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 […]
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 […]
by Birgitt Evans, ABG Board member and Master Gardener I have a friend who lives outside of Toronto. Like me, she grows and puts up a great deal of food from a smallish garden. She, however, has a two week window in which to plant her entire summer garden if […]
by Birgitt Evans, ABG Board member and Master Gardener What a wild ride March was! Lives were turned upside down. We traded security for uncertainty. While many people ran for toilet paper, the rest of us surveyed our options and decided that we preferred home food security. And then we […]
by Linda Carloni, ABG Board member and Master Gardener Tomatoes are one of most popular plants for home gardens. Alameda’s climate and soil are not optimal for all varieties of tomatoes, but with some knowledge of Alameda’s eccentricities, you can enjoy home grown tomatoes. Using tomato seedlings rather than seeds […]
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 […]
Pulling Together a 2019 Summer Garden Wrap-Up When we went hunting for input from local gardeners for this article (September 12, 2019, Alameda Sun – see below), not only did our respondents give us good feedback on this year’s successes and disappointments in their yards, they also talked about ingenious […]
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 […]
May 21, 2019, 7 to 8:30 pm Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Avenue, Alameda Meet Alameda County Master Gardeners Sam Foushee and David Blood to discuss planting your summer vegetable garden. Here in the Bay Area we can garden all year long but it requires a bit of planning. We’ll […]
with David Blood, Master Gardener of Alameda County July 21, 2018, 2 to 3:30 pm Alameda Main Library, 1550 Oak Street, Alameda Yes, summer gardening may be starting to wind down. But in the Bay Area, we can grow food three, or maybe even four, seasons of the year. In […]
by Marla Koss, Alameda Backyard Growers Board Member Alameda Sun, Thursday, April 12, 2018 As Alameda’s deciduous fruit trees have come out of dormancy, passers-by might be forgiven for having simply enjoyed the beauty of their blossoms, unaware of the dynamic little miracle advancing the tree’s true mission. In super-slow-motion […]
with Susan Fritz of the UC Master Gardener Program of Alameda County April 17, 2018, 7 to 8:30 pm Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Avenue, Alameda Looking forward to enjoying some lovely spring crops soon? Want to prevent those spring insects from enjoying your crops first? Join Alameda County Master […]
by Marla Koss, Alameda Backyard Growers Published in the Alameda Sun – Thursday, February 8, 2018 Here comes Valentine’s Day, that 24-hour celebration of hearts, flowers and chocolate overkill. But more than a frolic, Valentine’s Day is a handy marker on the Bay Area gardener’s calendar for midwinter chores. For […]
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 […]
with Cynthia LaCroix and Linda Carloni Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 7:00 – 8:00 PM Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Ave, Alameda Join us for an interactive session on planning your 2017 food garden and what steps to take in January and February. We’ll talk about when and how to do soil […]
ABG’s April 2016 Education Meeting will focus on Spring Fruit Tree Care, but you may want to do some preventive maintenance before that meeting. Co-presenter Jasmine Tokuda recommends that fruit tree owners take some time this weekend or early in the next week to remove overwintering mulch or leaf detritus […]
with Jasmine Tokuda and Marla Koss April 11, 2016, 6:30 – 7:30 pm Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2512 Blanding Ave., Alameda Having had a nice drink of water, are those fruit trees in your yard now blossoming? Are you wondering what you need to do so they’ll produce for you this […]
Sunday, October 20, 2013 from 1 to 3PM Many years ago in our city, forward looking residents planted fruit trees and we are enjoying the fruits of their labors today. We can give the gift of maintaining those healthy trees for current and future residents by ensuring that we are […]
