Hands-On Vegetable Seed Starting Workshop
Presenters: Kristen Smeal and Birgitt Evans
Saturday, March 9th, 2 – 3:30PM at the Community Room at the Alameda Free Library, 1550 Oak Street, Alameda
Starting vegetables from seed can save money and will give you access to thousands of vegetable varieties not available as transplants. In this hands-on workshop, we will begin with a brief discussion about seeds, reviewing which seeds are best planted directly in the ground and which should be started in containers for transplant into pots or the ground. Then we will move on to the basics of starting seeds, including the importance of cleanliness, seed starting mixes, what containers you can use, how many seeds to plant and how deeply, feeding and watering of seedlings and providing light and heat for your seedlings.
We will then break into groups for a demonstration of how to plant seeds and participants will plant up several 6-packs with seeds to take home.
No registration is necessary. However, space is limited and people will be let in on a first come, first served basis.
Kristen Smeal is a Master Gardener and Garden Science teacher at St. Philip Neri in Alameda.
Birgitt Evans has grown her own food on a large scale for the past 40 years and created a successful garden and nursery business. She is passionate about growing and raising food and seeks to encourage and educate others so they can also share the benefits of fresh, healthy, homegrown food. She grows vegetables in four different Alameda County gardens and starts 90% of her plants from seed. She has been an Alameda County Master Gardener since 1999 and served on the board of Alameda Backyard Growers for 10 years.
As you know, 2023 was another big year for ABG’s five Free Seed Libraries. With the help of our volunteers, we packed and gave out about 15,000 packets of seeds to gardeners all across the island. From the feedback many people had fun and learned from growing the seeds.
In February, we held our first seed packing party of 2024 which supplied all the seeds for spring 2024 planting. Now it is time to pack up the seeds for summer planting. We will be hosting our next Seed Packing Party on March 24th from noon – 2PM at a covered garden location on the East End.
The Seed Packing Parties give ABG volunteers the opportunity to socialize while doing something meaningful for a finite amount of time. This party will allow us to stock the libraries through August. Volunteers are welcome to take seeds to plant at the end of the party.
We will have beverages and light snacks.
Please join us to keep the Alameda Free Seed Libraries going through the summer of 2024. Reply to this email to let us know if you will be able to attend.
Tora Rocha, co-founder of Pollinator Posse and formerly Parks Supervisor for the City of Oakland, will lead a tour of the various pollinator habitats at the Gardens of Lake Merritt and help us learn how to keep a healthy ecosystem thriving in our own gardens.
The Pollinator Garden is located next to the Bonsai Garden, just northwest by a few steps. On Google Maps, it’s labeled “Bee Hotel Garden.”
There is a fee for parking.
This event is hosted by the Master Gardeners of Alameda County.
Join us for a tour and work party with our partner, the Alameda Food Bank!
Since 2011, to feed our neighbors and reduce food waste, Alameda Backyard Growers has encouraged local fruit tree owners to request that our volunteers pick their excess fruit. In those 13 years, ABG volunteers have gleaned and delivered more than 66,000 pounds of fresh fruit to the Alameda Food Bank. This ongoing, mutual collaboration between these two not-for-profits remains strong to this day. Together, we still reduce food insecurity and food waste. If you’ve never had the chance to visit the Alameda Food Bank or volunteer for them, here is your chance to do just that.
We will learn how the AFB operates, who is eligible to receive food there, how to volunteer, etc. We’ll do miscellaneous chores including cleaning shelves, restocking food, sorting food, etc.
Wear warm, comfortable clothes and closed-toed shoes.
Restrooms, drinking water, camaraderie are available.
Space is limited to 20, so sign up here!
After this work project event, you are welcome to remain at Alameda Point to socialize with your fellow volunteers at the nearby Firebrand Bread, Almanac Beer Co., etc. on West Tower Avenue.
From the UC Master Gardener Program of Alameda County:
Learn how to water your vegetable garden, landscape plantings and containers using gardener-friendly drip irrigation. Master Gardener David Blood will walk you through the how-tos and answer your questions. FREE; no registration required. The garden is located in the Gardens of Lake Merritt, at Lakeside Park, 666 Bellevue Avenue in Oakland. Enter at Gate 4, across from the Boathouse. There is a fee for parking.
ABG’s June Program is a FREE Tour of Ploughshares and a presentation by its manager, Jordan Taylor, on How to Care For Your Tomato Plants. This informative session will be held Saturday, June 29 from 1:00–3:00 pm. Learn lots more about how to grow tomatoes and pick up your current plant supply needs while there.
Born and raised in New York City, Jordan Taylor never imagined a world covered in dirt, happy insects, and happier plants. Since 2019, Jordan has spent countless hours of hands-on research and trial error to become an avid gardener and an advocate for food sovereignty. Beginning as a novice on the nursery sales floor, Jordan is a true testament to how falling in love with gardening can propel a person into a more fruitful life.
During our tomato workshop we will cover tomato nutrient needs, favorable conditions, common pests, and helpful tips to get the most out of your tomato harvest.
To join us, register now!
Ploughshares Nursery
This talk, which will be given by Master Gardener Laura Cornett, will cover propagating with seeds as well as vegetative propagation via cuttings and division. Preparation of propagules will be covered as well as after care for seedlings. Cornett has been an Alameda County Master Gardener since 2020. She is also part-time faculty as the Curriculum Coordinator and Laboratory Technician in the Horticulture Department at Las Positas College in Livermore. She is involved in the Native Plant Resource Team which is a division of the “Bringing Back the Natives Tour.” Her yard has been on this Tour three times, including this year.
No registration is required. The Master Gardeners’ Trials Garden is located in the Gardens of Lake Merritt, at Lakeside Park, 666 Bellevue Avenue in Oakland. Enter at Gate 4 across from the Boathouse. There is a fee for parking.
Here in the SF Bay Area, annual pruning of Apricot and Cherry trees is carried out in July or August rather than in the winter. This protects these varieties from a specific fungal infection that may occur if pruning cuts are made in cold, wet weather. August is also an excellent time to prune back excess, leggy growth on Plum and Pluot trees. Refresh your pruning skills or learn the fundamentals of Summer Stone Fruit Tree pruning. Marla Koss, our pruning teacher extraordinaire, will lead another great, FREE, hands-on, how-to pruning session in Alameda.
Thank you to everyone who attended!
Our final seed packing party of 2024 will be held on Sunday, August 11th from noon – 2pm. More info to follow.
The UC Master Gardeners Alameda County invite you to a Garden Talk:
Have you tried to grow onions and been unsuccessful? Don’t feel bad as onions can be difficult to grow. Join Guy Duran, Master Gardener and award-winning onion grower, to learn the secret of successfully growing your own sweet onions. Guy will also cover the basics of winter gardening and tell you why you should start planning your winter crops in August!
FREE; no registration required. The garden is located in the Gardens of Lake Merritt, at Lakeside Park, 666 Bellevue Avenue in Oakland. Enter at Gate 4, across from the Boathouse. There is a fee for parking.
Talks are subject to change based on availability of speakers. Check the Master Gardeners of Alameda County website for updates.