{"id":10384,"date":"2020-05-19T16:31:38","date_gmt":"2020-05-19T23:31:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=10384"},"modified":"2020-05-21T16:39:07","modified_gmt":"2020-05-21T23:39:07","slug":"advice-to-grow-by","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=10384","title":{"rendered":"Advice to Grow By"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Santa Barbara\u2019s\u00a0Master Gardeners\u00a0Keep Calm and\u00a0Garden On<\/strong><\/p>\n

Working to cultivate home gardeners who want to learn about soil, sustainable\u00a0landscaping, plant and tree care, and growing their own fruits\u00a0and vegetables, the UC Master Gardeners of Santa Barbara County<\/a> are\u00a0163 trained and 74 currently active volunteers trained to share their knowledge with\u00a0the community.<\/p>\n

They come from all walks of life.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy class had students just out of UCSB and retirees\u00a0in their seventies,\u201d said Master Gardener Amy Mayfield. \u201cWe all loved our crash\u00a0course in all things related to plants from top professors from UC Davis and Riverside.\u201d\u00a0Once they\u2019ve gained some garden knowledge, helping others is a key component of\u00a0the Master Gardener program. \u201cVolunteering in our community is a great connection\u00a0to people and plants,\u201d said Mayfield. \u201cMy go-to place to volunteer is the community\u00a0helpline because every question makes me use my brain and research skills to find an\u00a0answer. I love helping at Harry Potter night at the Public Library, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the group is currently observing physical distancing, they are also \u201cencouraging\u00a0the public to prioritize mental and physical health by gardening, and volunteers are\u00a0still standing by to answer questions through helplines,\u201d said Danica Taber, the Master\u00a0Gardener Program Coordinator. Volunteers are\u00a0available to help by phone ([805] 893-3485) or\u00a0email (anrmgsb@ucanr.edu), and Taber suggested\u00a0submitting photos along with questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cPictures of the problem and details about your\u00a0plant\u2019s history and environment, like watering\u00a0and fertilizing schedules, daily sun exposure,\u00a0and location on your property, are helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not all problems are easy to solve: Earlier this\u00a0year, the Santa Barbara Zoo<\/a>\u2019s ponytail palms\u00a0(which are more closely related to yuccas than palms) turned black at the tops. \u201cThe\u00a0problem? Sprinklers in the field behind them would hit them with water on windy\u00a0days,\u201d said Taber. \u201cThis was not an obvious diagnosis to make for the zoo horticultural\u00a0staff, because sprinklers weren\u2019t aiming at the ponytail palms, and wind is an invisible,\u00a0irregular force.\u201d<\/p>\n

The program, which is part of the UCSB Extension Program and is for anyone interested\u00a0in a thriving garden, is designed to \u201cempower home gardeners to help themselves\u00a0by sharing knowledge and resources that are important for their particular gardening\u00a0challenges,\u201d said Taber.<\/p>\n

Currently in the process of adapting\u00a0to providing online education, the Master\u00a0Gardeners offer intensive, practical\u00a0courses on horticulture, soil and plant\u00a0nutrition, pests and diseases and their\u00a0control, plant management, and diagnosis\u00a0of plant problems, as well as various public outreach events.<\/p>\n

Said Mayfield, \u201cIt\u2019s the\u00a0best bang for your buck if you like people, plants, and knowledge!\u201d<\/p>\n

For more information, see cesantabarbara.ucanr.edu\/Master_Gardener<\/a> .\u00a0For a complete list of\u00a0what to plant now, see\u00a0independent.com\/hg2020<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Stay at Home and Garden, special issue of SB Independent May 14, 2020.<\/p><\/div>\n

This story was originally published in the Santa Barbara Independent<\/em><\/a> on May 14, 2020. Click here<\/a> to read it as it appeared in print.<\/p>\n

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