December was a slow time in the garden. We added a few plants like leeks and arugula but our workdays were limited due to the regular rain that came through our county. No one is complaining though since our drought conditions have eased somewhat....

November and December are clean up times in the garden, as well as assessing the state of our garden after growing all of those heavy feeder summer vegetables...

In October the EDG team, with inspiration and planning by members of the MMG Native Plant Guild, added a native plant area to our edibles garden. This small garden was installed around a vernal pool that is at the back of our garden.

At the Edible Demonstration Garden this month, we have been following best practices for seeding our winter garden plants in the greenhouse. These practices were outlined in last months article. This month, we will begin moving some of these seedlings into the garden.

The end of the summer is approaching and some of our plants are producing heavy harvests, particularly our summer squash, which are growing in straw bales. (See our new YouTube video on Straw Bale Gardening.)...

What are those brown areas on the tomatoes and whats causing the plants leaves to roll up? Often the cause is physiological, which is a fancy way of saying the symptoms are caused by environmental stresses and not by pests or disease.

The summer solstice has passed and our garden team is waiting for the abundance of the summer harvest. Every gardener wants to pick vegetables at the height of their quality. You cant depend on the days to maturity indicated on seed packets because conditions vary year to year.

May found our team tucking summer harvest seedlings into our beds and anxiously monitoring them to make sure they have everything they need to thrive. Fertile soil is a must and the primary nutrients needed are N, (Nitrogen) P (Phosphorous), and K (Potassium)....

The word last month was weeds. This month, it is straw. Straw is one of the most versatile materials for our vegetable gardens. Our team uses it in many ways...

March brought many unwelcome guests to our garden. Weeds! Weeds compete with our crops for nutrients, water, sunlight, and space...