Fall


Apple Quiz

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 […]

Apple pest Orange Tortrix larva

Autumn Resources cover crops

Tips for Autumn and into Winter

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 […]


Autumn Resource Roundup

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 […]

Autumn Resources cover crops

winter garden veggies

Cool Season – Time to Start Planting

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 […]


Broccoli and Bok Choy in October

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 […]

Cabbageworm butterflies on kale

Growing onions

The Time to Plant Onions is NOW!

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 […]


Root Crops

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 […]

growing root vegetables

planting cover crops

Cover Crops for Beginners

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 […]


5 Vegetables to Plant in November

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 […]

Vegetables to plant in November

Fall composting with leaves

Don’t Waste Leaves This Fall

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 […]


Growing Seeds Outside

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 […]

Growing carrots from seed

Alameda growing season

Alameda’s Secret Growing Season

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 […]


Five Things Vegetable Gardens Need in November

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 […]