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News from the Edible Demo Garden

What Edible Gardens Need | Best Choices for Marin | Preparing | Planting & Spacing | Edibles in Containers | Planting Calendar | Grow & Care Sheets | Tips & Techniques |  Maintenance | Top 20 Problems in Edible Gardens | Fruit Trees | Cover Crops & Soil Enhancements | Conserving Water
Seasonal Advice and Happenings at our Edible Demonstration Garden

Every month, the team at the Edible Demonstration Garden chronicles what's happening in the garden - planting, harvesting, problems and more. Check out our stories!

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September 2022: Introducing the Honeyberry

August 21st, 2022
A small bush grew unnoticed at the edge of the Edible Garden for several years until a new garden pathway was needed and the bush was in the way. Only then did a garden volunteer find a tag identifying the bush as a honeyberry.
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The aphids and ants on this artichoke plant can be washed off with a strong spray of water. Photo: Marty Nelson
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August 2022: Managing Pests in the Organic Garden

July 29th, 2022
The plants are lush and green, and the harvest has been plentiful in the Edible Garden in July. Contributions to the IVC farm stand and Community Supported Agriculture included summer squash, cucumbers, beets, onions, carrots, fennel, rhubarb, and basil...
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Marigolds partner with cabbage to reduce damage by aphids. Photo: pixnio
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July 2022: Plant Partners

June 29th, 2022
In June, new Big Moose pumpkin seedlings were planted in the area of the garden known as the back forty. However, volunteer sunflowers had already taken over this garden area, which had been left fallow during the winter...
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As bees move from flower to flower gathering pollen, they are also distributing pollen to fertilize the plants. Photo: Pixabay
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June 2022: Welcome Pollinators!

June 29th, 2022
Flowers are abloom in the Edible Demo Garden raising expectations of a bountiful harvest to come. Now the bees just need to help by doing their pollinating job and the fruits and veggies should appear. Pollinating, though, can get complicated.
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Seed potatoes are nestled into the straw at planting time. Photo: Marty Nelson
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May 2022: No Digging Needed to Grow Potatoes

May 24th, 2022
Growing potatoes in straw may seem like a crazy idea but the success of this method in the Edible Demonstration Garden suggests that this no-dig approach could be an option for home gardeners. It can be especially appealing when working with rocky clay soil...
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Chicken wire is wrapped around the straw bales to hold them together and keep out gophers. Raoul Stepakoff
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April 2022: Ready, Set, Spring Forward!

March 24th, 2022
With the onset of spring, the pace of activity in the Edible Demonstration Garden has picked up. Its time for planning the edibles to grow this spring and summer, preparing the garden beds, and sowing the seeds...
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Choose low chill hour varieties for Marin. Brenda Dawson
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March 2022: Growing Blueberries

March 1st, 2022
Blueberries are the focus of the newest demo garden project. Blueberries grow on long-lived and attractive shrubs and are both delicious and nutritious. They can be an ideal addition to an edible garden or to a home landscape if their growing conditions are met.
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Planting a bare root tree. Photo by Joan Kozlowski
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February 2022: Getting Bare Root Fruit Trees Off to a Good Start

January 31st, 2022
The addition of new fruit trees added excitement to an otherwise routine month of garden maintenance. An enthusiastic group of Master Gardeners planted six organically sourced fruit trees along the garden perimeter in line with the existing plum and pear trees...
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Christian Koepke, Unsplash
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January 2022: Choosing Bare Root Fruit Trees

December 29th, 2021
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....
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