UC Master Gardener Program

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UC Master Gardener Program

Sharing information on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices. Solicitations will be deleted immediately.
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If you are unable to access this content due to a disability, please email [email protected] for assistance. Since 1980, the University of California Master Gardener Program has been extending UC research-based information about home horticulture and pest management to the public. The UC Master Gardener Program is a public service and outreach program under the University of California Division o

f Agriculture and Natural Resources administered locally by participating UC Cooperative Extension county offices. The UC Master Gardener Program is an example of an effective partnership between UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and passionate volunteers. In exchange for training from the University of California, Master Gardeners offer volunteer services and outreach to the general public. With programs based in 50 California counties and 6,048 active members - the University of California Master Gardener volunteers donated 385,260 hours last year and have donated more than 4.2 million hours! The UC Master Gardener Program is part of a statewide network of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources programs. Follow us:
https://www.instagram.com/ucmastergardeners/
https://twitter.com/UCMasterGarden
https://twitter.com/UCANR

Social Policy:
The UC Master Gardener Program reserves the right to delete off-topic, disrespectful or abusive comments. Links to articles or contests that may be of interest to gardeners are allowed. The University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

09/03/2026

Los Angeles County just brought home a national win — and we couldn't be prouder.

UC Master Gardener Program Coordinator Valerie Borel has been named the 2026 recipient of the Gardening for All Award from the Extension Master Gardener National Committee. This national honor recognizes coordinators who make a lasting, measurable impact on access and belonging in their programs — through volunteer leadership, community engagement, and advocacy that reaches far beyond one county.

We can think of no better recipient. Congratulations, Valerie! 🌱

UC Agriculture & Natural Resources Master Gardener Program, UC Cooperative Extension, Los Angeles County

Photo credit:
Shekina Mullen

Photo description:
Three people wearing conference badges smile for a photo indoors. The person in the center holds a wooden award plaque. A projection screen and wood-paneled wall are visible in the background.

09/02/2026

September is sneaky. The pool's still warm, the sun's still out, and it looks like summer's running the show — but your garden already knows better. This is the month everything quietly shifts: what needs water, what needs to come out of the ground, what needs to go in. Here's the full rundown:

Water like you mean it — shorter days don't cancel out heat waves. Don't let the soil dry out, especially on anything you planted this year.

Your shrubs are thirsty too — established doesn't mean invincible. Give them a deep drink to get through what's left of summer.

Feed your fruit trees — harvest took everything out of them. A late-summer fertilizer application helps them bounce back and set up next year's bloom.

Get fall crops in the ground — broccoli, kale, and beets planted now, many gardeners find, taste even better than their summer counterparts.

Build a raised bed — better soil control, more growing space, one solid weekend project.

Save seeds from your favorites — that tomato you couldn't stop eating? Grab its seeds before the plant's gone for the year.

Start planning ahead — winter rain is coming, which makes this a smart month to map out new trees, shrubs, and perennials.

Grab spring bulbs now — tulips and daffodils hit shelves this month, and the good varieties don't last.

Sow sweet peas — starting late September, one new round of seeds each week through October, so blooms keep showing up instead of disappearing all at once.
Which one are you doing first — or are we all just doing the sweet peas?

Photo credit: Adobe Stock

09/01/2026

Important information - be prepared.

08/31/2026

We're checking in — how's your garden doing this month? 🌻 Between the summer heat and all the harvesting, late August can be a make-or-break stretch.

Show us what's thriving (or tell us what's struggling) in the comments — we love seeing your gardens!

Photo credit: UC Regents

Photo description: A bright yellow sunflower with a dark brown center blooms in the foreground of a garden. A sandy path leads past metal and wood raised beds filled with colorful flowers. A basketball hoop, chain-link fence, and trees are visible in the soft-focus background.

08/24/2026

August 24–25 is International Bat Night! 🦇 Bats might not be the first pollinator that comes to mind, but they're a hardworking part of a healthy garden ecosystem — many species eat their body weight in insects (including garden pests) every night, and some help pollinate plants too.

Do you have bats visiting your garden at night?

Photo credit: Adobe Stock

Photo description: Hundreds of bats in dark silhouette swarm across a pale blue and orange dusk sky, dispersing outward from the silhouette of a tree on the right side of the frame.

08/19/2026

In Imperial County — home to some of the nation's most productive farmland — many kids growing up next to the fields have never actually seen how their food is grown.
At Mulberry Elementary School District, that changed when students grew and harvested their own artichokes. For many, it was the first time they'd ever seen one in real life, let alone grown it themselves.
"They can drive through these fields and still not know anything about gardening, farming, or where their food comes from," says UC Master Gardener Sue Casey.
Through a partnership with the UC Desert Research and Extension Center and a CDFA Farm to School Incubator Grant, UC Master Gardener volunteers are now bringing hands-on garden lessons to three Imperial County school districts — connecting students directly to the food on their plates.
Read the full story on our blog:https://ucanr.edu/blog/uc-master-gardener-program-statewide-blog/article/cultivating-change-imperial-county-schools

Photo credit: UC Master Gardeners of Imperial County

Photo description: Two adults lean over a wooden raised garden bed filled with leafy greens, chard, and tomato plants, showing two young children the plants up close. Additional children and adults are visible exploring other garden beds in the background on a sunny school campus with a playground and chain-link fence visible.

08/17/2026

Believe it or not, now's the time to start planning your fall garden. 🍂 Swipe through for what to start now so you're ready to transplant as temperatures cool.

What are you planning to plant this fall? Tell us below!

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock
Photo Descriptions:
1 - A densely planted garden bed full of broccoli, kale, cabbage, and other leafy greens in bright sunlight.
2 - A close-up of a broccoli head with tightly packed florets nestled among large blue-green leaves in a garden bed.
3 - Dense green and purple seedlings fill a flat, with a handwritten "Broccoli" plant marker visible among the young plants.
4 - Tall lacinato kale plants with deeply textured blue-green leaves grow in a close-up garden view.
5 - Small seedlings with bright red stems and green leaves emerge from dark garden soil.
6 - A pair of floral-patterned garden gloves grip a bunch of freshly pulled orange carrots with green tops above dark garden soil.

08/14/2026

National Relaxation Day is this weekend, and we can't think of a better place to unwind than the garden. 🌿 Whether it's pulling weeds, deadheading spent blooms, or just sitting with a cup of coffee among your plants, gardening is good for the mind as much as the yard.

Where's your favorite spot to relax in the garden? Share a photo with us!

Photo credit: Lisa Stahr, UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County

Photo description: A wooden pergola frames an outdoor seating area with Adirondack chairs arranged around a fire pit, set amid a gravel garden with clusters of purple and yellow drought-tolerant flowering plants and boulders. A white house with solar panels is visible to the right, and rolling green hills and mountains stretch into the distance under a partly cloudy blue sky.

08/12/2026

August is deadheading season! ✂️ Removing spent flowers keeps many plants blooming longer and your beds looking tidy through the rest of summer.

Quick tip: snip just above the next set of leaves or buds — most flowering annuals and many perennials will reward you with a fresh flush of blooms.

What are you deadheading in your garden this week?

Photo credit: Adobe Stock

Photo description: A close-up of two hands using red-handled pruning shears to snip a spent, dried rose bloom from a stem. Yellow and orange rose buds and green leaves are visible in the foreground, with a soft-focus green garden background.

08/10/2026

California is feeling the heat this summer, and your garden is too. Swipe through for seven simple ways to help your plants and trees survive triple-digit temperatures — from watering deeply in the morning to knowing when to hold off on fertilizer.

"With a little extra planning, you can help your garden beat the heat and survive the hot summer weather," says UC Master Gardener Program Director Missy Gable.

Get the full blog:https://ucanr.edu/blog/uc-master-gardener-program-statewide-blog/article/gardening-extreme-heat-uc-master-gardener

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2801 2nd Street
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