UC Master Gardener Program

Few crops are better suited to a California fall than kale.

Kale grows best in the cool season, and frost actually sweetens it, according to the UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County. Summer heat and strong sun can turn the leaves bitter. For something striking, try 'Lacinato,' a tall variety with crinkly, blue-green leaves.

Harvest tip from the UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County: Pick the lower leaves once they reach 8 to 10 inches long. Smaller leaves tend to be more tender.

Comment "Kale" to get the kale growing guide.



Photo credit: Adobe Stock/Olha Afanasieva
Photo description: A cluster of crinkled, blue-green kale plants fills the frame in a garden row, with bare soil visible in the background.

Warm days, cool nights. October in California keeps gardeners on their toes, and there's plenty to do.

Lawns: Pull weeds, reseed bald spots and feed with an organic, high-nitrogen fertilizer. Water well until the winter rains arrive.

Wildflowers: Once temperatures are consistently cool late in the month, prep a sunny spot and sow seed for spring blooms.

Vegetables: Cooler temperatures suit many crops. Set out broccoli, cauliflower and kohlrabi transplants now, and they'll be ready by February.

Shrubs: Fall is a great time to plant. California natives are low maintenance and can build strong roots before summer stress hits.

Comment "October" to get a link to all our October Gardening Tips



Photo credit: Adobe Stock

September is coming to an end, and we are getting closer to that lovely fall weather! How are your gardens doing? Share in the comments!



Photo credit: Barbra Braaten
Photo description: Two pink cosmos flowers are in sharp focus in a garden, with red flowers and a person in the background out of focus.

Fall is here, and so are fall pests. 🍂

The UC IPM Seasonal Landscape IPM Checklist has a few simple ways to protect your garden this September:

🍋 Check citrus for Asian citrus psyllid and leafminers
💧 Adjust irrigation as the weather and your plants' water needs change
🌱 Avoid overwatering and improve drainage to prevent root rot
🌼 Plant California natives suited to your site
✂️ Prune evergreen, summer-flowering shrubs
🍎 Clean up fallen fruit, nuts and mummies so they don't attract pests
🍁 Add fallen leaves to your compost, then turn it and keep it moist

Get the full list of tips from UC IPM's Yulie Velez: https://ucanr.edu/blog/pests-urban-landscape/article/september-pest-management-tips



Photo credit: UC Regents
Photo description: Native California Poppies surrounding a rock with trees and blue sky in the background

The days are getting shorter. Your instincts might be telling you that means less watering. Ignore them.

🌡️ California can still throw real heat waves at us through September, and shrubs are usually the first to show it when they dry out — leaves curling, edges browning, the whole plant just looking tired. Keep watering, especially anything you planted this year, until the heat breaks for good.



Photo credit: Adobe Stock
Photo description: A landscaped garden bed with a rock-lined dry creek bed is filled with clusters of yellow, purple, and white flowering plants and grasses.

Seeds can grow more than gardens …

At the Madelyn Helling Library, UCCE Master Gardeners of Nevada County turned a small seed library into a year-round community resource. What began with $300 in seed funding and a vintage card catalog has grown into a thriving program that has shared more than 6,000 seed packets and helped over 1,300 residents grow fresh food.

The program offers more than free seeds. Volunteers also provide seed-saving workshops, gardening education, and practical information to help residents grow their own food.

Discover how a community partnership, dedicated volunteers, and a simple idea are helping strengthen food resilience in Nevada County.

Read the full story: https://ucanr.edu/blog/uc-master-gardener-program-statewide-blog/article/seed-library-grows-food-skills-and-community (or the link in our bio)



Photo Credit: UC Master Gardeners of Nevada County
Photo description: UC Master Gardener volunteers, Nikki Duncan and Judy Nichols, proudly display the vintage card catalog turned seed library.

There's a reason it's called UC Cooperative Extension — the university's research doesn't stay locked in a lab, it extends straight into your backyard through free classes taught by trained volunteers. No sales pitch, no product to buy, just science.

“Noncommercial source of scientific information. I've attended many classes and learned so much from the Master Gardeners. I am applying what I am learning now and hope to become a Master Gardener one day.” — Susan Alexander, Nevada County

Find a class near you: mg.ucanr.edu


Photo credit: Barbra Braaten
Photo description: People walk and chat along a row of raised vegetable beds at an outdoor garden event. White tents and tables of flowers and produce are set up in the background.

Most of the country closes up the garden in September. California gardeners get a plot twist instead: a second full growing season. 🥦 Broccoli, kale, and beets go in the ground now, and plenty of gardeners will tell you they come out even better once the weather turns cooler.

What's making the cut for your fall garden?



Photo credit: Adobe Stock
Photo description: Garden bed filled with different fall vegetables.

Somewhere in California right now, someone is staring at a weird spot on a leaf and Googling their way into three different wrong answers. 🌿 Don't be that person. UC Master Gardener help desks are staffed by trained volunteers who look your problem up in real, university-backed research before they tell you anything — not the internet's best guess.

Ask your local UC Master Gardener help desk: mg.ucanr.edu



Photo credit: UC Regents

Photo description: Three people stand and talk near a table set up outdoors with potted yellow flowers in the background. One person holds a small potted plant.

Los Angeles County just brought home a national win — and we couldn't be prouder.

UC Master Gardener Program Coordinator Valerie Borel has been named the 2026 recipient of the Gardening for All Award from the Extension Master Gardener National Committee. This national honor recognizes coordinators who make a lasting, measurable impact on access and belonging in their programs — through volunteer leadership, community engagement, and advocacy that reaches far beyond one county.

We can think of no better recipient. Congratulations, Valerie! 🌱

UC Agriculture & Natural Resources Master Gardener Program, UC Cooperative Extension, Los Angeles County

Photo credit:
Shekina Mullen

Photo description:
Three people wearing conference badges smile for a photo indoors. The person in the center holds a wooden award plaque. A projection screen and wood-paneled wall are visible in the background.