Dear UCCE San Bernardino County Master Gardeners,

First off, congratulations to our new graduates! We had quite a lot of fun time celebrating Saturday at Grand Avenue Park in Chino Hills. Check out some of the accomplished graduates in the attached photo. Joseph and Dona will be posting several other photos on the MG website shortly. Please help Dona, Joseph and I welcome them into our MG Family! Now what?  You will all receive regular updates concerning volunteer opportunities and social events; however, checking the calendar regularly on your own is your best bet!  Please email Joseph at jsalib@ucdavis.edu or Dona at djenkins@ucanr.edu if you have questions about anything. They are there to help ease you into the next phase!  We have everything from Powerpoints to 'buddies' to ease you into whatever activity you feel most comfortable undertaking, whether it be helping out at upcoming Sustainable and Edible Landscape Workshops across the county, answering email or telephone helpline calls, or pursuing an area of your particular specialty. As a reminder, graduating MGs are required to complete 50 hours of volunteer work by September 30th and veteran MGs are required to complete their required 25 hours of volunteerism by June 30th this year only; all recertifying MGs will be on the June 30th volunteer deadline

in 2015.  Thanks to all for giving so much of yourselves and your talents to others!  I am so proud of you all.

Another item of interest that I'd like to draw to everyone's attention is the 2014 UC Master Gardener Conference which occurs only once every three years! This year's conference is being held in the backyard of Yosemite National Park, at the beautiful Tenaya Lodge on October 7-10, 2-14.

Check out the website and register here: http://ucanr.edu/sites/ucmg2014conference/

The Tenaya Lodge costs $169 a night. Although it is beautiful, there are hotels that are less expensive nearby that include:

•Days Inn Oakhurst Yosemite (7.77 miles)

•Comfort Inn Yosemite Area (8.25 miles)

•Ahwahnee Hotel (9.29 miles)

•Shilo Inn Suites Oakhurst Yosemite (9.58 miles)

•BEST WESTERN PLUS Yosemite Gateway Inn (9.71 miles)

•Oakhurst Lodge (9.89 miles)

The MG Conference $275 registration fee includes: • All track sessions • Keynote speakers • Welcome reception (Weds. Oct. 8, 2014) • Lunch and hosted dinner (Thurs. Oct. 9, 2014) • Continental breakfast (Fri. Oct. 10, 2014) • Conference activities: MarketPlace, Search for Excellence, Vendor Mall . . . and more!

Joseph and Dona will be posting information about the conference on our MG website including opportunities to carpool and cut down on individual expenses. We hope many of you can enjoy meeting other MGs from around the state and enjoy learning and sharing in a beautiful environment!

Have a great week!

Janet

BY JANET HARTIN --

 Dear UCCE San Bernardino County Master Gardeners,

First off, congratulations to our new graduates! We had quite a lot of fun time celebrating Saturday at Grand Avenue Park in Chino Hills. Check out some of the accomplished graduates in the photo below. Joseph and Dona will be posting several other photos on the MG website shortly. Please help Dona, Joseph and I welcome them into our MG Family! Now what?  You will all receive regular updates concerning volunteer opportunities and social events; however, checking the calendar regularly on your own is your best bet!  Please email Joseph at jsalib@ucdavis.edu or Dona at djenkins@ucanr.edu if you have questions about anything. They are there to help ease you into the next phase!  We have everything from Powerpoints to 'buddies' to ease you into whatever activity you feel most comfortable undertaking, whether it be helping out at upcoming Sustainable and Edible Landscape Workshops across the county, answering email or telephone helpline calls, or pursuing an area of your particular specialty. As a reminder, graduating MGs are required to complete 50 hours of volunteer work by September 30th and veteran MGs are required to complete their required 25 hours of volunteerism by June 30th this year only; all recertifying MGs will be on the June 30th volunteer deadline in 2015.  Thanks to all for giving so much of yourselves and your talents to others!  I am so proud of you all.

Another item of interest that I'd like to draw to everyone's attention is the 2014 UC Master Gardener Conference which occurs only once every three years! This year's conference is being held in the backyard of Yosemite National Park, at the beautiful Tenaya Lodge on October 7-10, 2-14.

Check out the website and register here: http://ucanr.edu/sites/ucmg2014conference/

The Tenaya Lodge costs $169 a night. Although it is beautiful, there are hotels that are less expensive nearby that include:

•Days Inn Oakhurst Yosemite (7.77 miles)

•Comfort Inn Yosemite Area (8.25 miles)

•Ahwahnee Hotel (9.29 miles)

•Shilo Inn Suites Oakhurst Yosemite (9.58 miles)

•BEST WESTERN PLUS Yosemite Gateway Inn (9.71 miles)

•Oakhurst Lodge (9.89 miles)

The MG Conference $275 registration fee includes: • All track sessions • Keynote speakers • Welcome reception (Weds. Oct. 8, 2014) • Lunch and hosted dinner (Thurs. Oct. 9, 2014) • Continental breakfast (Fri. Oct. 10, 2014) • Conference activities: MarketPlace, Search for Excellence, Vendor Mall . . . and more!

Joseph and Dona will be posting information about the conference on our MG website including opportunities to carpool and cut down on individual expenses. We hope many of you can enjoy meeting other MGs from around the state and enjoy learning and sharing in a beautiful environment!

Have a great week!

Janet

 

BY JANET HARTIN --

Dear UCCE San Bernardino County Master Gardeners,

Yes, we finally got some rain but, no, we're nowhere near being out of the drought! With that in mind, I hope you will consider signing up to teach and/or otherwise help out at our Sustainable and Edible Landscape Workshops throughout the county that Joseph and Dona have been updating you regarding. Producing food and conserving water in landscapes and gardens are two major areas of emphasis in our overall Master Gardener program and providing objective information to interested home horticulturists on a regular basis on these topics helps us reach our goal of sustainable gardening.

This Saturday's beginning Master Gardener class will be held from 1:30-4:15pm at 2000 Founders Drive in Chino Hills in our usual classroom. It will include an update on our advocacy efforts throughout the county and how you all can help and will also include speakers Pam Pavela from Western Municipal Water District and lead partner in the Spring Inland Empire Garden Friendly Plant Sale at local Home Depots and our own MG-in-training Liane Veenema (Outreach and Education Coordinator at Chino Basin Water Conservation District) who will discuss partnership opportunities with her organization. In addition, Dona will update you on important information to finish up the class and to address any technical issues you may be having in VMS or otherwise. Congratulations! You have all come so far.

Warm regards, Janet

Keeping Landscape Plantings Alive under Drought or Water Restrictions

Janet Hartin and Ben Faber

University of California Cooperative Extension

 

BY JANET HARTIN Plants that do not receive enough water due to drought or governmental restrictions aimed at water conservation eventually show signs of water stress. Although plants vary in the amount of water they require for optimal growth and development, most exhibit characteristic symptoms when they are in need of water. Because water-stressed plants need to be watered at an early stage of water deficit to prevent irreversible damage, it is crucial to check plants regularly for symptoms of drought, preferably during the afternoon when symptoms are most evident.

Common symptoms include: - wilting or drooping leaves that do not return to normal by evening - curled or chlorotic (yellow) leaves that may fold or drop, or foliage that becomes grayish and loses its green luster - new leaves that are smaller than normal - lawn grasses that retain a footprint for several minutes Below are suggested methods to maintain various landscape plants during water restrictions and severe drought.

Ornamental Trees. Most homeowners wisely choose to use whatever water is available to save their mature landscape ornamentals and fruit trees. One or two deep irrigations with a garden hose several weeks apart in spring and summer will often keep these valued plants alive through summer, especially if roots are relatively deep. Although mature trees can often survive one season with only one or two deep waterings during the spring and summer, two seasons without enough water can result in severe drought stress and even death. Drought-stressed trees can be more prone to damage from diseases and insects.

Fruit and Nut Trees. Keeping fruit and nut trees alive during severe water shortages is also possible, although crop production will probably be greatly reduced or stop. To produce a good crop, deciduous fruit and nut trees need adequate water in their root zones continuously from bloom until harvest. Citrus trees need adequate soil moisture during spring to set fruit and steady water in summer and fall to produce acceptable size, numbers, and quality of fruit. However, fruit and nut trees can be kept alive with a few early-season water applications, but they may not set much fruit.

Vegetables. Vegetables are difficult to maintain during a drought. Know the critical watering periods for vegetables and you can target the timing and amount of water to add. As a rule of thumb, water is most critical during the first few weeks of development, immediately after transplanting, and during flowering and fruit production. Tomatoes, beans, and root crops such as carrots require regular watering and are not tolerant to long, dry periods. Viney vegetables such as squash and zucchini often fare better and can be kept alive with a few waterings once or twice a week through the season.

Shrubs. Most established shrubs can survive long periods of dry soil. Thorough spring watering and one or two thorough waterings in the summer keeps most well-established shrubs alive for at least one season.

Ground covers. Ground covers often survive on about half the amount of water they would receive under optimal conditions, although some dieback may occur. To avoid serious drought stress, they should be watered at least every 3 to 6 weeks from April through September, depending on location and soil conditions.

Lawns. Warm-season lawns planted in bermudagrass and buffalograss are more drought-efficient than cool season grasses (e.g. tall fescue and ryegrass) and may come back after several weeks of dryness. Cool season grasses may die within a month or two of receiving no water. Signs of drought include wilted leaves and a blush-gray appearance followed by yellow leaves that will eventually turn brown. Cutting the length of irrigation down to ½ of that recommended in the UC Lawn Watering Guide http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8044.pdf and watering only once or twice a week may help get your lawn through the drought. (Once a lawn stops receiving adequate moisture, it will gradually turn brown and go dormant over time. A lawn that recently turned brown from drought can often be revived with regular, thorough watering.