What is the Persephone Period and what does it mean for your cauliflower, carrots and collards? UC Master Gardener of Yolo, Treva Valentine will lead a science-based discussion of this gardening season during her monthly Kitchen Garden Chat from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11.  (Note: Kitchen Garden Chats normally meet on the first Saturday of the month; this chat is an exception.)

The Persephone Period refers to the time of year when daylight shrinks to fewer than 10 hours per day, significantly slowing or halting plant growth. It ends when daylight increases again in the late winter. By knowing some season-extension techniques and choosing plants that do well during shorter, cooler days, kitchen gardeners can continue to eat from their gardens throughout the fall and winter.

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Kitchen Garden Chats are free and open to anyone who wants to get more to eat from their garden every month of the year. No registration is required. 

Each month, Treva covers what kitchen gardeners should be planting, what they should be harvesting, what pests they should expect, how to deal with them, and what chores belong on gardening to-do lists. Any and all questions about edibles are welcome and encouraged!

Treva, a master gardener in Yolo County for 30 years, has been leading Kitchen Garden Chats since 2019. A retired veterinarian, she lives on a small, 20-acre farm in Woodland.

Photo:https://growingnorth.ca/2015/01/urban-farming-365-the-first-3-months-persephone-period/

For a monthly printable calendar of events, click here: https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-yolo-county/calendar