HOrT COCO-UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa

Understanding the ins and outs of fertilizing your garden can sometimes feel overwhelming. The shelves of colorful products at the local shop, sometimes with confusing labels, promise magical results. By keeping in mind some basic facts about fertilizers and fertilizing, you may approach the task with much…

Note: This article was previously published in 2018. We are rerunning it because we are noticing this happening in many gardens right now.Client's Request: Why no tomatoes? Starting to get lots of flowers but almost NO tomatoes? Plants look very healthy. I live in central Contra Costa County.MGCC Help Desk…

  The long-awaited summer harvest time is approaching, and our mouths are watering in anticipation of those first juicy tomatoes and sweet, crisp cucumbers. But it is not always obvious when some fruits and vegetables are at their peak and ready to pick. Here are some tips for knowing when to…

We just passed the Summer Solstice, and with the longest day comes warmer weather. As things heat up, here are some tips for supporting your plants during the summer heat waves, while saving water.Mulch, mulch, mulch. Whether you use bark, shredded leaves, or wood chips, a thick layer of mulch will help the…

Sometimes we get questions about leaning trees. People want to know if a tree that is leaning can be straightened out, and how. This is what we’ve learned.The first question to consider is why is the tree leaning? For most young trees, with trunks smaller than 4” in diameter, the leaning can be traced back…