The Stanislaus Sprout

The bare root fruit tree planting season is already here! Between December and February, deciduous bare root fruit trees are available for sale at nurseries and garden centers. Deciduous fruit trees lose their leaves each winter.

If you have a peach or nectarine tree in your landscape, most of the leaves have probably dropped. This is a great reminder to gardeners that it's time to spray for peach leaf curl. Right now, the fungus that causes leaf curl is present on your trees.

January has always been my least favorite month of the year. The often dreary, short, gray days seem especially dull after all the December festivities. Going outside to work in my garden is a chore when I'd rather be snuggled under a blanket with a good book in front of a fire with a hot drink.

Gardeners sometimes call the Master Gardener help line asking if a soil test is necessary before planting a home garden. For most people, the answer is usually no. In some cases, soil analysis can help identify an unusual problem, such as excess soil salts or minor element deficiencies.

Our program had a successful Giving Tuesday thanks to generous donations from our community that totaled $2,575! This means we can break ground on one of our gardens this spring! We will keep you updated on our progress through this blog as well as on social media via Facebook, Instagram, and/or our...