HOrT COCO-UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa

Lettuce may not be a garden crop that causes you to perk up and say, Tell me more. You may be thinking, Boring, I'll pass. Or you may be the gardener who says, I never could get that crop to grow. Whatever your current thinking about lettuce, I hope to get you excited about this humble crop.

This year was particularly bad for peach leaf curl and other fungal infections in fruit trees because of the wonderful rain we had last winter and spring. It looks like we might have another wet winter, so we are rerunning this post to remind you to think about a spray program for your trees.

Note: We are running this previously published article because it's important to be ready to protect sensitive plants. Don't get taken by surprise! It's time to get ready for cold winter temperatures and to start preparing protection for citrus trees and other frost-sensitive plants.

Halloween creeping up on you?

The Mediterranean climate of Contra Costa County has us spoiled for choices in growing handsome perennials and shrubs, including many native plants that attract local beneficial insects and nourish our ecosystems.