THE BIGGEST group we've ever had — about 90 people — turned out for last week's session on getting our gardens ready for fall and winter planting. It also coincided with our biggest harvest to-date from Our Garden.

I have to admit, there were days not so long ago that I thought we wouldn't have anything to harvest. The squirrels not only were plucking the tiny squash and small cucumbers from the vines, but they were eating the beans and tomato plants right down to the ground.

In late June, I figured at the rate we were going, we'd be wiped out by the end of July.

As a gardener, you get a lot of enjoyment and peace from being outside, working the earth, watching the growth of your plants, delighting in just being in the garden. But the practical side of the gardener seeks a measure.

We want to know that the hours of double-digging and working compost into the ground, the hundreds of dollars we spent on plants, tools and, in the case of Our Garden, anti-squirrel protection, is producing something tangible. A bountiful crop is our yard stick.

In Our Garden we have a dual mission. The first is education and the creation of a community. The second is to feed the hungry. The food we're growing is being donated to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.

We'd keep the garden going, teaching people the ins and outs of gardening, no matter if the squirrels ate everything. But not having

food to give the community was bitterly disappointing.

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano provides food to 3,600 low-income senior citizens in the two county area, more than 700 children. Another 15,400 low-income people are receive gifts of food. That's a lot of hungry people we wouldn't be reaching.

But the measures we've taken have eased our squirrel problem, we'll have a fence erected any day now to make it easier for the humans to get into the garden and less so the squirrels, and we have been able to make some donations of food from Our Garden.

And our meager donations have been greatly subsidized by the gifts of generous area gardeners who have planted a row for the hungry and added their produce to Our Garden's weekly donation.

This past week, we harvested two dozen ears of corn, and a bagful of tomatoes and peppers. And we added our harvest to bags of apples, squash and tomatoes that others brought. To date, we've donated more than 100 pounds of fresh produce.

It won't end world hunger, but every staircase begins with that first step, every solution with a small action.

If you find yourself with extra produce that your family can't eat, consider bringing it on Fridays. We'll make sure it gets to the Food Bank.

What you missed

Contra Costa Master Gardener Janet Miller talked on starting seeds now for our winter gardens.

We also had seeds — donated by Marsha McCollum Leutz, representing Botanical Interests — potting soil and pots available for the large crowd to start seeds for their gardens.

Here are Janet's best tips:

Consider your plot. Autumn and winter means we'll be getting sunlight, so plots that were getting 6-8 hours of sun won't be.

Brassicas will need the sunniest spots in your garden. For areas receiving less sun, consider leafy greens and root vegetables. And for spots that receive the least sun, consider planting a compost crop of fava beans, rye, wheat or vetch.

If you want Brussels sprouts you should have planted them a couple of months ago. It's too late now to get them in. Maybe next year.

Beans, squash and corn are almost done for the season, so consider pulling them out now and planting some of your winter crops.

No need to double-dig your summer beds, but you do need to amend the soil before planting the winter garden. At least an inch of compost should be worked into the soil, and nitrogen should be added. Alfalfa meal is a good source. The exception is if you're planting carrots. Amending the soil now will cause the carrots to biforcate.

When harvesting broccoli, wait until the main head is just about to flower, then cut the stem at an angle and harvest the head. The plant will produce side shoots after that, which can be harvested as needed.

Broadcast carrots, but be judicious. Cover with a quarter inch of soil and keep damp, but not soggy, for three to four weeks to get them started.

Don't crowd brassicas. One seed per hole, and lots of room between. Cabagges and other brassicas need room to grow.

As the cabbage grows, you can pick the side leaves and use them as the head forms.

Harvest root vegetables before they start to flower. Watch the leaf growth. If a single stalk emerges and the leaves start to grow from it, it's time to pull up the vegetable.

When growing lettuce, cut the leaves about an inch above the crown and the leaves will continue to produce more lettuce.

For kale and collar greens, cut indivudal leaves, unlike the way you harvest lettuce.

Plant peas now for a late autumn harvest, or plant in October for an early spring harvest.

Watch out for three winter pests: cabbage looper worm, green and black aphids, and leaf miner worms.

Our Garden online

Follow the progress of the garden and check out our how-to videos. Go to Contra CostaTimes.com/ourgarden or InsideBayArea.com/ourgarden. Follow Our Garden's progress at twitter.com/gardeneditor.

Sponsors

The Bay Area News Group-East Bay thanks Our Garden's sponsors:

Ace, Walnut Creek Hardware, 2044 Mt Diablo Blvd., Walnut Creek, 925-705-7500

Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority, 1111 Civic Drive, Suite 275, Walnut Creek, 925-906-1801, www.wastediversion.org.

CK Management Systems, 315 Diablo Road, Suite 220, Danville, 925-943-7323, www.cklandscape.com.

Contra Costa County Cooperative Extension and Master Gardeners

Hamilton Tree Service, 127 Aspen Drive No. 211, Pacheco, 925-228-1010

Marsha McCollum Leutza, representing Botanical Interests, 337 Cleveland Ave., Petaluma, 94958

Merlot Nursery, 701 Northgate Road, Walnut Creek, 925-943-1958

Monster Worms, Dave Anderson, P.O. Box 1211, Antioch, CA 94509, 925-890-5773, MonsterWorms.com.

Mt. Diablo Nursery, 3295 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, 925-283-3830

Orchard Nursery, 4010 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, 925-284-4474

How to help

If you're interested in volunteering or becoming a sponsor, call Joan Morris at 925-977-8479 or e-mail jmor ris@bayareanewsgroup.com or e-mail the Contra Costa County Master Gardeners at ourgarden.mg@gmail.com.

Join us

Visitors to Our Garden are always welcome. Join us every Friday for classes on a variety of gardening topics.

Sick Plant Clinic

If you've got ailing plants or problems with insects, bring the plant, damaged leaves or bugs to our Sick Plant Clinic every Friday. Master Gardeners will be available after the 10 a.m. class to take your questions and diagnosis your garden troubles. Have general gardening questions? The Master Gardeners can help with those, too.