The Real Dirt

Flowers blooming

The Real Dirt blog covers regional gardening issues from soil health to planting for pollinators; from fire resistant landscaping to attracting wildlife. Read all about it!

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Adult Argentine ant. Jack Kelly Clark, UC IPM Program

Dealing with an Ant Invasion

March 29, 2024
It's that time of the year again Ant Season! We often experience ants in our homes when weather conditions change. They are typically looking for food, water, warmth, and/or protection from extreme weather conditions.
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Flowering head of Euphorbia characias. Jeanette Alosi

Euphorbias Thrive in Our Climate

March 22, 2024
Looking for a drought tolerant plant? Euphorbias are one of the most dramatic garden plants, and they happen to do well in our ongoing conditions of drought. The genus is expansive and includes 2000 species of herbaceous perennials, annuals and biennials, as well as evergreen and deciduous shrubs.
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Aeonium arboreum (Tree aeonium). Laura Kling

Echeveria and Sempervivum and Graptopetalum, Oh My!

March 15, 2024
The current emphasis on water-wise gardening has created an interest in succulents. All succulents are able to store water and food in their leaves, stems and roots. These stored nutrients can be released when needed. This makes them drought tolerant.
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Spaghetti tubing in a patch of Chinese Hardy Orchids. Jeanette Alosi

Watering and Irrigation

March 1, 2024
If you plan to travel this summer, now might be a good time to install an automatic watering system. Doing so can ensure that your plants will not be under-watered or over-watered in your absence.
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