1. Master Gardener Program of Riverside County Master Gardener Program of Riverside County Our Mission …. to bring UCCE research-based horticulture information to you!

2. Who We Are Volunteer Gardeners Just Like You Trained and Certified Master Gardeners in Riverside County Utilize UCCE and MG Peer Reviewed material

3. Home Vegetable Gardening

4. Reason to grow Vegetables You know how it was grown Vine ripe – Full flavor and fresh Varieties and texture Connection with nature Food Banks

5. LET’S GET STARTED Choose best site for your garden Prepare & amend soil Water and Irrigation Planning the Garden/Area Tools and Equipment

6. BEST SIT FOR THE GARDEN Full Sunlight 6 - 8 Hours a Day Level Well drained soil Near a water source

7. PREPARING THE SOIL Ideal soil - loose, crumbly Add Organic Matter Amendments (GYPSUM) Remember- Compost, Mulch, Compost, Mulch, Compost…

8. WATER & IRRIGATION Water Deep & Slow Water 1 - 2 Times a week Water Consistently Use Drip Irrigation & Mulch

9. Planning The Vegetable Garden Efficient use of space Make a map of space Draw vegetables on map warm and cool season requirements Annual or Perianal Tall plants on North side Include planting dates

10. VEGETABLE PLANTING AREAS Raised Beds Containers Square Foot Gardening

11. TOOLS & EQUIPMENT Hand Trowel - transplanting Hoe - digging up weeds Spade or spading fork-turning soil Metal Rake - smoothing soil after spading Shovel - digging holes, moving soil Yardstick, twine & stakes - straight lines Clippers - harvesting your crop

12. WEEDING Remove & Control Weeds They starve plants of nutrients! Cultivate, Pull or dig, Scrape surface Mulch - inhibits weeds

13. SELECTING VEGETABLES Pick vegetables you like to eat! Think about the Plants Production Use Disease Resistant varieties Choose Colorful Vegetables

14. PLANT FOR THE SEASON! WARM-SEASON VEGETABLES COOL-SEASON VEGETABLES

15. Asian Greens

16. Berries Strawberries Blueberries Cane Berries

17. Grapes European Hybrid Pruning Key To Production

18. Smaller Evergreen Fruit Trees Dwarf and Semi - kumquats – Pineapple and strawberry guava

19. Persimmon

20. Deciduous Seasonal Trees Apple Peach, Nectarine Pear Persimmon Pomegranate Plum, Pluot Look for “Low Chill” varieties, keep small, plant 3-4 to a hole…

21. You Don’t have room Try “Growing Up” ↑

22. “Growing Up ” Strawberries In A Bag Grapes On A Fence

23. Grapes up and over an arbor

24. Decorative and functional Supports

25. Rebar makes flexible and sculptural Supports

26. Grow salad or strawberries in an old French Riddling rack

27. Same idea done two different ways

28. Espalier Growing and pruning trees flat to a wall Use supports to start When pruning know how tree fruits

29. Edible outdoor room

31. Raised Beds Pro Easy to reach for young and old Best drainage Use on almost any site Con- Cost look for reclaimed materials Master Gardener Tip Drip on a timer

32. Use your imagination – Reclaimed Materials – Pipes – Conduit

33. Reclaimed Materials

34. More Reclaimed Materials

35. Strawberries as groundcover Great on slopes Think out side the garden

36. Take Vegetables and fruits out of the garden Table Top Topiary Bay Tiny Citrus – Kumquat – Calamondin Hedges Blueberries Edges Thyme Oregano Cilantro and Parsley

37. Small Herb Edges

38. HARVESTING & STORING Picking Vegetables Early morning = best flavor Keeping Vegetables Fresh Store at proper temperatures

39. Harvest Saving and Sharing Harvest = Celebration for hungry people. Share “Putting up” food Share Freeze Preserve Dry

40. The Ocean Begins at Your Front Door Protect your Watershed Conserve Water Nothing Down The Drain Fertilize Carefully= – When that plant is growing – Less is more – No overthrow – Read directions

42. Useful Websites & Information UC Vegetable Research & Information Center http://vric.ucdavis.edu/ Gardening Information http://ucanr.org/findinformation.cfm?findinfosub=6 Pest Notes http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/menu.homegarden.html Weeds http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/weeds_common.html Mulch http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/mulches.html Online Order Catalog for UC Publications http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu California Master Gardener Handbook Home Vegetable Gardening, Publication # 21444 Pests of the Garden & Small Farm, Publication # 3332 Local Hotline 951-683-6491 email-mgriverside@ucdavis.edu

43. Call or E-mail the UCCE MG of Riverside County HOTLINE 951-683-6491 mgriverside@ucdavis.edu http://ceriverside.ucdavis.edu Gardening Questions?