HOrT COCO-UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa

Every year hundreds of questions come to the Help Desk, a UC Master Gardener project designed to bring information about sustainable gardening to Contra Costa residents. At the Help Desk, a team of Master Gardeners answers questions about insect problems, plant diseases and how to manage the ever-pesky…

  Leaving the leaves has become the hot, fall garden topic. An appropriate topic for this time of year as leaves are falling steadily. The U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service and the National Wildlife Federation are all huge advocates for leaving the leaves. State and local fire…

  This time of year, we often hear from concerned growers of Meyer lemon trees and other citrus. The leaves are turning yellow, just as the fruit is nearing maturity. These symptoms are frequently due to nutrient deficiencies and/or too much or too little water. It could also be the cooling weather…

  If you have a tree showing signs of distress and are concerned about its overall health or safety, whether it be the cornerstone of your landscape or simply an old friend, you will want to know what is happening and how to fix it. This article will explain some options on where to turn.UC Master…

Note: this is a rerun of an article originally printed in the Contra Costa Times.Q. I found some small green caterpillars crawling on my broccoli. They are chewing holes in the leaves. Where did they come from, and how can I get rid of them?A. The green caterpillars likely are the larvae of the imported…