by Linda Carloni, ABG Board member and Master Gardener Cover cropping may sound like an advanced practice, but it can be pretty simple and it’s really good for your soil and for the environment. Cover cropping for food gardeners is planting a non-food crop, generally legumes and cereals, and allowing […]
by Birgitt Evans, ABG Board member and Master Gardener It’s November and the daylight is waning. When we hit December and January, plant growth will slow dramatically as the daylight hours dip below 10. Plants need 10 hours of daylight to continue growing and on December 21st, we get about […]
Alameda Sun, Thursday, October 8, 2020 by Alison Limoges, ABG Board member and Master Gardener It’s officially autumn now and while some people persist in blowing away the falling leaves, it’s so much healthier to use, not remove, them. In addition to the annoying and unhealthy noise, dust, and air […]
by Birgitt Evans By now you have heard about our Free Seed Library and possibly availed yourself of some of the more than 1,100 packets of seeds that we have distributed. Now that you have seeds though, what do you do with them? You have two choices. You can plant […]
by Linda Carloni You have seeds from our Free Seed Library, the nursery, a catalog or a website. Now it’s time to plant seeds for your fall and winter garden. Birgitt Evans (article author and star of our seed planting video) and Kristen Smeal (videographer) cover planting seeds in containers […]
by Birgitt Evans, Master Gardener It’s dry out there in the garden now. And hot. The heat lovers like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, basil, corn and melons are loving it. As long as they get enough water, they will shine, producing generous crops. This time of bounty is an opportunity to […]
Review by Margie Siegal It’s canning day, so I get up early in the morning to avoid the midday heat. I have cleaned the kitchen the night before. I get the produce I have picked and start processing it. Jars get washed in hot soapy water and then boiled. I […]
by Linda Carloni Harvesting and planting may be more glamorous, but pest management is just as crucial to your garden, be it summer or fall. Ideas for managing some issues your garden may be experiencing now: Tomatoes – hornworms One of the most frustrating tomato pests is the hornworm. The […]
by Sarah Miller, Master Gardener The process of worm composting (or vermiculture) can be a mutually beneficial undertaking. Your child learns about worm biology, decomposition and waste reduction, and the worms create black gold for your garden, also known as worm castings or worm poop. To get started you’ll need […]
Alameda Sun, Thursday, August 13, 2020 by Birgitt Evans Alameda Backyard Growers (ABG) was founded 10 years ago by Amanda MacLean Bruemmer and Janice Edwards in response to the economic meltdown as a way to build community, learn about growing food and give back to those in the community in […]
by Margie Siegal Zucchini plants are prolific and very forgiving. Planted in a sunny spot, given a reasonable amount of water and some fertilizer now and again, zucchini plants will grow and produce big bright yellow flowers. The flowers attract a wide variety of pollinating insects. Once pollinated, the flowers […]
by Fey Adelstein Like many people this spring, I was inspired to upgrade my garden. I started with the construction of raised beds 2ft in height (to alleviate my concerns about unknown soil conditions). The sides of the beds are framed, creating strength from which to anchor a trellis. Before […]
by Kristen Smeal, Master Gardener Brightly colored fruits and vegetables not only add a pop of color to the table, they also add an abundance of nutrients and fun. Summertime yields a colorful palate of vegetables and fruits: red, yellow and purple tomatoes; green and yellow cucumbers; navy blueberries and […]
by Kristen Smeal, Master Gardener Gardening is the ideal outdoor learning experience. Whether growing in containers, raised beds, or the ground, the rewards of growing vegetables are plentiful. When children see the process from seed to harvest, they are more likely to taste vegetables they might not normally try. Pumpkins […]
by Birgitt Evans, ABG Board member and Master Gardener July is an interesting time in the garden. Harvests have begun coming in and some crops are finished, leaving gaps, while the peppers and tomatoes are just beginning. After a busy spring of planting, gardeners tend to become lethargic, which can […]
by Margie Siegal The tomatoes are a beautiful red, the zucchini is producing nicely and you just can’t stop posting photos of your lettuce on Instagram. The time has come to eat what you worked so hard to grow, and it will be worth the work and the wait. Your […]
By Kristen Smeal with planting instructions by Alison Limoges Many of the techniques used in gardening and farming today were developed by indigenous peoples of a given area. In the Bay Area, the Ohlone (Costanoan) tribes buried fish from the Bay and nearby creeks to fertilize garden crops. Growing corn […]
by Birgitt Evans, ABG Board member and Master Gardener Ever since I started growing food at 13, I have been fascinated by the miracle of seeds. You can take a tiny round object, place it in the ground and a plant will emerge from that spot. And if it is […]
by Linda Carloni, ABG Board member and Master Gardener Some things about vegetable gardening do need to be learned by experience: How much zucchini will your family really eat? What does fertile soil feel like? Other really valuable information can be learned from books and online sources. Shared knowledge from […]
Review by Margie Siegal A garden in the shape of a pizza? A chicken run as a garden design element? A formal (but edible) garden? Nikki Jabbour dares to think outside of the terra cotta pot and, in Groundbreaking Food Gardens, (Storey, 2014) presents 73 plans for not quite ordinary […]
Alameda Sun, Thursday, May 14, 2020 by Marla Koss In a time of food insecurity, what could be more inviting than a tree covered in fruit? The again, sometimes the gods can be too kind. Overly generous fruit loads have a way of breaking branches and yielding small, poor-quality fruit […]
by Linda Carloni, ABG Board member and Master Gardener Make Sure Your Plants are Getting Enough Water As your plants get larger and the weather gets warmer, keep an eagle eye on the water needs of your veggie plants. While you still have seeds sprouting or very small seedlings, the […]
Review by Margie Siegal I am now reading a thirty year old book. It is one of the best gardening books I have read, and I think it would be especially good for a beginning gardener. Although The Self Sufficient Suburban Garden is out of print, used copies are available […]
In a recent article on ApartmentTherapy.com, ‘Why Alameda, California Is One of the Coolest Suburbs in America‘, Alameda Backyard Growers gets a great mention! Favorite house/garden walk: Alameda Backyard Growers. In addition to picking backyard fruits and veggies and donating that homegrown produce to the Alameda Food Bank, this network […]
Alameda Sun, Thursday, May 9, 2019 by Margie Siegal Since the growing season in Alameda is 365 days long, it is possible to grow something tasty during every season of the year. Although most Alamedans have small spaces in which to cultivate, practicing succession planting (replacing harvested crops with a […]
by Robert D. Raabe Department of Environmental Science and Management University of California, Berkeley Armillaria mellea is a common disease producing fungus found in much of California . It commonly occurs naturally in roots of oaks but does not damage them unless they are weakened by other factors. When oaks […]
by Jillian Saxty Printed in the Alameda Sun, Thursday, July 12, 2018 Becoming involved in Project Pick was the main reason I decided to join Alameda Backyard Growers (ABG) back in 2010. While driving around town (in my electric car) I had always noticed how many fruit trees we have […]
Alameda Backyard Growers is committed to reducing food waste through Project Pick, which has sent over 11 tons of otherwise wasted fruit to the Alameda Food Bank. Now we’re taking the next step, and tackling food waste in our own kitchens. Read more.
by Marla Koss of Alameda Backyard Growers Thursday, January 11, 2018 It’s bareroot fruit tree season! Many fruit trees can be successful in Alameda if planted now, but there are pitfalls when choosing both a suitable tree and the best spot to plant it. In the spirit of Alameda Backyard […]
by Brigitt Evans, Alameda Backyard Growers Alameda Sun, November 9, 2017 November is a transition month in Alameda. Warm sunny days may be punctuated by rainstorms, but the nights are cooling down. Plant growth is slowing down and planting begins now for late winter or spring harvests. Here are some […]
Irene Rakochy, a Founding Board Member of ABG, a great friend, and a dedicated ABG volunteer, died unexpectedly in her sleep in June. She was 69, and leaves two adult sons. We miss her so much. In honor of Irene, Alameda Backyard Growers has donated to the Redwood Empire Food […]
by Linda Carloni, Alameda Backyard Growers October 12, 2017 Fall has arrived, and the end of our warm-season vegetable gardens has arrived. Alameda has such a moderate climate that we can plant cool-season gardens, but many gardeners choose to give their vegetable plots a rest in the rainy season. When […]
One of our co-founders, Amanda Bruemmer, spoke very eloquently about ABG’s mission and programs in her in-depth interview on May 24, 2015 with Jack Kulp on Listen Up Bay Area. Check out the audio link here.
Alameda Sun, Sun Staff Thursday, April 9, 2015 Five years ago, Alameda Backyard Growers (ABG) sprouted its first tender shoots when 30 friends and neighbors gathered at High Street Station to talk about gardening and how to share extra produce from their yards with the Alameda Food Bank. Today, ABG […]
“We are now at a notable crossroads for this project as the conceptual plan, developed by the community, starts to become a reality,” said Recreation and Park Director Amy Wooldridge. “This is an exciting moment in time for the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park.” This money provides the critical spark […]
by Kurtis Alexander, a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Read the original article here. Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation last week that seeks to bolster California’s love affair with fresh food, including approving creation of a statewide Office of Farm to Fork. After putting his signature on seven bills Friday, […]
Janice Edwards (co-founder) and Jillian Saxty (board member) appeared on Bay Area Focus on Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 8AM (Channel 44). Host Michelle Griego interviewed them about how Alameda Backyard Growers began as a group and what impact it’s having today in Alameda. Janice and Jill agreed that it […]
InsideBayArea.com – by Laura Casey, Correspondent Here’s a link to the original article. About 300 people showed up to the first cleanup effort at the Jean Sweeney Open Space Preserve Saturday, lending hands to spread mulch, remove prickly weeds, build demonstration planter boxes and paint whimsical murals in a part […]
San Jose Mercury News – by Paul Rogers Here’s a link to the original article. For years, Barbara Stackhouse would go out every spring with her husband, Richard, to pick oranges from three big trees in her backyard in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood. The couple would give the juicy […]
Alameda Backyard Growers 3rd Year Anniversary Event Sunday, February 17, 2013 (1:00 – 4:00 pm) Dear Friends of Alameda Backyard Growers, We are pleased to kick off 2013 with exciting news! Over the past few months, ABG has become a not-for-profit corporation, appointed a Board of Directors, and begun filing […]
The Alamedan – by Laura Casey A happenstance meeting at a networking event in San Francisco three years ago led two Alameda residents to create a city-wide educational and service program to help feed needy residents who rely on the Alameda Food Bank for fresh fruit and vegetables. After finding […]
Inside Bay Area – by Janet Levaux Correspondent Here’s a link to the original article. ALAMEDA — Alameda Backyard Growers has a lot to celebrate Sunday, when it commemorates its three-year anniversary at the Alameda Main Library with a special three-hour event. The group draws 50 or more guests to […]
