Above 2000 feet, prune deciduous fruit trees, and cane berries, below 2000 feet prune grapes, roses, and crepe myrtle; paint trunks of bare root and young fruit trees to prevent borers and protect from sunburn (use interior white latex paint with equal amounts of water and apply generously); control earwigs and sow bugs with bait or traps; remove and discard old flowers from azaleas and camellias to reduce petal blight; divide asters, lilies, perennial phlox, and chrysanthemums; and work on removing dead and dying limbs and vegetation. Read more.

We are so lucky to live in a place with year-around gardening opportunities. This time of year is perfect for planting your spring vegetables, seeding your summer garden and enjoying vibrant and tasty spring greens (kale, spinach, beets, lettuce, and more) and dreaming about all the summer superstars coming next season such as succulent tomatoes, gorgeous eggplant, colorful peppers, unusual and tasty cucumbers, summer squash, summer grown winter squash, fresh corn, edamame and basil. Summer abounds with possibilities. Registration required.

Frosts or a hard freeze can kill tender plants and can damage citrus, especially young plants, so protection is a good idea on those cold, clear winter nights. Place stakes around tender plants and cover with clear plastic or fabric such as a sheet or old drapery. Don't let the material touch the foliage. Read more.

Knowing when to irrigate is important to avoid plant water stress. The "look and feel" method is an easy way to know when to irrigate by following five simple steps. View video.

UC Master Gardeners

Radio Broadcast

February 14, 2022, 9:00am-10:00am

Listen to the broadcast streamed live at kwmr.org, San Francisco area 90.5FM, Bolinas/Point Reyes Station 89.9FM, or San Geronimo Valley 92.3FM. West Marin Community Radio brings conversation with wonderful guests, the “plant-of-the-week” feature, and talk of the current season. They strive to please the-casual-to-the-geek gardener, with ideas and resources for our many microclimates and watersheds.

February 8, 2022, 6:00pm-8:00pm

Learn how to turn your food scraps, leaves, and plant cuttings into nutrient-rich compost that helps your garden retain moisture, suppress weeds, and prevent soil erosion, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions. It is rewarding to know you are turning what some consider organic waste into a nutrient rich organic material for your garden. Registration required.

Most commercially grown orchids are derived from plants originating in the tropics. Imagine for a moment that you are an orchid: you are growing in a sheltered spot probably up in a tree with your roots getting nutrients from crumbled bark that is moist but not soggy. Filtered sunlight streams in for most of the day. The air is comfortably warm and humid. The temperature is fairly constant for most of the year. Although we don't live in that idyllic setting, the orchid in your home needs similar conditions. Does this mean you have to create a tropical orchid spa? No, but it does mean paying attention to water, light and temperature. Read more.

Growing vegetables from seed is generally very easy to do, but takes more time and patience than buying young plants from the nursery. Seeds can be sown directly into the garden soil at the correct planting time for the crop (direct seeding), or they can be grown indoors for several weeks to create a strong young plant that is later transplanted to the garden. Good sources of mail-order seeds can be found at the UCCE Vegetable Research and Information Center. Read more.