Santa Clara

Our annual Spring Garden Fair is held at our Martial Cottle Park Demonstration Garden in San Jose. You can shop our plant sale, stroll through our gardens, attend a talk, and bring your plant, soil, pest, and tool questions to our Information tables.

We offer a wide selection of delicious tomato seedlings, from huge beefsteaks to bite-size cherry tomatoes, both heirloom and modern varieties, in a rainbow of colors. All have been trialed by UC Master Gardeners and chosen for great flavor, productivity, and vigor.Public Tomato TrialIn addition to the…

When to plant: March–April (after last frost date) Harvest window: Varies widely depending on variety Fertilization: Nitrogen throughout the growing season; iron, zinc, and other nutrients may be needed Train young trees to promote lateral growth.

Garden Help > Monthly Tips Monthly tips are categorized by To-Dos, What to Plant, or Pests and Diseases. Scroll through the list to see items in each category. Also, refer to our list of tips useful for any month.

Transplant or direct seed: May–June For best results, wait until daytime temperatures are regularly over 75ºF and soil temperature is over 70ºF Start in pots for transplants: April–May; ready to transplant in 4 weeks Harvest window: July–October, depending on variety

Direct seed January–March (possibly April), September Harvest when the roots reach 1-inch diameter at the top. Expect 90–120 days to maturity. Flavor is best when the mature plants are exposed to cool weather for 2–4 weeks which encourages the starches in the roots to convert to sugars. Loosen soil with…

Mustard is a member of the cabbage family. Like the others, they grow best in the cool season. Mustard comes in a variety of beautiful colors (green, red, purple) and textures (smooth, ruffled, lacy) making it very ornamental as well.

Three main types of raspberries are grown in the United States: red, purple and black. They differ in ways other than fruit color. Red raspberries have erect canes and are propagated by suckers. These are usually grown in the Western States. Black raspberries have arched canes that root at the tips. Purple…

Rutabagas are grown for their large round roots. They are similar to turnips but are larger, slightly sweeter, and take longer to mature. They have yellow skin and flesh. Like other vegetables in the brassica family, they develop their best flavor in cool weather.

Garden Help > Monthly TipsGood nutrient balance makes healthy garden soils. It is beneficial to get soil tested by a state-certified laboratory. Below is a collection of our monthly tips that relate to garden soils.To-DosWhat to PlantTo-Dos: SoilBone Meal for Bulbs? Clean Garden Beds Green Waste or…