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A fruit tree is not a basil plant or a geranium.  It's a tree, and not only that it's a fruit tree.  Learn the basics and the intricacies of growing fruit trees of all kinds.  Sign up for a wild journey.Please join us for the 2026 Principles of Fruit and Nut Tree Growth, Cropping, and…

This is the recent newsletter from the Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association.  Emily Ayala is the author.  I thought this is a great wake up call for ALL Citrus Growers with all the rain we have had and will have.  Get that copper on. Ben Happy New Year! Well, we've got the rain…

2025 has been a rough year for the honey bees and their keepers. Reports of extreme colony mortality began in January, just before the almond bloom which requires the pollination services of an estimated 1.5 million colonies (Fenton, et al., 2025). As of July, honey bee colonies have reportedly dwindled by…

I was in a citrus orchard in San Diego recently with some colleagues, looking for sap-sucking hemipterans to run an experiment. I kept getting distracted, however, by some small flies. They were shiny, bright yellow with black stripes, like a miniature, polished hoverfly. Every tree I inspected in this…

Avocado pollination is a little-understood process influenced by flower biology, environmental conditions, and pollinator behavior. Our study from UC Cooperative Extension and UC Davis aims to shed light on the complexity of avocado pollination and the role of various insect species in enhancing fruit set…