Master Gardener Monthly Newsletter
December 2024
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Giving Tuesday -- December 3, 2024, 12:01am-11:59pm
The UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo and San Francisco Counties work together every day with people in our communities helping them to grow their own food and garden sustainably with science-based methods. Our programs are largely funded by donations. Heartfelt thanks to everyone who gave generously last year! This year there are three exciting ways to double the impact of your donation: (1) generous donors are offering to match your contribution up to $4,000, (2) UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) is offering two challenge prizes, $500 for the program with the greatest number of individual donations and $500 for the program with the highest dollar amount raised; and (3) all matching challenge donations count toward these prizes. It’s a win-win! Please calendar the day and set your alarm to pitch in to donate on Tuesday, December 3, from 12:01am to 11:59pm and click this link for information on how to donate.
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Spring Garden Market -- April 26, 2025
San Mateo County Event Center
The Spring Garden Market returns on Saturday, April 26, 2025, to the San Mateo County Event Center. UC Master Gardeners will soon be seeding and propagating more than 6,000 plants to be sold at the market. We’ll have tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, herbs, California natives, pollinator plants, and much more. Plan to join us, and take home happy, healthy plants for your spring garden. Our growers are getting ready, seeds and pots have been ordered, and heat mats and greenhouses are being prepped. Our website will be updated soon with more information.
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Cover Cropping Article
The best way to prepare your garden soil for spring planting is to sow cover crops now in order to build critical nutrients and improve soil structure during winter months. There are many cover crops to consider such as legumes, grains and grasses, leafy cover crops, buckwheat and wildflowers. UC Master Gardener Carol O’Donnell explains the wide-ranging benefits and options, and offers tips and best practices for our two-county region. She offers guidance on where to buy seeds, how to sow, and how to terminate cover crops for maximum benefit ahead of spring planting. Read her article for more information.
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Planting California Annual Wildflowers
Now that we have had our first rains, it is time to sow seeds for a 2025 spring and summer colorful display of California annual wildflowers. There are many different natives to choose from, in bright colors of oranges, pinks, blues, purples and yellows. Most prefer full sun, but some will also grow in partial shade. These annual plants will bloom in about 3-4 months after planting in the fall/winter. Many will re-seed in the same place each year. View our planting guide. Wildflower seeds can be found at local nurseries and online, either in seed mixes or by individual flowers. Be sure to check the seed pack label that the seeds are California native wildflower seeds as these will be the most successful in our climate and will support our local pollinators. Some of our favorite wildflowers are California poppies, tidy tips, baby blue eyes, clarkias (farewell-to-spring), Chinese houses, bird’s eye gilia and annual lupines. For more detailed information about growing wildflowers, visit our Master Gardener webpage.
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Checklists for
December/January/February
UC Master Gardeners
Find information for the current season, or view other seasonal checklists using the left panel of our main website.
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Serramonte Daly City Farmers' Market
Serramonte Mall
133 Serramonte Center
Daly City, CA 94015
December 5, 2024, 9:00am-1:00pm
Please visit the UC Master Gardener education table at the Serramonte Farmers’ Market. Master Gardener volunteers will be available to answer questions regarding plants, planting techniques, garden pests and more. The Farmers' Market is located behind Macy's. For more information visit their website. Registration is not required.
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Pruning Without Fear: A Workshop for Beginners
Foster City Library
1000 East Hillsdale Boulevard
Foster City, CA 94404
December 14, 2024, 10:15am-12:30pm
Explore the world of plant pruning. Learn about the theory, tools and techniques. Then see a pruning demonstration followed by the opportunity to prune several plants in the library's nearby pollinator garden. You will have ample time for questions as well as experience the why and how of pruning through hands-on, guided pruning. This workshop is limited to 20 attendees. Registration is required.
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San Francisco Botanical Garden
County Fair Building next to SF Botanical Garden
1199 Ninth Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94122
December 14, 2024, 11:00am-5:00pm
Master Gardeners will be staffing an information table at the San Francisco Botanical Garden’s annual “Gifts at the Garden” holiday fair in the San Francisco County Fair Building. Visit the gift market to find a curated selection of sustainable, local and fair trade gifts alongside exclusive Gardens of Golden Gate Park merchandise, books and art. Stop by the Master Gardener information table to get answers to your gardening questions, learn more about our program and resources, or just to chat about plants. For more information about Gifts of the Garden, visit the Gardens of Golden Gate Park website.
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Divisadero Farmers' Market
San Francisco DMV Parking Lot
1377 Fell Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
December 15, 2024, 9:00am-1:00pm
Please visit the UC Master Gardener education table at the Divisadero Farmers’ Market. Master Gardener volunteers will be available every third Sunday to answer questions regarding plants, planting techniques, garden pests and more. For more information, visit their website.
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San Francisco Botanical Garden
County Fair Building next to SF Botanical Garden
1199 Ninth Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94122
December 15, 2024, 10:00am-4:00pm
Master Gardeners will be staffing an information table at the San Francisco Botanical Garden’s annual “Gifts at the Garden” holiday fair in the San Francisco County Fair Building. Visit the gift market to find a curated selection of sustainable, local and fair trade gifts alongside exclusive Gardens of Golden Gate Park merchandise, books and art. Stop by the Master Gardener information table to get answers to your gardening questions, learn more about our program and resources, or just to chat about plants. For more information about Gifts of the Garden, visit the Gardens of Golden Gate Park website.
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Serramonte Daly City Farmers' Market
Serramonte Mall
133 Serramonte Center
Daly City, CA 94015
December 19, 2024, 9:00am-1:00pm
Please visit the UC Master Gardener education table at the Serramonte Farmers’ Market. Master Gardener volunteers will be available to answer questions regarding plants, planting techniques, garden pests and more. The Farmers' Market is located behind Macy's. For more information visit their website. Registration is not required.
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Organic versus Conventional Farming
Rodale Institute
Organic agriculture is a production system that regenerates the health of soils, ecosystems, and people. Organic farmers rely on natural processes, biodiversity, and cycles adapted to local conditions rather than the use of synthetic inputs like chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. GMOs are not allowed in organic. Read more
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Our Mission Statement: To extend research-based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices to the residents of San Mateo and San Francisco Counties, guided by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. | |
PLANT PROBLEM DIAGNOSTIC TOOL
Choose the affected plant from photos displayed, click on the photo, remove any selections that do not apply, click on the plant names, and continue to filter selections to view the results for a possible diagnoses. Learn more.
GARDENING RESOURCES
Select links to access gardening resources, California Backyard Orchard, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), publications, and finding a local Master Gardener program. Learn more.
ARBORETUM ALL-STARS
Do you need help picking plants for your sustainable home garden? Selecting from the “Arboretum All-Stars” list is an easy way to start making “green” choices for your great looking garden. Arboretum All-Stars are top plants recommended by the horticultural staff of the UC Davis Arboretum. They thrive in California’s Mediterranean climate and have qualities that make them great choices for sustainable home gardens. Use a searchable plant database to pick the perfect All-Star for your garden conditions. For more information, view their website.
NATIVE PLANT RESOURCES
Looking for plants native to California that are not only pretty but are pollinators and drought resistant? A few resources are: Xerces Society, California Native Plant Society, and Calflora, Or try a native plant database for plants within your zip code. This website will help you find the best native plants specifically for your area that attract butterflies and moths and the birds that feed on their caterpillars, based on the scientific research of Dr. Douglas Tallamy and Research Assistant Kimberley Shropshire.
CALIFORNIA INVASIVE PLANT COUNCIL
Browse the website to see all plants on the California Invasive Plant Council inventory, including both invasive plants and “watch” species. Clicking on the scientific name will take you to the Plant Profile where you will find links to more information on the plant.
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UC Master Gardener volunteers are ready help you and your garden. Have a question about gardening? Have a pest problem? Curious about what will grow well in your region? Submit your inquiry online. Or visit the Master Gardener Helpline by phone, email, on the web, or in person. For more information visit our website.
UC ANR is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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