Sustainability Interest Group - Let's talk dirt! Creating healthy soil through organic gardening.
Lucy, Burke@CalRecycle
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Grass Roots Circular Economy and Climate Action |
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Join the Sustainability
Interest Group
at CalEPA to discuss sustainable
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Or call in (audio only) +1 916-619-7284, 955660965# United States, Sacramento Phone Conference ID: 955 660 965# Find a local number | Reset PIN
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Let's talk dirt! Creating healthy soil through organic gardening. |
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
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This presentation will cover the basics of soil structure, soil composition, soil chemistry and best practices to improve soil health. What practices can we use to improve plant yields, keep synthetic fertilizer out of our water ways, and improve the water penetration of garden soil? Gardeners of all abilities should come away with a set of best practices for maintaining and improving the quality of your home garden soil.
William Fredericksen is the City of Sacramento’s community garden coordinator. He is an avid plant lover and advocate for organic gardening. The community garden program allows Sacramento residents to have space to grow their own organic produce and provides access to fruit trees. He hopes to inspire all people to grow healthy organic produce no matter their space limitations.
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Tuesday, August 5, 2025
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Not enough sun in your summer garden? Not enough space for a traditional garden? How about growing mushrooms? It’s much simpler than you might think. All you need is a mostly shady spot, perhaps 10 to 20 square feet of area, and you can grow some delicious mushrooms.
Kamrun Zargar is a Senior Environmental Scientist in CalRecycle’s Policy Development and Analysis Office. While he’s had several raised beds for growing summer vegetables and fall/winter greens, his garden suffers from lack of light, and so the productivity is low. This is due to the many redwood and oak trees in his backyard. One day he read an article about how easy it was to grow mushrooms in your backyard using straw. That started him on the path of growing several types of mushrooms: pink oyster, wine cap, and shitake mushrooms for now. His family eats a lot of mushrooms in the summer and fall. What they cannot eat, Kamrun dries in the sun and vacuum seals for later use. You should try it! |
Trees
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Newly adopted Urban Forest Plan targets tree equity across Sacramento |
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City of Sacramento, June 27, 2025
In a unanimous vote Tuesday evening, the Sacramento City Council adopted a comprehensive 20-year Urban Forest Plan aimed at doubling the city’s tree canopy by 2045, addressing long-standing inequities in shade and green space, and supporting Sacramento’s goal of carbon neutrality. |
Organic Waste
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How America’s popular supermarkets handle their unsold groceries |
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The Takeout, July 14, 2025
Walk through the automatic doors of your typical American grocery store and you'll be greeted by shelves brimming with fresh produce, meat, baked goods, and every dairy product imaginable. But have you ever wondered what happens to all the food that doesn't go home with customers? According to ReFED, a national nonprofit focused on food waste solutions, 63 million tons of food is thrown away in America every single year.
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Organic Waste
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Triple Pundit, July 11, 2025
Composting isn’t just an effective way to turn food waste into plant food. When scaled across communities, this backyard pastime can be an economic and educational powerhouse. Just ask the members of the Community Composter Coalition, a network of more than 350 schools, urban farms, bike haulers and other local organizations that collect food scraps from their neighbors and turn them into compost.
Despite the upsides, community composters often face technical, regulatory and financial challenges, Libertelli said. Coupled with the intensity of manual labor and the nature of public service, organizers end up feeling burned out and isolated. |
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Sacramento Area Landscape Rebate Programs |
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· State of California Turf Replacement Program · Sacramento County Water Agency Cash for Grass o $2000 rebate · Sacramento Suburban Water District Rebate includes:
· Sacramento City’s River-Friendly Landscape Rebates cover a maximum of: o $3,000 at $1.50 per square of grass converted on the front, side and back yard o $400 for materials used to convert to drip irrigation for front, side or back yard o $400 for adding EPA WaterSense Labeled Smart Irrigation Controller. · Carmichael Water District Turf Replacement Rebate · Citrus Heights Water District Rebate Program
· Folsom Cash for Grass Turf Replacement Rebate
· Placer County Lawn Replacement Rebate Program · Roseville Cash for Grass Utility Rebates · West Sacramento Smart Controller Rebate and Water Wise House Call · Woodland Mulch Rebate · Yolo County Water Conservation Rebate Program |
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See the edible low water use plant example found in the City of Sacramento’s River Friendly Landscape Plant List below.
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Pineapple guava |
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Acca sellowiana (Feijoa sellowiana)
Size: 9 x 9 feet Water Requirement: Low Type: Shrub Edible Uses: Fruit - raw or cooked. A delicious aromatic taste, somewhat like a cross between a pineapple and a strawberry. The fruit is best eaten raw but it can also be made into pies, cakes, puddings, jams, jellies etc. Fruits can suffer damage from autumn frosts, though the flavor develops better at low temperatures. The fruit is up to 3 inches long. Flowers - raw. The petals are sweet, crisp and delicious, they taste more like a fruit than many fruits. They should be harvested just after they begin to soften (not sure that I agree with this last sentence)
Physical Characteristics: Acca sellowiana is an evergreen shrub growing at a slow rate. It is in leaf all year, in flower in July, and the seeds ripen from October to January. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
Known Hazards: None known. |
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July Gardening Tips |
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Deadhead your basil |
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If you want your basil plant to focus on growing more bushy leaves, nip it in the bud by pinching off the flowering part of the plant. It will also spread that wonderfully aromatic basil smell that distracts pests from your tomato plants among others. Add basil leaves to salads or pizza for a tasty flair or save them to make your own pesto! |
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Tomato Hornworms |
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Look for young tomato hornworms on the underside of tomato leaves and get rid of them. |
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Attract Ladybugs to Reduce Aphids |
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Attract ladybugs to help reduce aphids by planting dill, coriander, golden marguerite, and Queen Anne's lace. |
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Look for Snails |
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You’ll find snails hiding in your tender, young foliage in the evenings beneath plants and piles of lumber – get them before they start eating. |
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Prune tomato low branches and suckers |
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To avoid introducing disease, prune low branches that are close to touching the ground. Also, if your tomato sprouts a branch angling up at a 45-degree angle between the main stem and a horizontal branch (bottom right photo), cut off that sucker for indeterminant tomato plants and below the first flower node for determinant tomato plants. It will only draw unnecessary resources away from your tomatoes otherwise. |
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Place Mulch Around Trees |
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Add three inches of mulch under your fruit trees and shrubs to keep weeds down. Keep a six-inch ring of mulch away from the trunks to avoid rot. |
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Zucchini Harvesting |
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Harvest your zucchini before they get more than 8 to 10 inches long for maximum flavor. |
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Prune your Zucchinis |
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Prune Zucchini to increase air flow, increase production, and prevent powdery mildew and prevent blossom end rot. |
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Prune Grape Vines |
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Prune grape vines back to one to two leaves beyond the fruit to prevent disease and let the vine concentrate on producing more and bigger grapes than new growth vines seeking a foothold in all directions. You can also save those freshly cut grape vines (and apple tree branches) for any pet rabbits you may know. Your grape canopy should have about 60% exposure to the sun to prevent fungus and improve flavor. You can also thin your grapes by pruning off mildewed grape clusters and shoots with too many grape clusters. |
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Girdle Grapevines |
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You can increase your grape yield and size by girdling grapevines like this around the end of May at the start of or during bloom. Girdling means cutting through the “phloem” tissues below the bark to block the downward (basal) flow of sugars and other compounds produced in the leaves. |
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Plant Your Last Corn |
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Plant your last set of sweet corn when crape myrtles are in bloom. |
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Keep Planting through July |
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You can prolong your harvest by planting radishes, carrots, snap beans, and corn every two weeks through July.
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Check out the companion plants along with the harvest and plant guide below for plants to plant by seed or transplant. Consider companion planting caveats when compared to intercropping. |
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Plants to Avoid |
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Pole Beans, Thyme, Squash, Potatoes, Dill, Mint |
Cabbages, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Fennel |
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Sacramento Area Planting and Harvest Guide |
Also see the UC Sacramento Vegetable Planting Schedule
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This group is about sharing bountiful vegetable gardens with others. |
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Contact Will Cannady for more information. |
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In 2019, Martha Hogan started a local @cityofwestsac Facebook group called #WestsacCropSwap. They share and swap fruits and veggies home grown LOCALLY that would otherwise go to waste. If you know of families that may be in need of healthy fruits or veggies please have them reach out. |
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Sacramento |
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Folsom |
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Citrus Heights |
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Rancho Cordova |
Check out what you can borrow from the Sacramento Library in these categories:
Arts & Crafts ● Electronics & Technology ● Games & Hobbies ● Health
Kitchen Equipment ● Musical Instruments ● Recreation ● Science and Maker
Tools ● Video Games ● Yard Games
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Oak Park What: Free repair: bikes, clothes, lamps, tools, small appliances, knife sharpening. Plus, coffee, tea, snacks, beans & rice When: 11am-2pm, 2nd Saturday of every month Where: Community Shop Class, 3818 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento (turn into parking lot behind Trips For Kids Bike Shop)
West Sacramento What: West Sac residents can repair their bikes, clothing, and electronics for free. When: 10am-1pm, last Saturday of every month Where: Arthur F. Turner Library at 1212 Merkley Ave, West Sacramento. |
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Check out the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA), which supports bike infrastructure and safety through advocacy, their Bike Valet program, Ride Ready Repair, BikeMatchSac, bicycle safety at night through Lights On, skills training, and Support for Businesses. |
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Did you know you could get $20 per month for reducing the number of cars on the road and biking in 11 times per month by completing the Bicycle Commuter Program Quarterly Self-Certification form? Check out the Bicycle Commuter Program FAQ for more information. |
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Don’t Change Your Car’s Motor Oil Too Soon - Check Your Number |
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Use CalRecycle’s Check Your Number website to find the manufacturer-recommended oil change intervals for most vehicles (2000 - 2021).
Used oil can contain such contaminants as lead, magnesium, copper, zinc, chromium, arsenic, chlorides, cadmium, and chlorinated compounds (CalRecycle). The “every 3,000 miles or every three months” rule is outdated because of advances in both engines and oil. Many automakers have oil-change intervals at 7,500 or even 10,000 miles and six or 12 months (Consumer Reports). |
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Fuel economy is reduced by 0.2 percent for every 1 pound per square inch (psi) your car is underinflated. That means you could save up to 3 percent in gas mileage, according to the DMV, which is naturally a little more environmentally friendly, too. |
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Save Electricity, Save Money |
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…and save the Planet by running your dishwasher, washer, dryer, or EV charger in off-peak times (typically avoid 4-9pm). Depending on your electricity provider, download, print, and keep handy the rate details schedule from SMUD (like below), PG&E, VCE (Yolo County), or Roseville Electric.
SMUD Rate Schedule
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Super Trees! |
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Consider planting any of these Super Trees! They’re water-wise for the Sacramento area—all but the loquat tree are on the City of Sacramento’s River Friendly Landscape Plant List, they have edible fruit (pomegranate or strawberry) or flavorful leaves (sweet bay), they attract beneficial wildlife, provide cooling shade in the summer, most let warming light through in the winter, and all but the olive have fruit and are free to SMUD customers (subject to availability). Check out SMUD’s Free Shade Tree Program and Free Tree List. |
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Up to 10 Free Trees |
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The Sacramento Tree Foundation will give you up to 10 free trees for your yard. Check out the Shady 80 recommended trees for a cooler Sacramento region. You can also volunteer to help the City plant 25,000 new trees per year through 2045. |
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Free Wood Chips |
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Adding wood chips to your yard each year will lead to healthier plant growth by reducing weeds, cooling the soil in the summer, conserving water, and slowly adding organic matter as it breaks down. You can get free wood chips by signing up for ChipDrop or you can search for tree trimmers in your area, then call or complete their website form to request free wood chips the next time they cut down and shred a tree in your neighborhood. SMUD customers can also pick up wood chips. ChipDrop may give you up to 20 cubic yards, which could cover 9 inches of a standard ranch-style home/property; more than the recommended 4 to 6 inches. To prevent nitrogen depletion or spreading diseases, only apply as ground cover in shrub beds, natural areas, and around trees while keeping the mulch away from the tree trunks and vegetables or annual flower beds. |
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Debbie Arrington is a master rosarian. Kathy Morrison Hellesen is a UCCE master gardener. Together they have more than 60 years of gardening experience in California, most of that in Sacramento's grower-friendly climate. They believe all gardening is local. They both love to cook what they grow. They also are longtime journalists (at the Sacramento Bee and elsewhere) who believe Sacramento deserves local gardening coverage. |
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Take a Plant, Leaf a Plant *Free* Sacramento (Map) |
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Consider donating or volunteering for Harvest Sacramento |
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Resoil Sacramento |
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ReSoil Sacramento advocates for three things that we can do to address our changing climate: 1) compost, 2) grow our own food, and 3) build regenerative, climate-resilient landscapes. Check out the latest and get involved. |
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Consider Donating Extra Produce at any area food pantry |
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Consider forwarding this email to invite a friend or colleague to:
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Note: |
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1) Every pound of homegrown vegetables you grow can cut 2 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions when compared to the store-bought counterpart, although what you eat matters more (e.g., fruits, nuts, and vegetables) than how it’s transported. 2) A single home compost bin diverts approximately 646 pounds of waste from landfill each year. |