Solano County experts also will host two propagation workshops
Where’s a master gardener when you need one? In Dixon on Saturdays.
The UCCE Master Gardeners of Solano County now offer their services every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lemuria Nursery, 7820 Serpa Lane in Dixon.
Located off Dixon Avenue west of Interstate 80, Lemuria Nursery is the largest plant wholesale grower in Solano County and specializes in dwarf fruit trees.
Master gardeners will be stationed at the nursery every Saturday to answer questions – and not just about fruit trees. Got a mystery plant or pest? Bring photos or an example in a zippered plastic bag. Need recommendations for the right plants for your landscape? They have plenty. Wondering what’s up with your tomatoes? These folks know tomatoes plus a lot more. The service is free; just show up.
The Solano County master gardeners also will host a series of upcoming free workshops, starting with a two-parter devoted to plant propagation at two Vacaville libraries.
Set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, part one tackles “Plant Propagation: Succulents and Easy Plants” at Vacaville Cultural Center Library, 1020 Ulatis Drive, Vacaville.
“Join Master Gardeners Deb and Christina to learn about propagation basics, including succulents and other plants to divide,” say the master gardeners. “Learn about choosing the right pieces and parts, and using the right medium and tools.”
That’s followed with “Plant Propagation: Cuttings and Grafting” at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, at Vacaville Town Square Library,1 Town Square Place, Vacaville.
The master gardeners will “show you how to delve more into propagating plants using such techniques as cuttings and grafting,” they say. “Why is this done? Learn about the right place to cut, and staying clean to avoid disease transfer. This will include a hands-on activity: grafting together two plants.”
Both workshops are one hour, free and open to the public (including residents of other counties) – no advance registration is necessary. Take one or both.
Learn more at https://solanomg.ucanr.edu/.
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Food in My Back Yard Series
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
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 June 8
Get out early to enjoy those nice mornings. There’s plenty to keep gardeners busy:
* Warm weather brings rapid growth in the vegetable garden, with tomatoes and squash enjoying the heat. Deep-water, then feed with a balanced fertilizer. Bone meal or rock phosphate can spur the bloom cycle and help set fruit.
* Generally, tomatoes need deep watering two to three times a week, but don’t let them dry out completely. Inconsistent soil moisture can encourage blossom-end rot.
* It’s not too late to transplant tomatoes, peppers or eggplant.
* From seed, plant corn, melons, pumpkins, radishes, squash and sunflowers.
* Plant basil to go with your tomatoes.
* Transplant summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds and zinnias.
* It’s also a good time to transplant perennial flowers including astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia, salvia and verbena.
* Feed camellias, azaleas and other acid-loving plants. Mulch to conserve moisture and reduce heat stress.
* Cut back Shasta daisies after flowering to encourage a second bloom in the fall.
* Trim off dead flowers from rose bushes to keep them blooming through the summer. Roses also benefit from deep watering and feeding now. A top dressing of aged compost will keep them happy. It feeds as well as keeps roots moist.
* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushier plants with many more flowers in September.
* Tie up vines and stake tall plants such as gladiolus and lilies. That gives their heavy flowers some support.
* Dig and divide crowded bulbs after the tops have died down.
* Feed summer flowers with a slow-release fertilizer.
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