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Spring Garden Market and Educational Fair

San Mateo County Event Center, Redwood Hall

2495 South Delaware Street, San Mateo, CA

April 13, 2024, 9:00am-1:00pm

Tired of tasteless tomatoes and other vegetables that just won’t thrive in your area? The UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo and San Francisco Counties are holding their Spring Garden Market and Educational Fair in Redwood Hall at the San Mateo County Event Center. Come buy plants for your summer garden: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, herbs, succulents, pollinators, and more. Varieties have been selected just for the San Francisco and Peninsula climate zones, and grown by local UC Master Gardeners. Plus: free demonstrations and workshops, educational tables and displays, and Master Gardeners available to answer any questions. Free admission, free parking, pay by credit card, cash or check. Read more.

Checklists for

March/April/May

UC Master Gardeners

Find information for the current season, or view other seasonal checklists using the left panel of our main website.

How to Start a Vegetable Garden

UC Master Gardeners

Collective Roots Community Garden

1785 Woodland Avenue

East Palo Alto, CA 94303

April 6, 2024, 10:00am-11:30am

Join us for this hands-on beginner workshop to learn how to start a home vegetable garden. We'll introduce a broad range of topics such as soil health, compost as an organic fertilizer, crop planning, direct seeding and seedlings, and maintenance items. We will also do some hands-on seeding and planting out of seedlings. Registration is required.

Vegetable Gardening in Containers

UC Master Gardeners

San Francisco Public Library, Mission Bay Branch

960 4th Street

San Francisco, CA 94158

April 7, 2024, 2:00pm-3:30pm

Learn how to grow a variety of vegetables, herbs and even fruit on a patio, balcony or any small space using containers. Discussion will cover the types of containers to use, which plants to grow for your microclimate, as well as soil needs and watering options. Registration is not required.

Growing Succulents Successfully in the Bay Area

UC Master Gardeners

Zoom presentation

April 11, 2024, 6:00pm-7:30pm

Learn how to transform your entire yard using only succulents, how to incorporate succulents into your drought-tolerant border, how to achieve success with your succulent design, and help your succulents flourish. This Zoom online class is offered through the Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency (BAWSCA). Registration is required.

Spring Garden Market & Educational Fair

UC Master Gardeners

San Mateo Event Center, Redwood Hall

2495 South Delaware Street

San Mateo, CA 94403

April 13, 2024, 9:00am-1:00pm

Tired of tasteless tomatoes and other vegetables that just won’t thrive in your area? The UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo and San Francisco Counties are holding their Spring Garden Market and Educational Fair in Redwood Hall at the San Mateo County Event Center. Come buy plants for your summer garden: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, herbs, succulents, pollinators, and more. Varieties have been selected just for the San Francisco and Peninsula climate zones, and grown by local UC Master Gardeners. Plus: free demonstrations and workshops, educational tables and displays, and Master Gardeners available to answer any questions. Free admission, free parking, pay by credit card, cash or check. Read more.

Growing Native Garden Tour - San Carlos Native

Plant Habitat Garden

UC Master Gardeners

San Carlos City Center & Library

600 Elm Street

San Carlos, CA 94070

April 13, 2024, 10:00am-4:00pm

Visit the Master Gardener’s Native Plant Habitat Garden at the San Carlos City Center. Master Gardeners installed the 8,000 square foot garden in 2019 and maintain it on a weekly basis. Several garden guides will be available during the tour to share their knowledge about the plants in the garden and the wildlife that the plants support. All of the plants have plant labels. A plant list will be available to pick up on the day of the tour or to download. The Garden is located in the plaza next to the San Carlos Library and City Hall. There is a parking lot at the library and free street parking on the adjacent streets. This San Carlos Native Plant Habitat Garden is one of many gardens that will be on display as part of the California Native Plant Society’s Growing Natives Garden Tour. The tour is organized by the California Native Plant Society, showcasing gardens featuring California native plants. This community-based tour is free of charge to the public but online registration is required. Each tour features up to 60 gardens, many of them are private home gardens, which are open on tour day in a do-it-yourself, open house format. The gardens on the tour demonstrate reduced water use, reduced chemical and pesticide use, improved habitat, and the unique aesthetic appeal of gardens designed with California native plants. Registration is required.

Integrated Pest Management

UC Master Gardeners

Flowercraft Garden Center

550 Bayshore Boulevard

San Francisco, CA 94124

April 13, 2024, 10:00am-11:00am

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a sustainable approach to pest control. Unlike conventional pest control methods which rely on chemical pesticides, IPM integrates multiple approaches to minimize pest damage while also minimizing risks to human health and the environment. The key principles, and general and specific controls will be discussed. Registration is not required.

San Mateo Arboretum Plant Clinic

UC Master Gardeners

San Mateo Arboretum in Central Park

101 9th Avenue

San Mateo, CA 94401

April 14, 2024, 12:00pm-3:00pm

Come anytime between 12:00p and 3:00pm for this walk-in plant clinic. UC Master Gardeners will be available to answer your questions from general information to advice about specific problems. Bring samples of your problem plants in clear plastics bags for better diagnosis. If you suspect insect damage, try to include some of the insects so they can be correctly identified. Registration is not required.

Planting a Garden with California Native Plants

UC Master Gardeners

Burlingame Public Library

480 Primrose Road

Burlingame, CA 94010

April 20, 2024, 10:00am-12:00pm

At this workshop, designed with the home gardener in mind, UC Master Gardeners will explain and demonstrate how to place and plant California natives in the landscape. Attendees will have an opportunity to plant small container plants in the nearby City Hall Garden. Registration is required.

Sustainability for All - Tabling Event

UC Master Gardeners

San Mateo Main Library, Oak Room Patio

55 West 3rd Avenue

San Mateo, CA 94402

April 20, 2024, 11:30am-12:30pm

Join UC Master Gardeners and other local sustainability experts at San Mateo Library's Sustainability for All tabling event. At this event in celebration of Earth Day you will receive tips and get resources to help you reduce waste and save money. Registration is not required.

Divisadero Farmers' Market Education Table

UC Master Gardeners

DMV Parking Lot

1377 Fell Street

San Francisco, CA 94117

April 21, 2024, 9:00am-1:00pm

Please visit the UC Master Gardener education table at the Divisadero Farmers’ Market. Master Gardener volunteers will be available every third Sunday to answer questions regarding plants, planting techniques, garden pests and more. Registration is not required.

Succulents in Pots & Succulents in the Garden

UC Master Gardeners

San Francisco Public Library

Merced Library

155 Winston Drive

San Francisco, CA 94132

April 27, 2024, 11:00am-12:30pm

No matter the size of your yard or your apartment windowsill, you can find a place to grow succulents. After a brief overview of the natural history of succulents, a discussion will include succulent care and culture, types of pots, watering and light, and which plants do well in different Bay Area microclimates. Small succulent gardens in pots will be on display to show how arrangements can be made. Succulent cuttings will be available as handouts after the talk. Registration is not required

Our Mission Statement: To extend research-based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices to the residents of San Mateo and San Francisco Counties, guided by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.

PLANT PROBLEM DIAGNOSTIC TOOL

Choose the affected plant from photos displayed, click on the photo, remove any selections that do not apply, click on the plant names, and continue to filter selections to view the results for a possible diagnoses. Learn more.

GARDENING RESOURCES

Select links to access gardening resources, California Backyard Orchard, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), publications, and finding a local Master Gardener program.  Learn more.

ARBORETUM ALL-STARS

Do you need help picking plants for your sustainable home garden? Selecting from the “Arboretum All-Stars” list is an easy way to start making “green” choices for your great looking garden. Arboretum All-Stars are top plants recommended by the horticultural staff of the UC Davis Arboretum. They thrive in California’s Mediterranean climate and have qualities that make them great choices for sustainable home gardens. Use a searchable plant database to pick the perfect All-Star for your garden conditions. For more information, view their website.

NATIVE PLANT RESOURCES

Looking for plants native to California that are not only pretty but are pollinators and drought resistant? A few resources are: Xerces Society, California Native Plant Society, and Calflora, Or try a native plant database for plants within your zip code. This website will help you find the best native plants specifically for your area that attract butterflies and moths and the birds that feed on their caterpillars, based on the scientific research of Dr. Douglas Tallamy and Research Assistant Kimberley Shropshire.

CALIFORNIA INVASIVE PLANT COUNCIL

Browse the website to see all plants on the California Invasive Plant Council inventory, including both invasive plants and “watch” species. Clicking on the scientific name will take you to the Plant Profile where you will find links to more information on the plant.

 UC Master Gardener volunteers are ready help you and your garden. Have a question about gardening? Have a pest problem? Curious about what will grow well in your region? Submit your inquiry online. Or visit the Master Gardener Helpline by phone, email, on the web, or in person. For more information visit our website.