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Articles about Over the Garden Fence

Over the Garden Fence: Prolonging Your Tomato Growing Season

By UC Master Gardener of Mariposa County – Helen Willoughby-Peck Red, yellow, green, orange, brown, purple, and even white, the quintessential tasty treats of summer will soon stop producing. Cooler weather and shorter days signal the end of our tomato growing season and your plants will begin to decline. Tomato lovers will soon be forced to consider tasteless and characterless ...

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Over the Garden Fence: Give Trees a Chance

Image of a beech tree with new growth.

By Michele Nowak-Sharkey, UC Master Gardener of Mariposa County. MARIPOSA — The impulse after a fire is to remove all evidence that the event occurred. This is understandable from an emotional perspective, however, if we shift to the nature lens we see a different approach. Although the landscape looks blackened with no visible signs of life, life nonetheless is rearranging, ...

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Over the Garden Fence: Transplanting Seedlings

Image of a tray of seedlings.

By Bob Labozetta (UC Master Gardener, Mariposa) So you’ve started your seeds in pots or trays and they have sprouted. Now what? When it’s too early to transplant seedlings out into the garden, but they’re too big to remain in their first containers (or your seedlings are crowding each other), you need to transplant them into bigger pots such as ...

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Over the Garden Fence: Spring Seed Starting

Image of seedlings in a greenhouse.

By Bob Labozetta (UC Master Gardener, Mariposa) Starting plants from seeds can save you money, give you the option of trying interesting varieties, and bring you closer to Mother Nature’s methods of propagation. Different seeds have different germination rates, so refer to seed catalog or seed packet directions to determine when and how to start your seeds. Visit http://cemariposa.ucanr.edu/Master_Gardener/ for ...

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Over the Garden Fence: What Vegetables Should I Grow?

Image of a large table of vegetables.

By UC Master Gardeners of Mariposa County Beginner vegetable gardeners are often stymied about what vegetables to grow in their gardens. The general rule of thumb is to pick easy-to-grow varieties that you enjoy eating. California has a unique Mediterranean climate that is suitable for growing many types of vegetables throughout the year. In cooler northern climates, most crops are ...

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Over the Garden Fence: Winter Gardening With a Greenhouse

Image of a greenhouse.

Ron Allen, UC Master Gardener, Mariposa County By using a greenhouse, a home gardener can extend the growing season into the chilly winter months. In Mariposa County, a typical small greenhouse can provide temperatures that are 10-15F warmer than outside ambient air. This is a sufficient bump in warmth to keep late season vegetables growing and protect sensitive landscape and ...

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Over the Garden Fence: Fall is the Time to Plant Natives

Image of California poppies.

By Ron Allen, UC Master Gardener, Mariposa Fall is the time to plant California natives. The weather is cooler, the first soaking rains are imminent, and yet there is still plenty of good sunlight. These factors make for good initial foliage growth and root development. The motivation for adding native plants comes down to one thing: water. Mariposa County enjoys ...

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Terraces, Berms And Swales: Over The Garden Fence

By Brian David —  California’s Mediterranean climate of short, wet winters and long, dry summers sustains more diverse foliage than any other of the 49 states. For California’s commercial agriculture and home gardening, however, capturing water is crucial. We channel surface runoff from watersheds, diverting water into reservoirs and dams and direct the flow and delivery of water through aqueducts ...

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Over The Garden Fence: Tomato Diseases

By Helen Willoughby-Peck —  Most home gardeners who grow tomatoes have experienced  problems with tomato diseases.  Tomatoes can suffer a variety of diseases and environmental factors contributing to poor production, foliage damage, or plant death. Here are a few of them that you might be seeing on your tomato plants this summer with possible solutions to ‘cure’ your plants. Tomato ...

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Over the Garden Fence: Starting Spring Seeds

By Brian David (Mariposa Master Gardener) —  February and March are months to try a spring garden. Spring gardening is a tango with fluctuating temperatures. You may need to combine starting seed indoors with direct outdoor seeding. Spring (cool season) vegetable seeds include several nutrient dense vegetables often planted at the end of summer for fall gardens. Cool weather vegetables ...

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