South Lake Tahoe gardening: Growing your own food and this week's festival

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As anyone who has gardened at high elevation knows there are challenges that lower elevation residents don't experience. No matter the hard work and time spent tending to flowers, shrubs, and trees, the rewards are great (even if it is a one-inch potato!

I haven't grown vegetables for too long, and it was the UC Master Gardeners of Lake Tahoe and Slow Grow Tahoe people that got me hooked about five years ago. My annual "crops" have been potatoes, beans, and peas. This year I'm adding sunchokes, leafy greens, onions, and leeks.

There is a great event this weekend in South Lake Tahoe that will show even the beginning gardener that growing vegetables at high altitudes is possible. The inaugural Grow Your Own Garden Festival will be on Saturday, June 10, from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Tallac Historic Site (1 Heritage Way) in South Lake Tahoe. It will offer gardening fun and education for the whole family.

Master Gardeners will demonstrate how to prepare your soil, plant and care for your vegetables, irrigation techniques, and give you watershed-friendly practices. Kids will be able to get their hands dirty while learning about gardening. Bring your garden questions to them for scientifically researched answers. Join them and be inspired with new skills to create your own edible garden in our high-elevation community.

Looking for inspiration? Tour the gardens at each location to get ideas for your own garden. Learn about volunteer opportunities that help you learn as you grow.

The event is free to attend, but there are still some starter plants available for purchase. Plants are $15/set, if still available. They can be picked up at the event. This year's edible plant sets specifically chosen for our high-elevation region include:

tomatoes & peppers ($20/set)
leafy greens
potatoes
peas
squash
onions & leeks
edible flowers

Register for the event and purchase plant sets HERE.

Hint: If you can, get your planting areas ready if buying the plants. Then you can rush home after the festival and plant!

In the past, Slow Grow Tahoe held virtual and in-person workshops, and those are still available to view on their website. They are always a good resource for the things you forgot! They can be viewed HERE.

Here are our first two gardening columns published last month:

https://southtahoenow.com/story/05/30/2023/south-lake-tahoe-gardening-getting-started-101

https://southtahoenow.com/story/05/27/2023/south-lake-tahoe-gardening-dig-it