. focus," with Valerie Borel, coordinator, UC MG program of Los Angeles County
Noon- 1p.m.: "Preserving Your Garden Harvest," with Sue Mosbacher, UC Master Food Preserver program, Central Sierra
3-4 p.m.: Search for Excellence Yhird Place: "Lessons in the Garden for Schoolchildren," UC MG program of Santa Clara County
All presentations will be recorded and available for viewing after the event. Additional information about the UC Master Gardeners Mini Conference can be found here .
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Garden Checklist for week of July 21
Your garden needs you!
* Keep your vegetable garden watered, mulched and weeded. Water before 8 a.m. to reduce the chance of fungal infection and to conserve moisture.
* Feed vegetable plants bone meal, rock phosphate or other fertilizers high in phosphate to stimulate more blooms and fruiting. (But wait until daily high temperatures drop out of the 100s.)
* Don’t let tomatoes wilt or dry out completely. Give tomatoes a deep watering two to three times a week.
* Harvest vegetables promptly to encourage plants to produce more. Squash especially tends to grow rapidly in hot weather. Keep an eye on zucchini.
* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushy plants and more flowers in September.
* Remove spent flowers from roses, daylilies and other bloomers as they finish flowering.
* Pinch off blooms from basil so the plant will grow more leaves.
* Cut back lavender after flowering to promote a second bloom.
* It's not too late to add a splash of color. Plant petunias, snapdragons, zinnias and marigolds.
* From seed, plant corn, pumpkins, radishes, winter squash and sunflowers.
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