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Is becoming a master gardener in your future?


UCCE master gardeners answer gardening questions at many events through the year, including Harvest Day, above.
(Photo: Kathy Morrison)
Apply now through Oct. 18 for Sacramento County's next class

If you have ever wanted to join the ranks of the UCCE master gardeners, now's your chance. Applications are being accepted starting today for the Sacramento County master gardeners class of 2020. The deadline for applying is Oct. 18.

According to the UCCE press release announcing the new year of classes, master gardener trainees study a wide range of home horticulture topics, with online and in-class coursework and training on how to properly research and respond to questions from the public. " The mission of master gardeners is to share research-based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management and sustainable landscaping practices with the Sacramento community."

Applicants for this class must be residents of Sacramento County. Placer, El Dorado, Yolo, El Dorado, Amador and other counties conduct their own training, and residents of those counties should contact their local groups for information.

The Sacramento training classes will be held each Wednesday from Jan. 15 through May 13, 2020. New master gardeners also must complete 50 hours of volunteer work during their first 12 months. Twenty-five hours a year are required after that.

All classes are taught by UC specialists, horticulture advisers and community experts. Topics include:
basics of soil, irrigation and fertilization; water conservation; identification and control methods for insects, diseases and weeds; proper care of vegetables, fruit and landscape trees; and turfgrass.

Volunteering can take many forms, from conducting workshops, to answering the public's questions on the phone or at the State Fair, to making community presentations. The Sacramento master gardeners also plan, garden and conduct growing experiments at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center in Fair Oaks.

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Garden checklist for week of April 12

After these storms pass, get to work on spring clean-up.

* Weed, weed, weed! Take advantage of soft soil and pull them before they go to seed.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, 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. Late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant heat-resistant lettuce seedlings.

* Feed roses and other spring-blooming shrubs.

* 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.

* 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.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds. Avoid "volcano mulching" -- be sure to keep mulch a few inches away from tree trunks or the stems of shrubs. This prevents rot and disease.

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Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series

Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening

WINTER

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Hints for choosing tomato seeds

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Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees

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Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables

Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space

Ways to win the fight against weeds

FALL

Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden

Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it

Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come

Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying

Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?

Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden

Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden

Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers

Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air 

Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets

Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty

Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?

Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest 

SUMMER

Sept. 16: Time to shut it down? 

Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch

Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning

Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?

Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you

Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water

Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers

July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?

July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty

July 15: Does this plant need water?

July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions

July 1: How to grow summer salad greens

June 24:  Weird stuff that's perfectly normal

SPRING

June 17: Help pollinators help your garden

June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests

June 3: Make your own compost

May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?

May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days

May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can

May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success

April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?

April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)

April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers

April 8: When to plant summer vegetables

April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths

March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth