- Author: Tammy Majcherek
Getting ready to plant a vegetable garden? Before you start take a look at the following sites that offer free bed designs along with other helpful tips and tools.
FREE Garden Designs:
http://www.gardeners.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Gardeners-Site/default/KGP-Design
http://www.gardeners.com/kitchen-garden-planner/preplanned-gardens
http://www.motherearthnews.com/garden-planner/vegetable-garden-planner
http://www.almanac.com/topics/gardening/garden-plans-design
- Author: Tammy Majcherek
Begin the new planting season right. Below are some must have items that will help the spring planting get off to a good start:
Gloves - Protect your hands from whatever's out there.
Pruners - Cleaned and sharpened, ergonomic designs makes the cut
Tool Bag - Whether a bag, or bucket, make sure everything you need is close at hand
Tub Trug - Tote anything from water to weeds
Closed toes shoes – Comfortable, functional footwear such as clogs & boots to keep feet dry and pain free.
Fertilizer - Don't let your plants go hungry – feed ‘em right with a slow release fertilizer if needed.
Composter - Turn your fruit/vegetable scraps and landscape waste into a wonderful amendment for your soil.
Soils - A good soil mix is necessary for successful seed starting and propagation
List above adapted from Gardeners Supply Company(Feb. 15, 2017)
- Editor: Tammy Majcherek
- Author: Lisa A Blecker
- Author: Whitney Brim-DeForest
- Author: A. Katrina Hunter
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PPE in short supply for farm work during the COVID-19 crisis
With increased demand for personal protective equipment, or PPE, to protect against COVID-19, these essential workers are facing shortages. Agricultural commissioners in 28 counties are hearing from farmers who are having trouble getting PPE for their employees and farmers in another 11 counties who are worried about running out of PPE in the next month or two according to a California Department of Pesticide Regulation survey.
Gloves, N95 respirators, coveralls and other gear that workers wear to protect themselves from COVID-19, pesticides, dust and other health hazards are in short supply as priority is given to health care workers during the pandemic.
To reduce the spread of COVID-19, workers may wear homemade face coverings, but for applying pesticides, they must wear respirators specified on the pesticide product label, said Whitney Brim-DeForest, UC Cooperative Extension rice advisor.
Pesticide applicators may use gear that is more protective than required by the product label and regulations.
“Although this could change in the days ahead, half-mask and full-mask respirators are more available than disposable N95 respirators for now,” said Lisa Blecker, coordinator for the UC Pesticide Safety Education Program.
Before the pandemic, 10% of N95 respirators from 3M went to health care, but that number is now 90%, the company said in a letter to distributors. This has led to significant backorders of PPE supplies for distributors.
Carl Atwell, president of Gempler's, an online distributor of worker supplies, said that before the crisis, normal lead times for PPE was up to 10 days. He estimated disposable respirators will become available in the fall and other PPE supplies in August.
In the meantime, there is alternative PPE that agricultural professionals can use during the shortage.
Atwell suggests looking for lesser known brands of PPE as opposed to the first tier of choice: “It's sort of like searching for Purell hand sanitizer. Purell brand might be out of stock, but can you find a different disinfectant?”
On Gempler's website, the more recognizable Tyvek coverall from Dupont is sold out, however disposable protective clothing is available from other brands. Reusable chemical-resistant clothing is also available as opposed to their disposable counterparts. Supplies in high demand are reusable and disposable nitrile gloves, protective clothing, disposable respirators and certain protective eyewear, such as goggles and face shields.
For workers who will be applying pesticides, Blecker and Brim-DeForest offered some guidelines on how to meet PPE requirements as the shortage continues.
General PPE requirements: “Remember, the label is the law,” said Brim-DeForest. “PPE requirements for agriculture are not being loosened.” The UCCE advisor recommends purchasing only what you need for the season and choosing reusable PPE whenever possible. Growers who have excess supplies of PPE can coordinate with their county agricultural commissioner or UCCE advisor to help other producers in their area.
“Disposable gloves less than 14 mil can be worn, but not for more than 15 minutes at a time,”Blecker said. “Farmers should also note that thinner gloves cannot be layered on top of one another.”
For more information about PPE, contact your county agricultural commissioner or see the California Department of Pesticide Regulation's posters at https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/whs/pdf/gloves_for_pesticide_handling.pdf and
https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/whs/pdf/n95_alternatives_for_pesticide_handling.pdf.
UC IPM also covers these topics in their pesticide safety webinar series at http://ipm.ucanr.edu/IPMPROJECT/workshops.html.
- Author: Tammy Majcherek
Do irrigation problems make you run for the hills? Interested in learning simple fixes before they turn into a major issue?
Join the UCCE Master Gardeners this coming Saturday, April 1st, for a workshop on ‘Irrigation Basics'.
This class will teach you about irrigation valves, irrigation clocks, sprayheads, and general maintenance.
Participants will leave with a better knowledge about the delivery, conservation, and best water practices of landscape irrigation .
Workshop includes lecture and a hands on lab putting a mock system together from start to finish.
Time: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Location: South Coast Research & Extension Center, 7601 Irvine Blvd. Irvine, 92618
Cost $20.00
Click here to register and pay online by March 31, 2017 or go to http://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=20443
Each class is limited to the first 24 registrants.
Cancellation Policy: No refunds one week prior to workshop.
For more information about this and other upcoming workshops click here or go to http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/projects/events/?editon=1
Questions, contact us at: mgorange@ucanr.edu
- Author: Stephanie Parreira
- Author: Tammy Majcherek
Spring is here and often means an abundance of pests like weeds, ants, mosquitoes, etc. Before you reach for that pesticide, please take a few minutes and read the message below.
National Poison Prevention Week—March 19-25, 2017
—Stephanie Parreira
Both agricultural and household pesticides can poison people if they are not properly handled. In agriculture, poisoning most often results from pesticide mixing and loading, and the most harm occurs due to spills, splashes and equipment failure. In the home, many pesticide poisoning incidents involve children swallowing pesticides, including garden products, disinfectant cleaners, or other chemicals used to control pests.
Labels also include important signal words such as “Danger,” “Warning,” or “Caution” that indicate how acutely toxic the chemical is to humans, as well as directions to avoid pesticide contamination of sensitive areas such as schools and hospitals. These instructions are meant to protect anyone who is at risk of being exposed to hazardous pesticide residues. It is essential to thoroughly read and understand the pesticide label before working with the pesticide, and to carefully comply with label instructions throughout the process. The UC IPM guide to Understanding Pesticide Labels for Making Proper Applications can help you do this, and is available in both English and Spanish.
If you apply pesticides in or around your home, be sure to store them properly and keep them out of the reach of children. Keep in mind that even mothballs may look like candy to very young children. It is illegal and unsafe to store pesticides in food or drink containers, which can easily fool people into consuming them and being poisoned. According to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, these mistakes caused 62 incidents of child poisoning from pesticide ingestion in California in 2014, and 47 of those cases involved children under six years of age.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention Leading Causes of Death Reports
National Poison Prevention Week website
National Pesticide Information Center
UC IPM online course: Proper Pesticide Use to Avoid Illegal Residues