Garden Gathering series begins w/ Seed Starting presentation

OSU Hood River Extension Central Gorge Master Gardeners welcome home gardeners of all abilities to attend the upcoming Garden Gathering series of monthly educational presentations. These free presentations will be held March through October 2024 and are designed to be interactive and aid in your growth as a gardener.

The first presentation of the 2024 Garden Gathering series is Seed Starting, presented by Central Gorge Master Gardeners Paul Matalucci and Dennis Carlson. Matalucci is a flower farmer and owns Apple Core Farm & Cut Flowers near Odell, while Carlson specializes in food production at his homestead garden near Hood River and the FISH Food Bank Garden. Both of these OSU Master Gardener volunteers have extensive knowledge and experience in starting seeds for bountiful harvests.

Participants at the Garden Gathering Seed Starting presentation will learn practical tips that can be put to use at their homes. Topics that will be covered in this fun and interactive presentation include: 

• what makes seeds germinate 
• how to increase your germination rate
• when and how to transplant seedlings
• how to care for your seedlings until they can be safely planted outdoors 

“You don’t need a greenhouse or fancy equipment. We’ll discuss a few basic supplies and tools to get you started, and share free and valuable resources to help you along the way.” says Matalucci. 

Two sessions of the Garden Gathering Seed Starting presentation will be held at different times and locations. The same information will be offered at each session. 

• Tuesday, March 5, 6:30 PM at the White Salmon Library, 77 NE Wauna Ave., White Salmon, WA 
• Saturday, March 9, 10:00 AM at the OSU Hood River County Extension, 2990 Experiment Station Drive, Hood RIver, OR. 

Upcoming topics for Garden Gathering presentations are Tool Care, Weed Management, WaterWise Gardening, Rodent Eradication, Planting Fall Crops and Mushroom Identification. Dates, times and locations will be announced prior to each workshop. 

For further information about the Garden Gathering series of presentations or the OSU Hood River Extension Central Gorge Master Gardener program contact CGMG Program Coordinator, Megan Wickersham, megan.wickersham@oregonstate.edu