From grape pruning to worm composting, hands-on 'mini-talks' provide wealth of information -- all free!
Master gardener Vivian Sellers checks over the lemon verbena she is pruning at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center. She and Maria Schiffler will present a mini talk on "Beyond Basil: Kitchen Herbs" (including lemon verbena) at 8:45 a.m. Saturday. Kathy Morrison
Harvest Day is all about garden education (while having fun). That’s why the Sacramento County master gardeners started this event in 1998 – to help people become better, more informed gardeners.
Set for Saturday, Aug. 3, Harvest Day 2024 offers a wealth of garden knowledge, shared by these local experts. And best of all – it’s free!
No advance registration is necessary. Just show up at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center in Fair Oaks Park between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. to take advantage of this event, Sacramento’s largest free garden gathering of its kind.
How big? An estimated 3,000 patrons showed up for Harvest Day 2013. Depending on the weather (how hot and how soon), this Saturday’s turnout likely will top 2,000.
In addition to featured speakers, vendors and educational tables, Harvest Day offers several “mini-talks” by master gardeners. These 30-minute presentations are held in the demonstration gardens to provide real-life examples and hands-on experiences. As always, the master gardeners are available to answer questions, too.
The hardest part? Deciding which mini-talks to attend. Fortunately, the presentations are split between only two locations, but each one has competition from another wonderful talk (in addition to the three featured speakers – Kevin Marini, Ed Laivo and Greg Gayton – at the main Speakers Tent. https://sacdigsgardening.californialocal.com/article/190071-harvest-day-2024/)
Here’s the full schedule of mini-talks (with locations):
8:45 a.m. – Tips for Successful Grape Growing.
Presented next to the Kiwi/Grape Arbor
8:45 a.m. – Beyond Basil: Kitchen Herbs
Meet at the Lower Arbor
9:30 a.m. – Why and How to Press Plants
Kiwi/Grape Arbor
9:30 a.m. – Cane Berry Pruning
Lower Arbor
10:15 a.m. – Wonderful World of Succulents
Kiwi/Grape Arbor
10:15 a.m. – Controlling Codling Moths
Lower Arbor
11 a.m. – Grapevine Propagation
Kiwi/Grape Arbor
11 a.m. – Espalier Trees
Lower Arbor
Noon – Composting with Worms
Kiwi/Grape Arbor
Noon – Amending Soil pH for Blueberries
Lower Arbor
The Fair Oaks Horticulture Center is located at 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks, in Fair Oak Park, just south of Madison Avenue.
For more on Harvest Day: https://sacmg.ucanr.edu/Harvest_Day/.
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Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series
FALL
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
WINTER
March 18: Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
March 11: Ways to win the fight against weeds
March 4: Potatoes from the garden
Feb. 25: Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Feb. 18: How to squeeze more food into less space
Feb. 11: When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
Feb. 4: Starting in seed starting
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Garden checklist for week of Nov. 16
During breaks in the weather, tackle some garden tasks:
* Clear gutters and storm drains.
* Prune dead or broken branches from trees.
* After the storm, seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Plant bulbs at two-week intervals to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.
* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.
* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting them. Do leave some (healthy) leaves in the planting beds for wildlife and beneficial insect habitat.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.
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