HOrT COCO-UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa

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family bed 450
Article

Creating a Family Garden Bed

February 26, 2024
By Help Desk Team
Most of us in urban and suburban areas don't have enough room for a large edible garden. Our space is limited for growing vegetables, so we need to try different techniques to maximize our yields.
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Photo of Oxalis in a garden
Article

Bermuda Buttercup

February 12, 2024
By Help Desk Team
Bermuda buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae) has become a tenacious and frustrating weed throughout California. From November through April, bright yellow flowers on leafless stalks and green shamrock-like leaves pop up in many of our landscapes.
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Drawing of a cotyledon
Article

Indoor Seed Starting

January 30, 2024
By Help Desk Team
Many of us have seed catalogs arriving in the mail this month, so now is the time to start thinking about your summer garden. We are publishing this article again because starting plants from seed is a great way to lower costs and increase the variety in your vegetable garden.
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Diagram of before and after rose pruning
Article

Do I Really Need to Prune My Roses?

January 15, 2024
By Help Desk Team
The answer is YES! And it is easy! If you prune, your rose flower bushes will Be larger Have more flowers Will be more balanced and fuller And the health of your plant improved! Most roses need to be pruned only once a year.
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Photo of plant cut off 3 inches above the ground level.
Article

Leave Those Roots!

December 18, 2023
By Help Desk Team
At the end of the gardening season, there is an instinct to uproot spent plants and clear the soil for a fresh start, whether it be for a cover crop, a winter vegetable crop, or next year's summer crops.
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