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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Mason bee approaching nesting tubes made of paper. Tom Hansen

Mason Bees

February 16, 2024
As concern grows over the decline in the honey bee population, alternative pollinators are gaining attention. Mason bees, which are native to North America, are one option. These gentle-natured bees do not produce honey but they excel at pollinating and are easy to raise.
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A winter month's share at GRUB CSA in Chico. Francine Stuelpnagel

The History of Community Supported Agriculture

February 9, 2024
We are lucky to live in an area with a number of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms which provide members with fantastic locally-grown vegetables and fruits. The CSA movement is a relatively recent one. Booker T.
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Oxalis is an aggressive spreader that is very difficult to control. J.C. Lawrence

What Makes a Weed a Weed?

February 2, 2024
For many of us, gardening involves a constant battle with weeds. Basically, a weed is nothing more than a plant growing where it is not wanted, the classic example being dandelions in the lawn.
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Learn to propagate plants from shoots like this in the Propagation Workshop this March. Laura Kling

Master Gardener Spring 2024 Workshop Series

January 26, 2024
A new season of Master Gardener Workshops is about to start! The series begins February 3 with a timely session on starting summer vegetable plants from seed and concludes at the end of May with an exploration of weeds how to identify common weeds, and what their presence can indicate about the hea...
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