Countdown to an ABG Plant Sale
Text and photos by Marla Koss, additional photo credits to Holly Johnson JANUARY: The holidays are over. Things are finally quiet for most. But Alameda Backyard Growers’ Spring Plant Sale organizers are just getting revved up. They have a mere three-and-a-half months to raise hundreds of tomato, vegetable, herb and flower starts from seed, in... Continue reading→
Free Trees Available
Free Trees Available for Yards or Sidewalks Did last September’s heatwave make you long for a shade tree? Do you want to do your part for climate change by planting a tree? Maybe you want to beautify your street. If so, you are in luck. A generous donor has available the following trees, all in... Continue reading→
Late Spring Early Summer Resource Roundup
by Linda Carloni, Master Gardener and ABG Board Member The winter rains brought us much needed water, leading to increased water availability for agriculture and cities, a bounteous wildflower bloom, and a start to recharging our depleted groundwater. It also brought us a very severe peach leaf curl season. Peach leaf curl, caused by a... Continue reading→
Resources for Planting for Pollinators
On May 17, 2023, Alameda Backyard Growers’ Birgitt Evans held a pollinator plant starting workshop. Participants learned how to start seeds and plant beautiful, butterfly and bee attractive plants, including California Natives, to create a Pollinator Paradise! Bees, butterflies and other pollinators have been struggling because there are not enough food plants for them. The... Continue reading→
Early Spring Resource Roundup
by Linda Carloni The calendar says it’s spring, but with our continuing atmospheric river-fueled storms, it often still feels a lot like winter, a wet chilly winter. Nevertheless, there are tasks in the garden to tackle when you can seize a dry day. Remember to avoid working the soil when it is too wet; let... Continue reading→
No One in Alameda Should Have to Buy Lemons in the Winter
By Jillian Saxty, ABG Project Pick Coordinator I have been running ABG’s Project Pick, with the help of many wonderful volunteers and ABG members, for over a decade and it still amazes me just how many fruit trees we have in Alameda, especially lemon trees. During the winter months, January through March, we have so... Continue reading→
Tips for Growing Tomatoes in Alameda
Alameda Sun, Thursday, March 9, 2023 by Holly Johnson Tomatoes are nearly everyone’s favorite food to grow for themselves. Here are some tips for successful tomatoes in Alameda, collected from Alameda Backyard Growers’ resources, local gardening experts, and notes from a past presentation by Evan Krokowski, the former farm coordinator for Farm2Market. Preparing the Soil... Continue reading→
Why Pruning Fruit Trees is Essential and Some Tips on How to Do It
Alameda Sun, Friday, September 16, 2022 by Holly Johnson Alameda Backyard Growers (ABG) held their August educational program on site at Farm2Market, the social enterprise farm division of Alameda Point Collaborative (APC). The session, part of the group’s monthly education series, gave three dozen attendees a hands-on learning experience as well as an introduction to... Continue reading→
Waste Not Want Not: New Recycling Rules Address Climate Change and Food Insecurity
Alameda Sun – Thursday, December 8, 2022 by Holly Johnson When Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383), which requires homes and businesses to separate food waste from trash, became law on the first of this year, Alamedans might not have noticed. The city’s waste management system has included curbside food waste composting for years. However, the... Continue reading→
Help Wipe Out Citrus Disease
Alameda Sun, Wednesday, February 8, 2023 by Linda Carloni, Alameda Backyard Growers Alameda’s front and back yards contain many citrus trees. Selected lemon and mandarin orange varieties are particularly common here. Citrus trees are easy to care for, but they can be prone to insect damage on the leaves from aphids, leafminers, and thrips, which... Continue reading→