With the rain beginning, both the calendar and a step outside indicate that autumn is here and winter is not far behind. Pest management strategies need to change with the season, so here are some seasonal tips on pest control in the colder, wetter months. Ants If ants can’t find […]
by Joyce Peters An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Few other proverbs have stood the test of time. We’ve known that apples are a good source of vitamin C and fiber. They also contain pectin, a fiber that breaks down in your gut and makes you feel fuller […]
by Linda Carloni Yes, it’s tomato, zucchini and green bean time! I hope that your gardens are giving you wonderful produce for delicious dinners. But school is in session, and Fall will be with us sooner than we think. One of the benefits of our Mediterranean climate is our ability […]
Can You Identify These Apple Pests, Diseases or Conditions? by Marla Koss, October 26, 2023 Let’s take a quiz! (Answers are listed at the bottom of this quiz.) 1. A tell-tale sign of this serious disease afflicting many rose family trees and plants – including pome fruits – is the […]
by Linda Carloni, Master Gardener and ABG Board Member As the summer vegetables finish, it’s time to think about your garden next season. Many gardeners plant cool season veggies in late summer or early fall and harvest in late fall, winter or even next spring. If you do replace your […]
by Linda Carloni, Master Gardener and ABG Board Member Now that it’s autumn, gardening changes, but in our area it doesn’t end. Here’s a guide to resources from ABG and other excellent sources for some autumn gardening tasks: planting and cultivating fall and winter crops; improving your soil with cover […]
by Linda Carloni Tomatoes, peppers, green beans, zucchini – all well-known and glorious fruits of the summer garden. But while enjoying the bounty, it’s also time to give some thought to the fall and winter garden. Sometimes summer gardening takes all my garden energy and I take a break. But […]
by Linda Carloni, ABG Board Member Many experts recommend that broccoli and bok choy (as well as other cruciferous vegetables) be planted in the inner East Bay in February/March or from July through September. But I plant mine from seedlings in October. Planting in October risks slow growth if the […]
by Birgitt Evans, Master Gardener and ABG Board Member Last year I took a class from Master Gardener Guy Duran and finally perfected my onion growing technique. This year I grew big, fat onions, some weighing in at 15 ounces! Onions are biennial, producing bulbs in their first year to […]
by Margie Siegal Root crops are not that exciting – no one I know ever gushes about heirloom rutabagas – but they have a lot going for them. While vine ripe tomatoes are only around for two to three months out of the year, in our climate, you can grow […]
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 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 […]
Alameda Sun, Thursday, February 13, 2020 by Dena Andersen People move to the Bay Area for many reasons, among them: work, its unique social life and the fantastic natural beauty of California. But for gardeners who find themselves living here a greater secret awaits, for Alameda has not two, but […]
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 […]
