We are midway through our spring 2026 series of workshops. From now (in mid-March) to early June, there are eleven topics to explore. There is something here for beginning and experienced gardeners alike and for every size of home garden.
Finishing up the month of March we have an important new workshop on Firewise Land Stewardship. Creating and maintaining a defensible space around your home for fire safety is a top priority in our dry environment; it may well be the most important thing you can do with your landscape.
‘The Real Dirt’ is a column by various local master gardeners who are part of the UC Master Gardeners of Butte County.
We are welcoming back our useful and popular workshops on irrigation, plant propagation and weed identification and control.
If you have fruit trees or are planning a home orchard, we have two workshops of interest: a new class on grafting fruit trees and a returning presentation on year-round fruit tree care.
Does your garden suffer from damage wrought by gophers, moles or voles? Join the club! But our workshop on these pests will arm you with the knowledge you need to (hopefully) combat them successfully.
We haven’t forgotten the beneficial creatures that visit our gardens. Creating a native plant habitat that specifically supports birds throughout the year is the topic of another workshop.
And let’s not forget that bats too play an important role in pollination; Professor Shahroukh Mistry from the biology department at Butte College will return to talk about these fascinating creatures.
Most of the workshops will be held in the outdoor classroom in the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden or inside Pat’s Barn; both are located at the Patrick Ranch Museum (10381 Midway, between Chico and Durham). The workshop on tool care will take place in the Bradley 2 classroom at The Social (1400 W. Third St., Chico).
In addition, we are offering Seasonal Garden Talks four times a year at our Chapman Park Teaching Garden at the Dorothy F. Johnson Center (775 E. 16th St., Chico). The Spring Garden Talks will take place Saturday morning, April 11. There will be two sessions. Session One will focus on Planting Vegetables for a Summer Garden. For Session Two there is a choice between Planting a Cutting Garden with Warm Season Annuals (starting with zinnias) and learning about Tomato cultivation. Summer Garden Talks will be offered on Saturday, June 6; topics for these will be finalized in the next few months. The Seasonal Garden Talks are free, but registration is required.
The following list covers our late March, April, and May offerings. Again, all workshops and garden talks are free, but they do require advance registration. For full descriptions and to register, visit our website at Workshops – UC Master Gardeners of Butte County (ucanr.edu)
MARCH
Firewise Land Stewardship NEW (Saturday, March 21). This presentation focuses on the critical subject of fire behavior, state guidelines for defensible space, and how to create and maintain a defensible space around your home.
APRIL
• Grafting Fruit Trees NEW (Thursday, April 9). Learn grafting and budding techniques of plant propagation in this workshop which also includes a hands-on demonstration in the Master Gardeners fruit orchard at Patrick Ranch.
• Gophers, Moles and Voles (Saturday, April 11). Learn how to deal with these pests, including how to set gopher traps.
• Spring Garden Talks NEW (Saturday, April 11). Session One: Planting Vegetables for a Summer Garden – learn about warm season seeds and transplants for a bountiful summer and fall harvest. Session Two: choose between Planting a Cutting Garden with Warm Season Annuals (starting with zinnias) and learning everything you need to know to grow Tomatoes.
• Year-Round Fruit Tree Care with Directional Pruning and Height Management (Tuesday, April 18). Join Master Gardener Tom Hansen in this workshop which covers pruning, irrigation, fertilizers, and cultural practices — everything you need to do each year to keep your fruit trees healthy and productive.
MAY
• Irrigation (Saturday, May 2). Drip irrigation is arguably the most efficient method of providing water to trees, crops, gardens, and landscapes, and is especially valuable here in our Mediterranean climate. This workshop will provide an overview of different options available for drip irrigation systems and how to install them. You will also learn how to troubleshoot and inspect your system, and how to make repairs when needed.
• Weed ID (Wednesday, May 6). Join us to explore the nature of weeds and learn why it’s important to correctly identify which weeds you are battling. This workshop includes a hands-on practicum and plenty of tips and information on weed control.
• Propagation (Thursday, May 7). Learn the best time to propagate woody perennials and divide plants; how to select and make cuttings; the proper techniques for dividing plants; the best planting mediums to use; and how to plant cutting and divided plants.
• Bats (Thursday, May 14). Butte College bat expert Shahroukh Mistry returns to teach us everything we want to know about these fascinating creatures.
• Plant a Native Garden for the Birds (Monday, May 18). Learn how to create native plant habitat that supports various bird species throughout the year. Plant selection and placement is key to providing food, shelter, protection, and nesting sites for birds. And what garden wouldn’t be improved with the addition of more of our winged friends?
JUNE
• Summer Garden Talks (Saturday, 6/6). Topics will be listed on our website soon.
The UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension system, serving our community in a variety of ways, including 4-H, farm advisers, and nutrition and physical activity programs. To learn more about UCCE Butte County Master Gardeners, and for help with gardening in our area, visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/bcmg/. If you have a gardening question or problem, call the hotline at 552-5812 or email mgbutte@ucanr.edu.
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