UC Master Gardeners’ Website Has Answers to Your Gardening Questions
By Cassandra Walker
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. — Napa County home gardeners are fortunate to have a variety of gardening resources at their fingertips. The UC Master Gardeners of Napa County website has a lot of helpful information if you know where to look. Here’s how to navigate some of its features.
Notice the tabs at the top of the home page. Click on the “Garden Questions?” tab, which takes you to the help-desk portal. There you can email or call the Master Gardener help desk with a brief description of your problem. A Master Gardener will get back to you with some expert help.
Scroll down the Garden Questions page until you see “Gardening Resources” and a link to “Garden Books and Resources.” Click on that link and you will find a wealth of information ranging from “Healthy Garden Tips” to the “UC IPM’s Plant Problem Diagnostic Tool.” Click on that UC IPM link to access the University of California database for analyzing plant problems. Enter the plant name, damaged part and type of damage, and you will get actionable information on how to treat your problem. The Help Desk and Garden Questions pages on the site are your go-to sections for advice.
Other home-page icons are also helpful. Say you are interested in tomatoes. Return to the Garden Questions page and click on the “Tomato Care Guide” link to get started with your research. You’ll find a link to advice on site selection. (Bottom line: Choose a sunny and convenient spot.) Maybe you have questions about the best time to plant. You’ll find a link to that information, as well. (Bottom line: When the soil is warm.)
The tomato-growing resources also include useful planting tips, advice on how to support your plants, and information on tomato pests and diseases. You’ll also find a link at the bottom of that page to “Growing Tomatoes in the Home Garden.” This document from a prior workshop is full of information about tomato varieties and growing advice.
See the section on “Planting and Support”? Click on that link and you’ll find guidance on various types of tomato-support strategies, including how to use string and wood stakes to build your own cages. The section on “Watering and Fertilizing” will advise you on those two key tasks, including a reminder to water the soil, not the foliage. If you have questions about pests or diseases that are affecting your plants, the section on “Pests and Disorders” can help with solutions to common problems.
Don’t forget to explore the other “Tomato Info Links” on the right side of this page. There you’ll find planting guides, trackers and suggestions for culinary uses. Note also the links to previous UC Master Gardener workshops and talks. If you have only a small outdoor space and would like to grow tomatoes in containers, it’s not too late. You’ll find a Library Talk on just that topic; click on the link to watch the recorded workshop.
Now go back to the home page and find the “Public Events” tab at the top. If you are looking for something educational to do this weekend, check out the schedule of Master Gardener workshops and community events. You’ll find many opportunities to learn. The Master Gardener calendar of “Public Events” is also on the home page.
On Saturday, July 27, Napa County Master Gardeners are hosting a workshop on succulents. You can get more information and sign up by clicking the link below. Maybe you would like to know more about caring for native oaks on your property. We’ll have a Library Talk on that topic on Thursday, Sept. 5. Also on the home page is a link to all our past newspaper columns, a great resource.
I’ve covered just a small sample of the information available to you on the UC Master Gardeners of Napa County website. I hope you’re inspired to dig deeper to find answers to all of your gardening quandaries.
Napa County Master Gardeners is a volunteer organization whose mission is to share research on a variety of horticultural practices. If you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener, click on the “Want to BEE a Master Gardener?” link on the home page.
Workshop: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County for “Succulent/Dry Garden: Double Your Pleasure — Double Your Fun” on Saturday, July 27, from 10 a.m. to noon at Las Flores Learning Garden, 4300 Linda Vista Ave., Napa. Do you know the five most common ways succulents reproduce? Learn their secrets and how you can increase your plant collection or add to your low-water landscape through succulent plant propagation. Register here.
Library Talk: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County and the Napa County Library for a talk on “Fabulous Ferns, Indoors and Out” on Thursday, Aug.1, from 7 to 8 p.m. via Zoom. Ferns are an accommodating family of plants ranging in size from tiny to behemoth. Some species grow in air and others in water, as well as in just about any type of soil. Enjoy an overview of these remarkable plants and find the perfect one for your space. Register to receive the Zoom link.
Fall Faire: Join the UC Master Gardeners of Napa County for an entertaining and educational event on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 1 to 4 p.m., outdoors at the University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Ave., Napa. Enjoy exhibits on composting, monarch butterflies, succulents, water conservation, bees and more. The program includes activities for kids, a scarecrow contest, giveaways and music. Admission is free.
Become a Master Gardener Volunteer: UC Master Gardeners of Napa County is now accepting applications for the Class of 2025. Visit napamg.ucanr.edu to read the informational brochure, then register to attend a mandatory information session for applicants. Application deadline is 5 p.m. on Sept. 25.
Help Desk: The Master Gardener Help Desk is available to answer your garden questions on Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the University of California Cooperative Extension Office, 1710 Soscol Ave., Suite 4, Napa. Or send your questions to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. Include your name, address, phone number and a brief description. For best results attach a photo.
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Cassandra Walker is a UC Master Gardener of Napa County.
Cass, this article is so useful, as is the Master Gardener website. I think this will be helpful to so many people. Great job!
great article!!!!!