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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Tomato Mosaic Virus, Jack Kelly Clark, UC IPM

A Virus in the Garden – Part I

June 5, 2020
Most gardeners are aware of plant diseases that can wreak havoc in their gardens. If you grow fruit trees, you may be confronted with curled, reddened peach leaves (peach leaf curl fungus).
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Salad with microgreens, Kim Schwind

It’s Easy to Grow Microgreens Indoors

May 22, 2020
You say you don't have a green thumb, or you don't have a yard for gardening? No problem! You can easily grow fresh, nutritious microgreens all year long in a sunny window in your home. All you need is soil, seeds, a container, and water.
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Cutworm, Jack Kelly Clark, UC ANR

CUTWORMS – Unwelcome Visitors to the Garden

May 8, 2020
Cutworms are moth larvae that hide in the soil during the day, and then come out at night to feed on plants. They get their name from their ability to "cut off" a seedling at ground level by chewing through the stem at or just below the soil level.
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