Elk Grove Community Garden

10/20/2026

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1530243719137968&set=a.547752730720410&type=3&mibextid=wwXIfr

Pomegranates. How do you tell when to pick them? When are they ripe? Most pomegranates are ripe about this time of year. Here are some tips on when to pick. Look for a change in color, as the glossy red color will begin to turn a slightly deeper red-matte color (depending on variety). Check for a slight change in shape from a round fruit to one with "squarish" sides. Listen for a subtle "metallic sound' when tapped. Look at the "petals" to see if they are flared out or have begun to turn slightly inward, which can denote ripening. Taste one. Many backyard growers also watch for a few fruit to "split" and then do a taste test. Split fruit is good to eat but once a fruit splits it should be eaten soon as the quality drops and the fruit may mold quicker. (Fruit splits as it ripens but rain or high moisture will also cause fruit to split, sometimes prematurely.) Once the fruit ripens, begin harvesting by clipping fruit rather than pulling them off, to prevent damage to the fruit. Pomegranate fruit stores well. For more information, click here for a short, informative article on when to pick pomegranate fruit:https://ucanr.edu/sites/ucmgplacer/files/171592.pdf

And mark your calendars. At the end of January, we have a HUGE SEED SWAP and this year, we're having a pomegranate scion exchange and we're looking for pomegranate cuttings, especially if you have unusual varieties. Hold off pruning until right before the event and then bring in those scions to swap!

And don't forget our upcoming Awesome Alliums Event this coming Saturday! It's all things Allium, including onions, garlic, braiding garlic, pickling garlic, onion jam, kids activities, and vendors. https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-placer-county/workshops-and-special-events



Photo credit: L. Meyerpeter. Pomegranates on tree.

10/14/2026

Stories from the Garden: The Harlequin Bug!

Diego picked up his pace. His anger was no longer directed at his brothers and sisters who had not joined him but at that skipper butterfly that had given him bad directions. She had said there was a patch of mustard just on the other side of the bush, but his siblings had been skeptical that they could find it. They said he was too naive, thinking they could find a place a butterfly could spot from the sky. They said they had gotten lost too many times following him. They said this time they would just search nearby, trusting their mom had placed their eggs near food for them when they hatched. They said this! They said that! He was sick of it. He had set off on his own in a huff, determined to find the mustard and then come back and get them. But somehow he had ended up on this dried-out vine that seemed to go on forever, with no sign of a mustard bush, much less anything else green. He was beginning to think maybe they were right. Again.

-the reflections of Diego, harlequin bug nymph (Murgantia histrionica)
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Story by Kimberly Steinmann, Master Gardener

Note: Harlequin bugs are strikingly patterned stink bugs, with bright orange, red, black, and white markings. Native to Mexico and Central America, they spread into the United States in the 19th century and are now found throughout much of the country. Both adults and nymphs feed on plant juices, primarily from plants in the mustard family (Brassicaceae), including cabbage, kale, broccoli, and mustard greens. Their feeding can cause pale spots, wilting, and distorted growth, making them potentially serious garden pests. In small gardens, handpicking the bugs and their eggs can help keep populations under control.

For more information on harlequin bug management, see: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/harlequin-bug/ .tab=0

10/13/2026

Placer County master gardeners host free workshop on habitat building for birds, bees, butterflies and more

10/12/2026

Big workday at the garden. ADA plots replaced. Thank you for all your hard work.

10/11/2026

Finally, it feels like fall! Lots to do in the garden now. Here are some ideas to get you started.
UC Sacramento County Master Gardeners UC Master Gardeners of Placer County UCCE Master Gardeners of El Dorado County
https://sacdigsgardening.californialocal.com/article/654909-garden-checklist-oct-10/

10/08/2026

Stories from the Garden: The Mule Deer!

Marcus sighed. Was it only an hour ago that Sandy had told him she thought he was cute, then leapt over the fence and sped away?

He had been so shocked that he stood there staring dumbly, replaying her words until he couldn’t see her anymore. Then he shook himself and took off after her, only to lose her scent somewhere in the garden.

She must be laughing her head off right now, watching him search for her. But how was a guy supposed to track a scent in a garden full of flowers and herbs???

The place was an overwhelming mix of smells! Why, she could be sitting five feet away from him behind any one of these shrubs, and he wouldn’t know!

Well, he thought she was cute too, and he was determined to find her.

But maybe first he would have a bit of lunch. Some of these shrubs looked tasty!

—the reflections of Marcus, the mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)
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Photo and story by Kimberly Steinmann, master gardener

Note: Mule deer are browsers, meaning they tend to feed on woody plants, shrubs, leaves, flowers, and other vegetation rather than primarily grazing on grasses. They have an excellent sense of smell, which they use to find food, detect predators, and communicate with one another. In a garden, all those different plant scents might make tracking another deer a little complicated—but they can also make the garden smell like an irresistible buffet!

Mule deer are important native herbivores in California ecosystems, and their browsing can influence which plants thrive in wild landscapes. Unfortunately, that same appetite can make them challenging visitors in gardens.

For more information about managing deer in the garden, see: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/deer/ .tab=0

10/07/2026

This low-water native shrub brightens fall gardens with brilliant blooms

10/06/2026

Fall Saturdays in Elk Grove don't get much better than this! 🍂

Cooler mornings, sunshine all afternoon... it's the kind of day you want to spend outside. There's plenty to wander through and see at Big Oak Nursery right now, from dahlias still in full bloom to pumpkins and squash stacked up for your porch, plus rows of flowers, trees, and shrubs for every corner of your yard.

Quick tip: fall is one of the best times to plant here. The soil is still warm, so roots settle in before the winter rains show up. Grab a coffee and come spend your Saturday with us! 🌿

10/06/2026

Do your vegetables have flowers growing out of them?

BOLTING

Bolting occurs when flowers develop too quickly. The plant begins to grow tall and sends up flower stalks.

Solutions:

Bolting is caused by prolonged hot temperatures, cold temperatures, or long daylight hours. Plan to plant when environmental conditions during development will not stimulate bolting or the growth of flower stalks. Choose varieties carefully.

Lettuce: Flower stalk initiation may be stimulated by high temperatures.

Spinach: Bolting is caused by long daylight periods from late spring to early fall.

Cole crops: For seeds planted in the spring, flower stalk initiation is stimulated by prolonged cold temperatures below 50°F. For fall-planted seeds, plants may bolt if they start to grow quickly and are then forced to slow down by cold temperatures. Bolting cannot occur until plants have received the cold chilling in the winter.

Source: UC IPM Website
ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/bolting/ .tab=0

Photo: Jack Kelly Clark UC Regents)

10/06/2026

October Vegetable Garden Activities and Tips:

It's not too late to start your winter vegetable garden! Do you enjoy colorful salads, broccoli, cauliflower, chard and more? There are plenty of leafy greens and other cool-season vegetable plants at garden stores now. Lettuce and red mustard shown here grow fast in warm fall soil giving you plenty of salads before winter comes.

If you are new to food gardening, you'll find a winter garden has fewer pests, and rain does the irrigation. Try it! Look at the October column of our Sacramento Vegetable Planting Schedule to see what to plant now.. Plant what you'll love to eat from fall through spring.

Please refer to our website for further information.

(Image credit: UC Regents UC Sacramento County Master Gardener website)