The UC Master Gardeners of Napa County announced on Mar. 28 that their annual spring Tomato Sale will take place on Saturday, April 11, in Napa. The event aims to raise funds to support the group’s activities and will be held at the University of California Cooperative Extension parking lot at 1710 Soscol Avenue.
The sale is important for supporting educational outreach and community gardening initiatives in the county. Last year’s event sold out quickly, with all plants gone by 10 am, highlighting strong community interest.
Penny Pawl, a UC Master Gardener of Napa County, described her experience from last year: “I was scheduled to do a demonstration at last year’s event on how to grow a tomato in a pot rather than planting it in the garden. After shopping around, I had selected a tall tomato and a large pot. The tomato I chose was ‘Juliet,’ a small grape tomato with great flavor.” Pawl said she experimented with cloning Juliet cuttings using hydroponic methods and shared her results: “My experiment worked well. I had three rooted Juliet tomatoes in less than three weeks.”
In addition to the sale, several educational events are planned. Workshops include topics such as composting and vineyard planning on March 28 at Skyline Wilderness Park and other locations, as well as an online talk about perennial edibles scheduled for April 2 via Zoom.
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), which oversees the Master Gardener program through its Cooperative Extension services according to its official website, secures funding through public contributions to support programs like these events. UC ANR promotes sustainable practices aimed at strengthening resilient ecosystems and economic vitality according to its official website. It operates nine research centers across California’s diverse ecosystems according to its official website.
UC ANR is recognized for connecting university research with community needs according to its official website. Each year it conducts more than 33,000 educational events statewide involving over 18,000 volunteers according to its official website. Through these efforts—including workshops like those offered by Napa County Master Gardeners—UC ANR delivers science-based information via partnerships that promote environmental stewardship and community development across all California counties according to its official website.
For more details about upcoming events or help with gardening questions, residents can visit the UC Master Gardener Help Desk or attend one of their workshops.
