Myth or truth? SLO County workshop to bust common gardening tips
One of my favorite words of wisdom came from a restaurant place mat on which the owners had printed old folk sayings.
The one I’ve never forgotten is: “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you in trouble. It’s what you know that ain’t so.”
That saying is true for a lot of things, including gardening. A lot of us have heard or read about things you can do in your garden to make your plants grow bigger, produce more vegetables and repel insects and diseases.
Some sound pretty convincing, and many have been widely used for a long time. The trick is figuring out which of them really work, and which “ain’t so.”
This August, the UC Master Gardeners of San Luis Obispo will present one of our attendees’ favorite programs from last year, “Myth Busters.”
Our presenters will quiz the audience on whether they think a series of popular beliefs about gardening are true or false (don’t worry; there are no grades) and then give the answers, with an explanation why they are or aren’t true. They will also answer questions and give advice on how you can bust myths on your own and sort out the true from the false: Where to find answers and how to figure out whether something you’ve read or heard about is supported by credible sources and good research.
Last year, some of the possible myths our presenters considered were whether newly planted trees should be firmly staked (they shouldn’t) and whether copper foil around the top edges of raised beds helps keep snails out (it does).
Come prepared to learn a lot about what is effective, and what isn’t, in solving problems in your garden, and how to be a good critical thinker when you’re presented with some new garden hack that sounds great but may or may not work as claimed.
For more information
The next UC Master Gardeners of San Luis Obispo County’s Advice to Grow By workshop “Myth Busters,” will take place on Saturday, Aug. 16, at 2156 Sierra Way in San Luis Obispo from 10 a.m. to noon. Please check our website for more information or to register. In addition to the workshop, we’ll have a sale of plants, including native and Mediterranean varieties, propagated by our chapter volunteers.
Visit our You Tube channel at San Luis Obispo County UC Master Gardeners for more informative gardening videos.
Visit our website at ucanr.edu/sites/mgslo/ or email questions to anrmgslo@ucanr.edu.
UCCE Master Gardener Helpline offices:
- San Luis Obispo: 805-781-5939 (Monday and Thursday, 1 to 5 p.m.)
- Arroyo Grande: 805-473-7190 (Wednesday 10 a.m. to noon)
- Templeton: 805-434-4105 (Wednesday 9 a.m. to noon)
This story was originally published August 10, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Myth or truth? SLO County workshop to bust common gardening tips."