http://ucanr.org/sites/UCNFA/Programs_for_2012/index.cfm?blogrss=40811&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed From the UC Blogosphere... en-us UC ANR http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/ Wed, 22 May 2013 09:45:24 PST Wed, 22 May 2013 09:45:24 PST UC ANR Reporters sought UC Cooperative Extension expertise for recent articles about unusual farming efforts in two parts of California. Fresno Bee reporter Robert Rodriguez covered the story of sisters in their early 20s who have settled on their dad's Laton alfalfa farm after he suffered complications from a black widow bite. The young women purchased chickens on a whim and began producing specialty eggs under the brand name "Just Got Laid." Rodriguez spoke to Shermain Hardesty, UCCE specialist......
]]> Mon, 20 May 2013 09:31:10 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10421&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10421 Managing Animal Pests in Your Garden By Steve McDermott Master Gardener In San Luis Obispo County, our suburban homes rub up against the wilder, normal habitats of our native animal neighbors. Sometimes we interrupt their natural patterns of survival, and often times add attractive alternatives to their food choices. Colorful flowers, nubile sprouts, and fresh fruit often become more attractive to native creatures than their normal faire of wild grasses and scarce foliage. But......
]]> Sat, 18 May 2013 11:44:59 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10401&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10401 ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 13:52:09 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10416&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10416 ]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 10:30:13 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10407&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cawilen@ucanr.edu(Cheryl Wilen) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10407 First steps in setting up an irrigation system By Christina Muller UC Master Gardener What should I know before setting up an irrigation system for my garden? Katie in SLO Living as we do in a Mediterranean climate, water is a valuable resource and for some people it may be the largest annual expenditure in the garden. It makes sense to conserve and apply water as judiciously as possible. A well-planned irrigation system can accomplish this. It is important to first......
]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 12:55:35 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10400&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10400 A Sudden Oak Death "Blitz" planned for Sonoma County June 15-16 will prepare local residents to spot infected plants, collect samples from their neighborhoods and submit them for laboratory testing, reported the Kenwood Press. The session is hosted by UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners and Matteo Garbelotto, UCCE specialist in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at UC Berkeley. Trees susceptible to sudden oak death include California bay laurel, tan oak, live......
]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 09:23:42 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10390&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10390 The Santa Barbara County 4-H program is raising awareness about the county board of supervisors' plans to cut funding for UC Cooperative Extension, according to reports that appear on the KSBY Channel 6 website and in the Santa Barbara Independent. According to the Independent article, written by Mary Thieleke Jackson, director of the Santa Barbara County 4-H Management Board, a draft budget released Friday, May 10, does not include a county contribution to UC Cooperative Extension. Budget......
]]> Tue, 14 May 2013 10:02:28 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10381&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10381 UC Berkeley researchers relied on historical samples of marbled murrelet breast feathers to understand what factors may be impacting the species' survival today, said an article on Crosscut.com. The team compared the ratios of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in the feathers, which revealed what the birds ate. They learned that, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, murrelets relied heavily on sardines, anchovies and squid. But as decades passed, anchovy, sardine and squid stocks......
]]> Mon, 13 May 2013 10:38:55 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10377&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10377 Bed bugs are quickly becoming major household nuisance pests. California has recently experienced a multitude of bed bug reports, with San Francisco now considered one of the Top 10 most infested cities in the country. Bed bug detection can be very difficult and almost always requires special training since bugs prefer to hide in dark, inaccessible cracks and crevices near their hosts’ resting spots. An experienced pest management professional can examine all possible harborages in a......
]]> Mon, 13 May 2013 09:57:31 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10376&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Ambray@ucdavis.edu(Aubrey Bray) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10376 California cherries are now beginning to show up at roadside stands, farmers markets and grocery stores, but the supply in 2013 may be a touch scanty, reported Reed Fujii in the Stockton Record. Joe Grant, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in San Joaquin County, said the cherry crop is light throughout the area, across orchards and varieties. "That rules out orchard-to-orchard factors, management factors or disease factors," he said. Crop losses are often weather-related, but early frosts, or......
]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 09:33:22 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10362&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10362 Despite light rain earlier this week, it appears the Butte and Glenn county rice industry is getting seeds in the ground during the ideal planting window, reported the Chico Enterprise Record. The ideal time for planting rice is May 1-15, said Randall "Cass" Mutters, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Butte County. As the date gets later, farmers will end up with a later harvest. Fall weather is more unpredictable and farmers could end up harvesting in the mud. Last year, farmers were still......
]]> Thu, 09 May 2013 09:41:30 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10346&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10346 I notice moths flying around my oak tree, should I be concerned? Ann M. Atascadero By Andrea Peck Master Gardener The small grey or tan moths that you see flitting about your oak tree are likely the oak moth. About ½ inch in length with pronounced wing veins, the moths are commonly seen during the fall and summer months. Two to three dozen tiny white eggs are laid on the underside of the leaves; eggs turn pink to brown before hatching. The larva that emerges is known as......
]]> Wed, 08 May 2013 11:07:05 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10340&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10340 To feed the growing world population, farmers will have to produce more food in the next 40 years than they have in the last 10,000, according to an op-ed piece published in the Modesto Bee and written by Barbara Allen-Diaz, vice president of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Don Bransford, chair of the UC President's Advisory Commission on Agriculture and Natural Resources and a partner in Bransford Farms in Colusa. The article was written to bring attention to the fact that, despite......
]]> Tue, 07 May 2013 10:21:03 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10333&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10333 The nearly 30-member 2013 class of California Naturalists in Mendocino County participated in a field day Saturday at the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center, reported the Ukiah Daily Journal. The University of California's California Naturalist program aims to host courses around the state to train outdoor enthusiasts on a variety of topics, such as plants, animals, water resources and geology. The Mendocino Program focuses on the local mixed oak woodland. "The goal of the program is to......
]]> Mon, 06 May 2013 09:56:52 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10326&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10326 One reason the Napa County wine industry is so successful is its commitment to working together, wrote Paul Franson in an op-ed piece that ran in the Napa Valley Register today. Franson credits frequent industry meetings in the area, where a wealth of information on grape growth and wine production are offered. A recent meeting he cited was a field day last month in which John Roncoroni, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Napa County, took two groups through the Huichica Creek Demonstration......
]]> Fri, 03 May 2013 08:49:39 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10316&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10316 California red scale: The biofix for California red scale was March 11-25 for various areas of the San Joaquin Valley and degree days have been accumulating ever since. Kern County is always warmest and has reached the 550 dd 1st crawler emergence point. The other counties will reach that mark in the next two weeks. It has been an exceptionally warm spring and so we are about 50 degree days ahead of the 30 year average. See my web page for Monday updates.......
]]> Thu, 02 May 2013 09:36:34 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10308&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed eegraftoncardwell@ucanr.edu(Elizabeth Grafton-Cardwell) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10308 UC researchers are testing tobacco's potential to be genetically modified in order to produce biofuel, reported Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times' ScienceNow blog. “The beauty of our proposal is that carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere as a byproduct of combustion of these bio-fuels would be captured again by tobacco plants and, through the natural process of photosynthesis, be converted back into fuel," said Anastasios Melis, professor in the Department of Plant and......
]]> Wed, 01 May 2013 08:36:38 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10293&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10293 May is the time to prepare for your summer garden! Terri Sonleitner Law, UC Master Gardener I love the blooms in my garden now, but I know summer is just around the corner. What things should I be doing in my garden in May to prepare for summer? Charla, Atascadero. Gardeners all look forward to May. Plant growth is at its peak, everything seems to be in bloom, and all heat loving summer vegetables can be planted in the vegetable garden. May is a great time to be outside......
]]> Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:31:32 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10279&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10279 First identified in California in 2004, the goldspotted oak borer (GSOB), Agrilus auroguttatus, has killed more than 24,000 oak trees in San Diego County since its arrival, probably in the late 1990s. In 2012, it was detected in Riverside County and it is expected to spread northward in the state. The most seriously damaged oaks are those in the red oak group including coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia, and black oak, Q. kelloggi. It also infests canyon live oak, Q. chrysolepis but has......
]]> Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:38:32 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10280&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jggonzales@ucdavis.edu(Jan Gonzales) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10280 A settlement between Caltrans and the California Farm Bureau Federation, which resulted in CFBF dismissing a lawsuit against Caltrans about the Willits Bypass Project, includes a long-term wetlands study by UC Davis and UC Cooperative Extension researchers, according to Caltrans and farm bureau press releases issued last week. Caltrans is building a bypass along U.S. Route 101 around the community of Willits. The project will relieve congestion, reduce delays, and improve safety for traffic......
]]> Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:50:26 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10270&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10270 First identified in California in 2004, the goldspotted oak borer (GSOB), Agrilus auroguttatus, has killed more than 24,000 oak trees in San Diego County since its arrival, probably in the late 1990s. In 2012, it was detected in Riverside County and it is expected to spread northward in the state. The most seriously damaged oaks are those in the red oak group including coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia, and black oak, Q. kelloggi. It also infests canyon live oak, Q. chrysolepis but has......
]]> Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:25:01 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10268&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Ambray@ucdavis.edu(Aubrey Bray) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10268 The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has a free mobile app for iPhones and iPads. As is the trend these days, an Android version will be available at a later time. The app, “Report a Pest”, streamlines the reporting to CDFA by having people take photos of a suspected invasive pest and the photos are sent CDFA for evaluation. For those of you who are not in the Apple family, you can also go to http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/ on the CDFA’s website and......
]]> Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:49:57 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10246&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cawilen@ucanr.edu(Cheryl Wilen) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10246 On April 22 a field event was held at Lindcove with speakers Joseph Morse from UC Riverside and Jim Cranney from the California Citrus Quality Council. The issue discussed was how California citrus growers are going to prevent fruit from arriving in Korea with live Fuller rose beetle eggs, now that Korea is no longer going to fumigate citrus. Korea will reject citrus shipments if live Fuller rose beetle eggs are found. Speakers suggested that a systems approach that combines several......
]]> Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:19:04 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10232&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed eegraftoncardwell@ucanr.edu(Elizabeth Grafton-Cardwell) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10232 Snails and Slugs By Kim McCue Master Gardener Oh, the promise of spring! We’ve scoured seed racks and catalogues, carefully selecting the perfect specimens for our summer garden. When the first green shoots appear, we lovingly water and watch over them only to come out one morning and discover our potential bounty has been decimated in one night. The silver trails left behind by the culprits are like bright, neon arrows pointing to what is now the bane of our existence......
]]> Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:58:04 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9805&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9805 In the spirit of Earth Day, the UC Master Gardeners recently did a piece with the County of San Diego in which MG Renee Tepper discusses some of the things you can do to evaluate your current gardening practices and offers up suggestions for other things you can do to make your garden a little more earth-friendly and sustainable. Go to http://www.mastergardenerssandiego.org/sustain/ to take the survey to see if your garden is earth-friendly. It has lots of information and links to improve......
]]> Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:10:31 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10051&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed rkrason@ucanr.edu(Ryan Krason) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10051 UC CalFresh educators took part in a field trip for fourth-graders in Fresno where the children tasted a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, reported Dale Yurong on ABC 30 Action News. "We encourage them to try it and then they try it and wind up liking it," said UC CalFresh nutrition educator Kristi Sharp. "That's a saying that we say - you can't judge it unless you try it." Fresno Unified School District is the state's largest recipient of funds from the fruit and vegetable......
]]> Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:20:59 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9807&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9807 Q. What does it take to make my own compost? -- Eric from Santa Margarita. By Jutta Thoerner Master Gardener Choose a convenient site; keep the compost pile close to your garden in a shady location. Doing so will encourage you to add to the pile and observe its progress. If you only compost garden waste, piles don’t need to be enclosed. Kitchen wastes added to the pile require a sturdy enclosure to prevent animals from digging through the piles. Work with what your yard and......
]]> Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:46:28 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9803&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9803 For those that have attended our Water School meetings, the time is finally here! Our new self assessment app "Know Your H20 is now available on the iTunes Store for free! Right now there are only a self assessment for Tree Crops but we will be working in the near future to create sections for Greenhouses & Nurseries, Animal Agriculture, and Commercial Turf & Landscape. We'll let you know as those become available. App Description Water quality laws and regulations are putting a......
]]> Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:19:35 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9792&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed rkrason@ucanr.edu(Ryan Krason) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9792 For those that have attended our Water School meetings, the time is finally here! Our new self assessment app "Know Your H20 is now available on the iTunes store for free! Right now there are only a self assessment for Tree Crops but we will be working in the near future to create sections for Greenhouses & Nurseries, Animal Agriculture, and Commercial Turf & Landscape. We'll let you know as those become available. App Description Water quality laws and regulations are putting a......
]]> Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:29:26 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9790&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed rkrason@ucanr.edu(Ryan Krason) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9790 After the extraordinary explosion at a fertilizer plant in Texas this week, people living in rural agricultural areas are looking around warily to see whether a similar facility might be in their own backyards. The Redding Appeal-Democrat asked Franz Niederholzer, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Sutter and Yuba counties, whether such danger lurks in their community. Niederholzer said ammonium nitrate fertilizer was popular and prevalent until 1995. "It was phased out after the bombing in......
]]> Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:10:25 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9789&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9789 UC Cooperative Extension range research was featured at a field day Saturday in Tehama County, reported Julie Johnson in the Corning Observer. Josh Davy, UCCE advisor in Tehama County, reviewed test plots were 60 varieties of annual and perennial range grasses were growing. Ken Tate, UCCE specialist, and Leslie Roche, postdoctoral researcher, both in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis, gave an update on their long-term grazing research projects evaluating the effects of multiple......
]]> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:46:08 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9772&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9772 The "Roadside Attractions" column in the Santa Maria Times today comments on the increasing number of hoop houses seen along Santa Barbara County highways and byways. Hoop houses, long white tents also known as tunnels, shelter raspberries, the article said. “There’s been a dramatic increase in berry growing in the county,” said Mark Gaskell, UC Cooperative Extension advisor for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Hoop houses essentially serve as mini-greenhouses.......
]]> Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:58:17 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9760&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9760 Citizen scientists are once again beginning their annual Northern California search for signs of Sudden Oak Death, reported Lisa Krieger in the San Jose Mercury-News. Volunteers were trained in Santa Cruz on Friday and training sessions are planned for Orinda, Berkeley, San Francisco, Saratoga, Burlingame, Woodside, Atherton and Los Altos Hills. "This outreach is really important because it not only teaches people how to look for the disease, but it also helps them to monitor for it in their......
]]> Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:15:58 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9751&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9751 So far, the impact of climate change on San Joaquin County hasn't been apparent, reported Reed Fujii in the Stockton Record. The story said Paul Verdegaal, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in San Joaquin County, has been tracking local crop and weather data for 30 years and to date has seen only normal year-to-year variability. "There's no particular trend in early bud break (in vineyards); there's no particular change in earlier harvest," Verdegaal said. "I haven't seen any hint of a trend,......
]]> Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:11:24 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9750&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9750 Since the development and launch of ANR’s Strategic Vision 2025, the division has identified five initiatives that represent the best opportunities for ANR’s considerable infrastructure and talent to seek new resources and new ways of partnering within and outside UC to find solutions for California. Click on link below to learn more. http://ucanr.edu/sites/StrategicInitiatives/...
]]> Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:39:12 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9742&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed rkrason@ucanr.edu(Ryan Krason) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9742 ]]> Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:47:34 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9740&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cawilen@ucanr.edu(Cheryl Wilen) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9740 ]]> Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:39:43 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9736&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cawilen@ucanr.edu(Cheryl Wilen) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9736 Aphids – First in the “Pest Parade”By Lee Oliphant Master Gardener The first garden pests to make their appearance in the spring are often the group known as “sucking” insects. First in the parade of “sap suckers”are aphids. Attracted to tender new growth, these pear-shaped, soft-bodied insects are about 1/8” in length. Adults are generally wingless, but produce wings at the end of the growing season, or when populations are high.The......
]]> Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:13:54 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9725&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9725 Having Fun Growing Veggies with Kids! by Steve McDermott Master Gardener Q: I like vegetable gardening and I want to get my children involved with me. Do you have any ideas for helping me? A: You are already on your way since you like gardening and young kids naturally model their parent’s behavior. But you can get them really excited by making gardening fun! What do young kids naturally think is fun to do outside? Play in soil, play with water, and show off their......
]]> Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:49:10 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9703&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9703 At the World Ag Expo in February, nine states had booths designed to recruit California dairy operators out of the Golden State, reported the Los Angeles Times. South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard himself made a personal appeal for the state, where ag officials estimate that a single dairy cow creates $15,000 in economic activity each year. In recent years, an average of 100 California dairies have closed annually, said Leslie "Bees" Butler, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the......
]]> Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:06:45 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9686&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9686 UC Cooperative Extension in Humboldt County is asking local artists to submit their work for its "Art and Agriculture" show and auction, an event that is part of the 100th anniversary of the organization, said an article published in the Times-Standard. Humboldt County was the location of California's first UCCE office, opened in 1913. The program later spread across the state with the passage of the Smith-Lever Act in 1914. According to the article, the Humboldt Centennial is “a......
]]> Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:35:50 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9667&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9667 Please join the Statewide Master Gardener Program and the California Center for Urban Horticulture for a day of Citrus and Avocados. We'll be in Davis on April 13th, in Los Angeles on May 17th and in Riverside on May 18th. Registration is only $20 (includes lunch)! Learn more and register here: http://ccuh.ucdavis.edu/events/citrus/citrus. Workshop includes information about grafting, pruning, varieties, and pest management. See you there!...
]]> Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:28:38 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9646&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed acrump@ucdavis.edu(Amanda Crump) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9646 What are some garden tasks that I should take care of in April? Laura H By Christina Muller, Master Gardener Spring has truly arrived on the Central Coast in April. This is a month of abundant bloom; annuals planted last fall are bursting with flowers and many perennials are starting to bloom as well. The weather and soil are warming up and it’s an ideal time to be out in the garden. You can plant vegetables now. Fast growers such as radishes and lettuce can be......
]]> Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:20:40 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9644&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9644 It’s springtime, the sun is warm and the UC Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center (UC HAREC) is a busy place. Garden volunteers and farm staff have worked countless hours preparing the farm over the winter. The fields and gardens are flourishing and the sounds of children fill the air. Yellow school buses are a welcome sight at the Center. Over 1700 Ventura County youth grades K-3rd will participate in the 4-H Farm Field Trip and Classroom Outreach Program that kicks off in......
]]> Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:27:04 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9642&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed crijohnson@ucanr.edu(Cris Johnson) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9642 Rising demand for Asian vegetables in urban areas of California is creating an improved market for produce grown by the San Joaquin Valley's Asian farmers, reported Yu Wei in the San Francisco-based China Daily. Richard Molinar, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Fresno County, told the reporter that demand is driving increased cultivation of Asian vegetables in Fresno County. "We have around 50 to 75 Chinese farmers here in Fresno County and over 2,000 acres of Chinese crops selling locally......
]]> Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:17:52 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9628&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9628 Pheromone traps put out at the end of February help determine when the male California red scales begin to fly. Each orchard is slightly different, depending on orientation, density of trees and location in the valley (Kern is quite a bit warmer than Madera). We trap for scales in Tulare County, and call around for biofixes in the other counties. Our web page shows county-wide biofixes of March 18 for Kern, March 25 for Tulare, and likely April 1 for Fresno and Madera.......
]]> Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:43:09 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9605&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed eegraftoncardwell@ucanr.edu(Elizabeth Grafton-Cardwell) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9605 The 80-member San Joaquin Valley Quality Cotton Growers Association has leased the 80-acre Shafter research station from Kern County, recruited University of California researchers and initiated talks with the Kern Community College District and a number of private groups to bring cotton research back to the historic facility, reported John Cox in the Bakersfield Californian. In addition, ag companies are expressing interest in using some of the station's vacant greenhouses, labs, storage......
]]> Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:23:54 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9599&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9599 ]]> Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:45:34 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9601&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed acrump@ucdavis.edu(Amanda Crump) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9601 Construction is scheduled to begin April 1 on the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources new home in Davis, reported Jeff Hudson in the Davis Enterprise. The facility is a former indoor sports center. Following retrofit construction to ensure the interior is LEED-certified, ANR is slated to move in before the end of this year, the article said. “ANR is a statewide program, with programmatic staff in 57 of California’s counties. But the bulk of our (administrative) operations have......
]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:46:34 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9592&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9592 ]]> Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:56:50 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9576&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed mmurrietta@co.slo.ca.us(Maria Murrietta) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9576 Q. I’ve heard about the Asian Citrus Psyllid. What is it and how can I prevent it? By Andrea Peck Master Gardener A. The Asian citrus psyllid is a tiny pest that packs a wallop. Generally classified as a minor nuisance because of its predilection for eating the new leaves and stems of citrus trees, the Asian citrus psyllid has gained a devastating reputation because of its susceptibility to Huanglongbing (HLB) disease. HLB causes leaves to yellow and fruit to become......
]]> Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:15:12 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9566&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9566 Scientists need more information about how farmers use nitrogen fertilizers before the state imposes new regulations, reported Tim Hearden in Capital Press. Hearden's story was based on a study published in California Agriculture journal. Nearly 600,000 tons of nitrogen fertilizer is sold in California each year, but sales figures are not an accurate indicator of how it is used. Imposing regulations without supporting data could fail to address the problem while damaging agriculture, said Tom......
]]> Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:19:19 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9555&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9555 Drought, population growth and salty soils are problems that may cause worldwide food shortages in the coming decades, reported Edward Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee. These are problems that will be addressed by scientists and policymakers at the Climate-Smart Agriculture Global Science Conference at UC Davis this week. For the story, Ortiz interviewed Eduardo Blumwald, professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis, one of the conference speakers. Blumwald believes many of the......
]]> Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:58:22 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9547&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9547 UC Cooperative Extension's nutrition education programs were the feature of freelance writer Don Curlee's "Ag At Large" column last week. The column appears in a variety of publications, including the Hanford Sentinel, the Stockton Record, the (Sutter-Yuba) Appeal Democrat and Capital Press. Curlee's article noted that UCCE has, "Knowledgeable, trained advisors ... on hand locally ... to help with meal planning, wise shopping, individual diet planning and overall nutritional health." The......
]]> Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:24:58 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9540&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9540 The Statewide Master Gardener Program has once again partnered with the California Center for Urban Horticulture, this time to bring you Advanced Citrus and Avocado training! The Your Sustainable Backyard: Citrus and Avocoado Series will be hosted in three locations in the upcoming weeks and will explore citrus and avocado varieties for the home garden, maintenance and upkeep, and special information on the pests that wreak havoc on citrus and avocados. Special focus will be given to invasive......
]]> Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:52:43 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9519&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Ambray@ucdavis.edu(Aubrey Bray) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9519 Sahara mustard, a resilient weed native to North Africa and the Mediterranean, is invading desert landscapes in the American Southwest, squeezing out beautiful wildflower displays that attract tourists and maintain the local ecology, reported the San Diego Union Tribune. UC Cooperative Extension is testing methods of removing Sahara mustard, including hand weeding, hoes and herbicide. But these are only stopgap measures meant to keep the plant at bay in select spots. “I don’t......
]]> Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:01:53 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9492&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9492 ]]> Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:00:11 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9480&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cawilen@ucanr.edu(Cheryl Wilen) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9480 Secrets To Your Best Vegetable Garden Ever! By Terri Sonleitner Law, UC Master Gardener A home vegetable garden is fun and rewarding and March is the perfect time to start! Whether you intend to have a small or a large vegetable garden, or want to integrate vegetables into your existing home landscape, good planning now will translate into big success at harvest time. First, think about your garden area. Choose a good site - one that is easily accessible, receives at least 6......
]]> Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:56:39 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9478&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9478 Its March and it is the time of year when the cottony cushion scales are maturing into large females on the trunks of the tree. They especially like plantings of grapefruit and mandarins with dense canopies. It is also the time of year when the vedalia beetles arrive and begin laying their bright red eggs on the cottony cushion scale females. The eggs will hatch and the vedalia larvae will consume the eggs inside the cottony cushion scale egg sac. The adult beetles are voracious predators......
]]> Mon, 11 Mar 2013 08:00:05 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9472&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed eegraftoncardwell@ucanr.edu(Elizabeth Grafton-Cardwell) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9472 UCCE's Dr. James Downer and Anna Howell will be speaking at the Tuesday, March 19 meeting of the Entomological Association of Southern California. Entomological professionals from Southern California will also be presenting and providing county specific updates. This meeting is open to the public. The meeting is a day of presentations and discussions on topics related to insects. Dr. Downer, an expert plant pathologist, will talk about insects that damage oaks. Bee expert, Anna Howell,......
]]> Fri, 08 Mar 2013 11:57:53 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9466&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed crijohnson@ucanr.edu(Cris Johnson) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9466 Lunch trays filled with grayish green beans, mystery meat and a pasty scoop of mashed potatoes will be relegated to history if UC Cooperative Extension has anything to do with it. At the UCCE office in Stanislaus County yesterday, Jeri Ohmart of the UC Agriculture Sustainability Institute spoke to about 30 school food managers about how to get more fresh fruit, vegetables and other healthy fare into school cafeterias, reported John Holland in the Modesto Bee. Ohmart also displayed a food waste......
]]> Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:03:34 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9452&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9452 Citrus Greening Disease has been moving through California. We are reaching out to California gardeners and UC Master Gardeners in an effort to slow the spread. How can you learn more or help? Watch the California Garden Web for posts related to Asian Citrus Psyllid and Citrus Greening caused by the bacteria known as Huanglongbing. Help us spread the word by following us on Twitter at @ACPoutreach. Attend a talk on Citrus Greening near you! We'll post events here. Learn more at......
]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 12:34:29 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9433&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Ambray@ucdavis.edu(Aubrey Bray) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9433 The warm, dry late winter weather in California has been good news for almond farmers who were concerned about a bee shortage during bloom, reported Capital Press. "It looks good right now," said Rich Buchner, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Tehama County. "The bees are out working like crazy. It's going to be warm and dry over the next 10 days, so it should be about perfect for almond set." Almond growers are enjoying a vibrant blossom season even though California only had about 500,000......
]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2013 10:59:26 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9426&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9426 Starthistle By Kim McCue Master Gardener We’ve all witnessed its prickly presence - the dreaded yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) – which is estimated to cover 10-15 million acres in California, making it the most wide-spread invasive weed in the state. This non-native weed is a threat to indigenous plants, depletes soil moisture levels, and is poisonous to horses; therefore controlling it is important on many levels. Unfortunately, thwarting a full-blown......
]]> Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:52:56 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9418&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9418 ]]> Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:00:22 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9417&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9417 During a tasting event recently at the UC Desert Research and Extension Center, experts conveyed their desire for a variety that is smoother and has better flavor than European cultivars, which were described as too “perfumy” and sweet, said an article in the Imperial Valley Press. “It’s crucial to have rich, full flavor,” said an extension specialist from Washington state. “I know it when I taste it.” The scientists and farmers weren't critiquing......
]]> Fri, 01 Mar 2013 09:46:43 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9399&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9399 I live in San Miguel and often get frost in March, what can I do in the garden now? Denise F. By Jutta Thoerner Master Gardener Living on the Central Coast means different micro climates are a mere 30 minutes apart from one another. A gardener in Los Osos could be enjoying greens and herbs in March, while the North County is not frost free until the first part of April. The average last hard frost dates for our regions are: Paso Robles - April 5th, San Luis Obispo - Feb......
]]> Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:32:32 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9395&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9395 The public is invited to the UC Cooperative Extension office in Solano County tomorrow to take part in "Tobacco Jeopardy," a play on the TV game show that is intended to inform the public on the health effects of tobacco use, reported the Vacaville Reporter. The event is sponsored by the Solano County Tobacco Prevention and Education Program. "The goal of the training is to increase public awareness and inspire action to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke in Solano County,"......
]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:36:24 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9364&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9364 The State Water Resources Control Board recommended a point-of-sale fee on agricultural commodities, a fertilizer tax, or a water-use fee from residents to offset the costs of providing clean drinking water to communities where tap water supplies have high levels of nitrate, reported Gosia Wozniacka of Associated Press. The final report to the legislature is on the SWRSC website. The AP article was published in BakersfieldNow.com, the San Francisco Chronicle and other publications. A story by......
]]> Fri, 22 Feb 2013 09:06:16 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9355&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9355 Spring into action. Begin growing leafy greens now!By Lee Oliphant Master GardenerCan’t wait to start planting outdoors? You can begin sowing seeds of “spring greens” now, and add them to salads in 4-6 weeks. Yes, it’s time to begin planting seeds of those delicious, crunchy, nutty, spicy, vitamin-rich, gourmet greens, providing exotic flavor and color to your dishes. With a little planning, you can grow them year-around. Look for cool season varieties for planting......
]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:39:55 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9341&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9341 Proven health benefits is increasing demand for walnuts, and farmers are reacting by planting more trees, according to an article in the Chico Enterprise-Record. The trend has created a backlog for new trees. "All the nut crops are doing very well," said Joe Connell, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Butte County. Markets for almonds, pistachios and walnuts have expanded, and prices are firm, he said. In 2011, walnuts became the No. 1 crop in Butte County. If growers want to plant new......
]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:43:56 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9336&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9336 UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners played a key role in establishing a vibrant garden behind a church in Livermore that has produced 8,000 pounds of vegetables for the church's food kitchen, reported two MGs in a column published in the San Jose Mercury News. What was unused vacant land only three years ago has spurred the creation of an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization called Fertile GroundWorks. Fertile GroundWorks has pilot projects under way to help organizations......
]]> Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:21:01 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9317&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9317 Ventura County's Agricultural Museum in Santa Paula is featuring a special exhibit devoted to World War I and II home gardens entitled "When Gardening Was Patriotic." The exhibit includes war era posters and other articles relevant to this period in history. Maintaining a strong food supply was an integral part of homefront support efforts where victory garden campaigns were not only important in creating food for home use and supplying to troops, but also as a patriotic booster for those at......
]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:05:14 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9174&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed crijohnson@ucanr.edu(Cris Johnson) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9174 Edible plants can enhance your garden and your dinner table. Learn how to add healthy, edible plants to your existing home landscaping at a "Edible Landscaping" workshop presented by our Master Gardeners. Ventura Master Gardeners are offering this series of workshops at locations throughout the county and are available to the public at no cost. For a flyer with dates and locations, click here. To register, click here....
]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:10:49 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9315&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed crijohnson@ucanr.edu(Cris Johnson) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9315 ]]> Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:09:19 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9304&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed ljhaynes@ucanr.edu(Leah Haynes) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9304 The UC citrus entomology group is sharing booth L36 with the Citrus Research Board at the World Ag Expo. Come visit us there....
]]> Wed, 13 Feb 2013 07:49:17 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9287&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed eegraftoncardwell@ucanr.edu(Elizabeth Grafton-Cardwell) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9287 ]]> Tue, 12 Feb 2013 13:02:38 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9281&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9281 Landscaping with Decorative Plants You Can Eat By Steve McDermott Master Gardener When we think about planting home gardens we think of either landscaping with non-edible plants or planting a separate vegetable garden. Why not combine them into a beautiful and useful garden you can eat? Edible plants can provide decoration and give us a healthy food source at the same time. Incorporating edible plants into your existing landscape can provide interesting......
]]> Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:46:14 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9280&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9280 ]]> Tue, 12 Feb 2013 07:22:29 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9277&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed ljhaynes@ucanr.edu(Leah Haynes) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9277 ]]> Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:11:59 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9269&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed acrump@ucdavis.edu(Amanda Crump) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9269 The official magazine of the World Ag Expo 2013 contains a three-page spread about sorghum research being conducted at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center by Jeff Dahlberg, director of the center. Copies of the magazine will be available to visitors at the world's largest agricultural exposition Feb. 12-14 in Tulare. A pdf of the sorghum article is attached below. In the article, Dahlberg says that, in the past, sorghum forages were not as good as corn for silage feed.......
]]> Mon, 11 Feb 2013 10:00:02 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9264&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9264 Mark Bolda, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Santa Cruz County, was recognized by the North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association in January for his research and extension work on spotted wing drosophila, reported The Grower. Bolda received the 2013 Distinguished Service Award at the association's North American Berry Conference, Jan. 30, in Portland, Ore. He first identified drosophila as a new pest for coastal California berry growers in late 2008. Bolda led field trials to......
]]> Thu, 07 Feb 2013 11:54:31 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9243&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9243 Demonstrating the global reach of UC research, the UC Integrated Pest Management Citrus Manual was displayed in a picture on Twitter of a Cornell graduate student and the Teso Women Development Enterprise in Uganda. The tweet was from the UC Davis-based Horticulture Collaborative Research Support Program, which uses the Twitter handle @HortCRSP. The Cornell student, Brian Flanagan, is working on a HortCRSP Trellis Fund project. HortCRSP has just released a new call for Trellis Fund project......
]]> Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:58:13 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9227&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9227 Super Bowl Sunday is one of the biggest eating days of the year---right up there with Thanksgiving. Enjoy the party without over indulging. Here's how: Pre-game warm-up: Eat a healthy breakfast and lunch or snack before you head to the party. Skipping meals to “save up” your calories for the big event backfires when over eat because you are so hungry. Think like a winner: Focus on the game and enjoying your friends, rather......
]]> Mon, 04 Feb 2013 13:17:59 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9203&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed rkrason@ucanr.edu(Ryan Krason) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9203 Hybrid and Heirloom Vegetables By Christina Muller, Master Gardener What are some differences between hybrid and heirloom vegetables? ~Donna B., Atascadero Hybrid vegetables result from crossing two different varieties. This F1 generation consists of plants which are uniform and have traits from each parent. A tomato hybrid might get disease resistance from one parent and superior flavor from the other. However, seed grown from F1 hybrids will not breed true, yielding......
]]> Mon, 04 Feb 2013 11:31:46 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9206&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9206 Hands-on science activities offered as part of 4-H SET (Science, Engineering, Technology) at a El Dorado County park recently were colorful enough to warrant a lengthy feature story in the Mountain Democrat yesterday. The 4-H'ers experimented with resin to understand how tree sap trapped and preserved insects that flew and crawled 100 million years ago. They examined fossils, viewed a collection of dinosaur bones and went on a fossil fuel scavenger hunt. “We have great schools, but they......
]]> Thu, 31 Jan 2013 10:56:23 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9183&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9183 No matter what happens with immigration reform, the United States will likely suffer a shortage of farm labor in coming decades, reported the Washington Post. The story was based on a study titled "The End of Farm Labor Abundance" by Edward Taylor, professor in the Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics at UC Davis, UC graduate student Diane Charlton and Antonio Yúnez-Naude, professor in the Center for Economic Studies at El Colegio de Mexico in Mexico City. “It’s......
]]> Wed, 30 Jan 2013 09:15:37 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9165&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9165 February Chores By Andrea Peck, Master Gardener What should I be doing in my garden in February? Larry L. February, the last winter month, may find you surveying bare garden spots and perusing seed packets. The words plant after last frost may have you flummoxed, but never mind, February is an ideal time for coastal gardeners to get sowing. Plant carrots, kohlrabi, lettuce, potato eyes and snow peas. Inland gardeners can plant beets, radishes, lettuce, potato eyes and spinach. All......
]]> Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:32:48 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9158&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9158 When the calendar said it was time to harvest rice last September, the crop wasn't ready. Over the winter, UC Cooperative Extension advisor Randall "Cass" Mutters tried to solve the mystery of the untimely immature rice, reported the Oroville Mercury-Register. Since the problem was ubiquitous in the Sacramento Valley, Mutters deduced the weather was the culprit. He crunched weather numbers, studying humidity, nighttime and daytime temperatures, and uncovered a plausible explanation. Average......
]]> Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:12:23 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9157&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9157 In celebration of the Contra Costa Master Gardeners' 30th Anniversary, we came up with 30 (plus 1) signs that you might be a gardener. Hope you enjoy them! Argues constantly that compost smells sweet. Delays vacation travel until after the harvest. Dirt! In your house, in the trunk of your car, under your fingernails and on your shoes, even the good ones! Every vacation has a nursery and /or botanic garden involved. Favorite color is green. Gets at least a dozen catalogs in the......
]]> Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:46:39 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9148&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Eileen Linn http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9148 When FoodCorps begins operating in California this year, one of its "service members" will be hosted by UC Cooperative Extension in San Andreas, said an article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. FoodCorps is a national organization that connects kids with healthy food. It selected two non-profit organizations - Life Lab and Community Alliance with Family Farmers - to administer the California program. Those two organizations selected 10 hosts, including UCCE. According to its website, FoodCrops......
]]> Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:20:49 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9142&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9142 Glenn McGourty, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Mendocino County, predicted 2012 will be a wonderful vintage in the North Coast wine region, reported the Ukiah Daily Journal. "We kind of wish every year could be like that. There was enough water, practically no frost protection needed, and no mold, mildew or rot on the fruit," he said. McGourty told reporter Justine Frederickson he usually finds growers to be pessimistic when they begin harvest, but that wasn't the case in 2012. "I even......
]]> Fri, 25 Jan 2013 08:37:59 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9127&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9127 Two more trees in Idyllwild are infested with goldspotted oak borer, reported the Riverside Press-Enterprise yesterday. The announcement came at a community meeting over the weekend, in which Tom Scott, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Natural Resources at UC Riverside, and Kevin Turner, UC Cooperative Extension goldspotted oak borer program coordinator, joined fire and forestry officials to brief local residents about the new pest threat in the area. Residents learned......
]]> Thu, 24 Jan 2013 09:09:59 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9126&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9126 ]]> Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:27:52 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9110&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed ljhaynes@ucanr.edu(Leah Haynes) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9110 How can I be more organized this year before spring arrives? Elisabeth, Paso Robles. By Jutta Thoerner, Master Gardener It’s never too early to prepare your garden for spring. Spring arrives on March 20th. If you divide tasks into short segments of 30 minutes and have a list to work from, you will be prepared for spring’s arrival. Before making that list that will be specific for your garden, take a stroll through your property, pen and paper in hand. Think back......
]]> Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:59:49 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9109&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9109 Cal Fire, UC Cooperative Extension and other officials will be meeting with residents of Idyllwild tomorrow to enlist their help in stopping the goldspotted oak borers' tree destruction in the picturesque mountain community, reported the Riverside Press-Enterprise. GSOB appears to have spread to Idyllwild by hitchhiking on firewood from San Diego, where it has killed some 80,000 oak trees. It has been found in only one tree in Idyllwild so far. Tom Scott, UC Cooperative Extension specialist......
]]> Fri, 18 Jan 2013 08:34:03 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9091&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9091 SAVE THE DATE.... February 28, 2013. UC Cooperative Extension in cooperation with the Hansen Agricultural Center is hosting a Landscape Disease Symposium that focuses on the formation, spread and control of disease in landscape plants. This annual event is organized by UCCE Ventura plant pathology advisor Dr. Jim Downer. He and other plant experts will speak on topics relevant to landscapers such as pathogens in fire injured trees, creating suppressive soil, wood decay, and disease from......
]]> Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:09:28 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9088&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed crijohnson@ucanr.edu(Cris Johnson) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9088 It has been particularly cold at night in California for about a week, but it appears the state's citrus industry will emerge mostly unscathed, reported Oliver Renick on Bloomberg.com. “The temperatures were not severe enough to cause widespread damage,” said Craig Kallsen, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Kern County. “This is nothing out of the ordinary, so we’re able to handle this.” Thermometers dipped about 10 degrees below normal overnight during the......
]]> Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:21:13 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9086&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9086 What are the benefits of winter pruning? Dawn S. Atascadero By Kim McCue Master Gardener Pruning can actually be done throughout the year, depending on the plant and the desired result. However, pruning deciduous trees and shrubs during winter dormancy is advantageous because it’s just plain easier to see what needs to be removed once the leaves have fallen and it’s nice to get things under control before the fresh burst of growth in spring. Bare plants reveal......
]]> Tue, 15 Jan 2013 15:59:28 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9078&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Noni Todd http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9078 During the recent cold snap in California, the media turned to UC Cooperative Extension advisors for information on the weather's impact on agricultural production in the Northern San Joaquin Valley. The consensus for this part of the state: cold weather is good news. The Stockton Record checked in with Joe Grant, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in San Joaquin County. "We'll take any and all cold that we can at this time of year to fulfill the chilling requirements of the trees," Grant......
]]> Tue, 15 Jan 2013 10:03:32 PST http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9071&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed jewarnert@ucanr.edu(Jeannette Warnert) http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=9071