El Dorado County master gardeners offer free workshop
Tiny seeds quickly become tiny plants -- which become vegetables (in this case tomatoes) before you know it! Learn the best practices for seed-starting in Saturday's class. Kathy Morrison
Growing vegetables and flowers from seed is the most economical way to produce food and blooms as well as add new plant varieties to your garden. But how do you get started?
Learn tips from experts during “Starting Plants from Seed,” a free workshop offered by the UCCE master gardeners of El Dorado County.
Set for 9 a.m. Saturday, March 30, this three-hour class was originally scheduled for earlier in March but had to be postponed.
The class will cover the basics of seed starting while focusing on spring and summer favorites. Participants also get to keep their “homework” – some newly planted seeds.
Master gardeners Debi Valerga, Donna Hauser and Monte Kruger will lead the workshop, to be held at Cameron Park Community Center, Classroom B. The class is free, but space is limited; participants are urged to register in advance. Find the link here: https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=41927.
This class will include “a presentation on the selection and germination of seeds, starting media, containers, growing out, hardening off and transplanting seedlings,” say the master gardeners. “Following the presentation, participants will have an opportunity to plant seeds to take home. Seeds and containers are provided; bring clean gloves to participate.”
Cameron Park Community Center is located at 2502 Country Club Drive, Cameron Park.
Details and directions: https://mgeldorado.ucanr.edu/.
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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3
November still offers good weather for fall planting:
* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.
* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.
* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* 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.
* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.
* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.
* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.