New! Compost Giveaway Day |
When: Tuesday March 10 | Sunrise to sundown, or until compost it out
Where: Sunset Circle Parking Lot, Lake Merced — Map
Cost: FREE
Description: Bring your own shovels and containers to this free compost giveaway event! Open to all SF residents.
Registration: Not required
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New! Seed & Plant Start Giveaway in the Gardens |
When: Saturday April 4 | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Where: McLaren Park Community Garden, 599 Leland Ave — Map
Cost: FREE
Description: Get free seeds and plant starts at this free event! Open to all San Francisco residents. Got a burning question about your plants or garden? The UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo and San Francisco Counties will be there to offer expert gardening tips and advice!
Registration: Not required
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| Annual Earth Day Festival at Alemany Farm |
Saturday April 25, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Alemany Farm, 700 Alemany Blvd
Cost: FREE
Celebrate Earth Day at Alemany Farm! Bring your friends and family for a fun-filled, free community festival on this beautiful day. Enjoy an array of activities for all ages, including live music, complimentary BBQ and farm-fresh salad, face painting, guided tours of the farm and medicinal herb gardens, and so much more. Don’t miss out on this vibrant celebration of community and nature!
Please Note: Onsite parking will not be available for the Earth Day Festival event. We encourage folks to use public transit or pedal power. If driving to the farm, please find parking in the vicinity.
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A Big Thank-You to Rebuilding Together San Francisco! |
We are thrilled to extend our heartfelt thanks to Rebuilding Together SF for making a long-awaited improvement possible at two neighboring Potrero Hill community gardens: Arkansas Friendship and Connecticut Friendship Community Gardens. Thanks to their support, much-needed repairs to steps and fencing have been completed - enhancing safety and beauty for everyone who enjoys these spaces.
This project came with a tight timeline and complex coordination, and it simply could not have happened without the incredible teamwork of Rebuilding Together SF volunteers and staff, community garden volunteers, and SF Recreation & Parks staff. Your dedication and hard work made all the difference.
We’d like to give special recognition to two champions of this effort:
- Maria Durana, Director of SF Recreation & Parks’ Children in Nature Program, and
- Brett Stephen, a dedicated community member and long-time Alemany Farm volunteer.
Both generously volunteer with Rebuilding Together SF and played a key role in bringing this project to life.
Thanks to everyone for strengthening these beloved community spaces and helping make them safer, more welcoming, and more beautiful for everyone!
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Garden Highlight: Clipper Terrace Community Garden |
Image Credit: Inger Hogstrom
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Composting Champions at Clipper Community Garden!
Garden members rolled up their sleeves and came together to build a new 3-bin composting bay using creativity, teamwork, and reused materials. Composting is an essential part of a healthy garden because it enriches the soil with nutrients, improves its structure, and helps retain moisture, creating the perfect environment for plants to thrive. It also reduces waste by turning garden clippings into valuable organic matter. This incredible achievement shows the power of community collaboration. Big cheers to the Clipper Community Garden members who made this happen.
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Seasonal Suggestions & Tips from the UC Master Gardeners of San Francisco & San Mateo Counties |
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Mulching for Winter and Spring |
Winter and early-spring can be a great time to add an organic mulch to your vegetable garden. Organic mulches cover the surface of the soil and are derived from formerly living material, such as bark, arborist chips, leaf litter, alfalfa, or straw. These types of mulches help improve soil health, control weeds, and conserve water. During winter, mulch helps mitigate soil compaction caused by winter rains and helps prevent evaporation and water loss from soil by providing an insulating layer.
How to Apply
Mulch works best at a 2-3” depth. It’s a good practice to check the depth of mulch before winter rains as mulch may need to be topped off annually. Mulch is digested by the microbial community and that organic matter is blended into the top layer of the soil by micro and macro arthropods, birds, gophers, and anyone who disturbs the soil. Ideally, spread a layer of compost 1/4" deep prior to applying mulch to help feed soil microbes, improve soil structure, and provide nutrients to your plants.
Considerations
Mulching around winter-planted bareroot fruit trees will provide a headstart by conserving moisture from the wet season and increasing root development, but be sure to keep mulch several inches away from the trunk (see image). While a properly mulched garden will help suppress disease, mulch spread too closely to the trunk of a tree can predispose the tree to Phytophthora. Mulched trees may require up to half as much water.
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While larger pieces of wood or bark can take longer to break down, smaller pieces, like sawdust, have the potential for creating a layer that is difficult to hydrate; sawdust and compost are not good mulches if spread deeper than 1/4" or so. If using straw, be sure to use a product without seedheads (e.g., do not use “hay”). Also, while mulch may help increase soil temperature during cooler months, it also slows warming in spring, so consider your particular microclimate if sowing seeds directly in the soil.
Weed control
Recent rains will have done you a favor by sprouting weed seeds present in your soil, essentially providing a version of the tried-and-true weed control technique of “water, wait, and cultivate.” By pulling weeds in the winter or early-spring, before they go to seed, and then applying mulch, you’ll help prevent new weed seeds from germinating. Less aggressive weeds that have sprouted at this period can be cut and spread on top of the ground as mulch, along with other cuttings, to provide nutrients to your soil. If using mulch for weed suppression, a benefit of a smaller mulch is that you can use less of it and still effectively block light from reaching the soil surface.
In addition to mulch, consider a cover crop, such as a coastal native pollinator mix. You’ll be surprised at how many native plants can thrive within a mulch, amplifying its benefits and outcompeting problem weeds. While fall may be the ideal time to sow native mixes, many native flowers will do fine if seeded this time of year, given adequate moisture, and they will reseed the following year. If you have questions about other mulch applications, please reach out via the Master Gardener Helpline.
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Contributors: UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo & San Francisco Counties
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Purchase bare-root plants in nurseries, while there is still time. They generally stop shipping in March.
- Shop for citrus trees.
- Finish pruning roses and shrubs. Perform winter pruning on fruit trees. Clean pruning tools with disinfectant spray.
- Prune and cut back perennials and ornamental grasses.
- Prune lavender back to emerging new growth for best spike production in summer.
- Continue to clean up winter debris from beds and containers.
- If starting tomatoes from seed, now is the time to start them indoors.
- Divide perennials such as daylily and yarrow, and re-plant them in bare spots around the garden.
- Outdoors, blooms will start appearing from bulbs, annuals and perennials, as well as shrubs and flowering trees.
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Attend to indoor houseplants, and perhaps add some color inside. African violets bloom now in colors ranging from white to pink to lavender to deep purple. Ferns are another good choice indoors.
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- Plant vegetable starts once the danger of frost has passed.
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Adjust watering schedules monthly, according to the weather and the changing needs of your plants.
- Avoid over-irrigation and waterlogged soil.
- Check your irrigation systems for leaks and broken emitters; perform maintenance as needed.
- Water if necessary, early in the morning to prevent wet foliage at night.
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Apply 1/4” of compost around landscape plants, up to 2" of compost for vegetable bed preparation, and work in lightly. Avoid walking on wet soil. Do not work or dig soil if it is wet.
- Apply 2-3” of mulch where existing mulch is thin, soil is bare, in areas around landscape plants after composting, especially around newly planted trees and shrubs. Keep mulch back 12” from tree trunks and 6” from perennials to support plant health.
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Prepare garden tools and pruning shears:
- Sharpen pruning shears and other garden tools as needed.
- Clean and disinfect your pruning shears after use.
- Finish with a light coat of oil to protect the blades.
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Manage weeds using non-chemical methods such as cultivation, hand weeding, mulching or mowing.
- If you planted fava beans as a cover crop in your garden, cut plants at soil level when half of the blooms have opened. This will give you the greatest return of nitrogen to your soil.
- Plant gladiolus and dahlia bulbs for summer color.
- Check nurseries for blooming and budding annuals for spring.
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Consider planting companion plants to provide an environment that welcomes beneficial insects.
- Select California poppy, lavender, cosmos, marigolds, nasturtiums, sunflowers, zinnias and other beneficials to attract bees.
- Turn compost to keep it as moist as a wrung- out sponge.
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Add garden waste, grass clippings, pruning material and leaves so long as they are not diseased.
- Cover compost during rainy weather to avoid the pile becoming waterlogged.
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- Prune back herbaceous perennials such as salvia to promote plant bushiness.
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Plant edibles such as lettuce, tomatoes, herbs, zucchini and berries.
- Sow bean, corn, cucumber melon and winter squash seeds directly into the ground. Consider pole beans since they will produce all Spring and Summer and into the Fall. Consider using a soaker hose to conserve water in your vegetable garden.
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Transplant tomato seedlings. Pinch off all but the top two pairs of leaves and set the seedling into a deep hole. Backfill, keeping the top leaves above soil. Tomato roots grow deep (24 inches or more) so make sure roots will have depth to develop.
- Transplant cabbage family vegetables since they will be harvested before July heat.
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Chop cover crops, like fava, and work them into the soil before they have a chance to seed. They add great organic material that will break down over 2-3 weeks and feed soil.
- Remove aphids from plants with a strong stream of water.
- Pick off cabbage moth eggs, caterpillars, snails and slugs by hand, or use non-toxic slug bait.
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Start planting summer annuals such as lobelia, begonia, marigolds, cosmos, petunias, snapdragon and alyssum.
- Plant gladiolus, dahlias and lilies for summer color.
- Don’t use insecticides in your garden -- you might harm bees and beneficial insects, which help control aphids, mites, whiteflies and other garden pests.
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The UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo and San Francisco Counties are a group of highly trained volunteers that teach people how to sustainably grow food and cultivate gardens to protect California's natural resources. They provide ongoing support to San Francisco gardeners through hands on workshops and digital resources, like this article! Click below to find more gardening resources and tips relevant to the SF Bay Area.
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Upcoming Workshops & Events |
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FEBRUARY
Saving Water in Your Home (Garden for the Environment)
When: Saturday February 28 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: Garden for the Environment, 1590 7th Ave — Map
Cost: $10, but you'll get a $10 gift card for attending the workshop.
Description: Conserving water in the drought-prone Bay Area is so important, and this workshop will teach you several ways to do so. These can be as simple as having your plumbing checked for leaks to installing drip irrigation and greywater systems. Our expert instructor will explain these methods and answer your questions so you can choose the water-saving techniques that are appropriate for your home.
Registration: Eventbrite
Plant Pruning Basics (Garden for the Environment)
When: Saturday February 28 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: Garden for the Environment, 1590 7th Ave — Map
Cost: $27.24
Description: Pruning is vital for plant health and can enhance the beauty and vigor of your entire garden. In this engaging workshop, you will learn how to make basic pruning cuts and about principles and techniques that inform wise pruning decisions for perennials, shrubs, and small garden trees.
Registration: Eventbrite
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MARCH
Citrus Tree Pruning & Tool Care (SFRPD Urban Ag)
When: Wednesday March 4 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: Visitacion Valley Agricultural Lot, 500 Campbell Ave — Map
Cost: FREE
Description: Learn the basics of fruit tree pruning in this hands-on workshop, including an intro to tool care. Tools will be provided for use during the workshop, but community members are also invited to bring their own (non-powered) hand tools to learn how to care for them. Rain will cancel.
Registration: RSVP required. Email us at communit...@sfgov.org
Introduction to Sustainable Gardening Series (Garden for the Environment)
When: Starts Saturday March 7 | 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Where: Garden for the Environment, 1590 7th Ave — Map
Cost: $30 (Series)
Description: A comprehensive deep dive into ecological gardening. This multi-session series covers soil health, water conservation, and integrated pest management for the SF climate.
Registration: Eventbrite
Citrus Tree Pruning & Tool Care (SFRPD Urban Ag)
When: Saturday March 7 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: Geneva Community Garden (Geneva Ave & Delano Ave) — Map
Cost: FREE
Description: Learn the basics of fruit tree pruning in this hands-on workshop, including an intro to tool care. Tools will be provided for use during the workshop, but community members are also invited to bring their own (non-powered) hand tools to learn how to care for them. Rain will cancel.
Registration: RSVP required. Email us at communit...@sfgov.org
Soil at the Center: Linking the Water, Nitrogen, and Carbon Cycles - Webinar (UC Master Gardeners of SM & SF Counties)
When: Wednesday March 11 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Where: Online via Zoom
Cost: FREE
Description: Learn how soil is the central meeting point of the water, nitrogen, and carbon cycles. Explore how water movement regulates carbon storage and nitrogen transformations, how soil microbes connect all three cycles, and how soil structure and management influence productivity, water quality, and climate outcomes. The session highlights why healthy soils are essential for resilient ecosystems and climate-smart land use.
Registration: UCANR | UC Master Gardeners
Citrus Tree Pruning & Tool Care (SFRPD Urban Ag)
When: Saturday March 14 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: Crag's Court Community Garden, 1 Crag's Ct — Map
Cost: FREE
Description: Learn the basics of fruit tree pruning in this hands-on workshop, including an intro to tool care. Tools will be provided for use during the workshop, but community members are also invited to bring their own (non-powered) hand tools to learn how to care for them. Rain will cancel.
Registration: RSVP required. Email us at communit...@sfgov.org
Windowsill Gardening (SFRPD Urban Ag)
When: Saturday March 14 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: Victoria Manalo Draves Community Garden (Folsom St & Sherman St) — Map
Cost: FREE
Description: Discover how to grow fresh herbs and vegetables right from your windowsill! This hands-on workshop is perfect for those with limited or no outdoor space. Participants will learn practical techniques for container gardening, soil selection, and plant care, all tailored for small indoor spaces. By the end of the session, you’ll take home your own planted container and the confidence to start a thriving mini-garden at home. Rain will cancel.
Registration: RSVP required -- space is limited! Email us at communit...@sfgov.org
Intro to Urban Beekeeping (Friends of Alemany Farm)
When: Saturday March 14 | 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Where: Alemany Farm, 700 Alemany Blvd — Map
Cost: $35 suggested donation
Description: Learn beekeeping basics, colony health and urban honey production. This two hour class will be hosted by a member of the San Francisco Beekeeping Association and will cover the honey bee life cycle, how to identify and treat pests and diseases, and an introduction to working with bees safely. Also learn how bees work together to make honey, pollinate flowers, and maintain colony nutrition. The class will conclude with a guided tasting of honey from our local plants.
Registration: Eventbrite
Pruning 101 (UC Master Gardeners of SM & SF Counties)
When: Saturday March 14 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: San Francisco Botanical Garden - Plant Shop, 1199 9th Ave — Map
Cost: FREE
Description: Anyone caring for a garden or even a few plants will sooner or later be faced with the question: Am I supposed to prune this plant? Pruning can feel mysterious and daunting, but with a few basic concepts and guidelines in hand, anyone can improve their skill. Get an overview of pruning basics and examples of common pruning tasks at this workshop.
Registration: UCANR | UC Master Gardeners
Master Gardener Education Table at the Divisadero Farmers' Market (UC Master Gardeners of SM & SF Counties)
When: Sunday March 15 | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Where: DMV Parking Lot, 1377 Fell St — Map
Cost: FREE
Description: Visit the UC Master Gardener education table at the Divisadero Farmers’ Market. Master Gardener volunteers will be available to answer your gardening questions regarding plants, plant maintenance, soil, garden pests and more.
Registration: Not required
We Can Pickle That! Carrots & Sauerkraut (Friends of Alemany Farm)
When: Sunday March 22 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: Alemany Farm, 700 Alemany Blvd — Map
Cost: $50 suggested donation
Description: In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn about the basics of pickle making, both with vinegars and natural fermentation, and tips you need to know to make sure your pickles are safe, crunchy, and delicious. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll make your own jar of carrot pickles and sauerkraut to take home for fermenting on your own.
Registration: Eventbrite
No Backyard, No Problem: Composting with Worms in the City (UC Master Gardeners of SM & SF Counties)
When: Sunday March 22 | 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Where: San Francisco Public Library: Mission Bay Branch, 960 4th St — Map
Cost: FREE
Description: If you love gardening but have minimal outdoor space, creating compost to feed your plants can be challenging. But worms can create vermicompost for you, and they can do it in very small spaces – even indoors! Learn the importance of compost for keeping your plants healthy, and find out how to create your own vermicompost using simple materials and kitchen scraps.
Registration: Not required
Citrus Tree Pruning & Tool Care (SFRPD Urban Ag)
When: Saturday March 28 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: Tenderloin People's Garden, 324 Larkin St — Map
Cost: FREE
Description: Learn the basics of fruit tree pruning in this hands-on workshop, including an intro to tool care. Tools will be provided for use during the workshop, but community members are also invited to bring their own (non-powered) hand tools to learn how to care for them. Rain will cancel.
Registration: RSVP required. Email us at communit...@sfgov.org
Spring Wreathmaking & Flower Craft (Garden for the Environment)
When: Saturday March 28 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: Garden for the Environment,1590 7th Ave — Map
Cost: ~$48 (Includes materials)
Description: Get creative with the season's bounty. Use blooms and greens harvested directly from the GFE garden to create a unique, seasonal wreath to take home.
Registration: Eventbrite
Designing Beautiful Gardens in San Francisco’s Unique Conditions (UC Master Gardeners of SM & SF Counties)
When: Sunday March 29 | 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Where: San Francisco Public Library: Richmond Branch, 351 9th Ave — Map
Cost: FREE
Description: Explore how to create thoughtful, resilient and inspiring garden spaces no matter the constraints. Get grounded in core landscape design principles—color, texture, scale and layout—and how these can be adapted to small or shaded environments. Dive into plants that truly thrive in SF’s microclimates, and learn how to tailor plant selections and design strategies to meet the specific needs of shade gardens, small backyards, patios and apartment balconies.
Registration: Not required
Succulents in Pots and in the Garden (UC Master Gardeners of SM & SF Counties)
When: Sunday March 29 | 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Where: SFPL Main Library - 2nd Floor, 100 Larkin St — Map
Cost: FREE
Description: No matter the size of your patio, deck, balcony or apartment windowsill, you can find a place to grow succulents in the city! After a brief overview of the natural history of succulents, UC Master Gardener Delle Maxwell will discuss succulent care and culture, including soils, pots, watering and light. She will discuss which plants do well in different Bay Area microclimates, indoors and outside. She will work with specimens that she will bring in, identifying them and then preparing them for planting. Next she will create some sample arrangements. Leftover plants will be available to take home.
Registration: Not required
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APRIL
Dig In! Six-Part Edible Gardening Series (Garden for the Environment)
When: Starts Saturday April 4 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: Garden for the Environment, 1590 7th Ave — Map
Cost: $179.49
Description: Learn how to garden this spring! This six-part workshop series is designed to teach you everything you need to start growing food in your backyard in a supportive, hands-on environment.
Registration: Eventbrite
Growing Vibrant Tomatoes in Containers (UC Master Gardeners of SM & SF Counties)
When: Saturday April 11 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Where: San Francisco Public Library: Noe Valley Branch, 451 Jersey St — Map
Cost: FREE
Description: Discover the numerous advantages of container gardening from UC Master Gardeners Pat Kramer and Troy Weakley. They will guide you through selecting the right containers, choosing the best soil and amendments, and exploring various tomato varietals and veggies that thrive in this setup. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a beginner, you’ll leave with valuable tips and inspiration to create your own flourishing container garden.
Registration: Not required
Meet Your Local California Native Plants in Spring! (Friends of Alemany Farm)
When: Sunday April 12 | 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Where: Alemany Farm, 700 Alemany Blvd — Map
Cost: $35 suggested donation
Description: Introducing San Franciscan native CA plants to novices and the initiated. We will explore microclimates, soil types and terrain, touring Alemany Farm's unique ecosystems to identify different native plants and preferred growing habits. The workshop will end with an opportunity to take home a native plant for your garden. Printed resources and living plants will help illustrate our local flora.
Registration: Eventbrite
Urban Chickens (Garden for the Environment)
When: Saturday April 18 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where: Garden for the Environment, 1590 7th Ave — Map
Cost: $27.24
Description: Yes, you can have chickens in urban spaces! Learn about how to get started with city chickens, what care they need, and lots more.
Registration: Eventbrite
Master Gardener Education Table at the Divisadero Farmers' Market (UC Master Gardeners of SM & SF Counties)
When: Sunday April 19 | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Where: DMV Parking Lot, 1377 Fell St — Map
Cost: FREE
Description: Visit the UC Master Gardener education table at the Divisadero Farmers’ Market. Master Gardener volunteers will be available to answer your gardening questions regarding plants, plant maintenance, soil, garden pests and more.
Registration: Not required
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REOCCURING
General Volunteer Workdays (Friends of Alemany Farm)
When: Every Monday (1:00 PM – 4:30 PM) and Saturday (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
Where: Alemany Farm, 700 Alemany Blvd — Map
Cost: FREE
Description: Learn the fundamentals of organic farming through hands-on tasks. Volunteers assist with composting, sowing seeds, and harvesting fresh produce on San Francisco’s largest communal farm.
Registration: Alemany Farm – Get Involved
Community Tree Care & Pruning (Friends of the Urban Forest)
When: Select Tuesdays & Saturdays | Morning shifts
Where: Rotates monthly (Check FUF calendar)
Cost: FREE
Description: Give young street trees the best start in life. Learn the basics of structural pruning and tree care while helping maintain the health of recently planted trees across the city.
Registration: FUF Volunteer Calendar
Urban Composting Workshops (Garden for the Environment)
When: Multiple dates
Where: Garden for the Environment, 1590 7th Ave — Map
Cost: FREE
Description: Learn how to make your own backyard compost... for FREE! Keep precious organic matter and plant nutrients in your yard and improve your soil. The backbone of every healthy garden, compost improves all soil types and can be a difference between success and failure with many plants.
Registration: Eventbrite
Grow Your Own Food Workshops (Garden for the Environment)
When: Multiple dates
Where: Garden for the Environment, 1590 7th Ave — Map
Cost: $25 to $63.99
Description: Learn to take full advantage of the unique gardening climate in San Francisco, where you can grow your own fruits and vegetables year-round! Different topics will be covered for the varying months the workshop is offered. Visit the link below to see which topics will be covered during which months.
Registration: Eventbrite
Growing a Garden: Where to Start Workshops (Garden for the Environment)
When: Multiple dates
Where: Garden for the Environment, 1590 7th Ave — Map
Cost: $25 to $63.99
Description: Are you really curious about gardening but don't know where to begin? This workshop will teach you the fundamentals so you can get started!
Registration: Eventbrite
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Happy Gardening!
The Urban Agriculture & Community Gardens Program
San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department
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