Topics in Subtropics

All the media are full of stories about the impending El Nino effects and possible flooding rains in California. As I write this, it is the day before our first significant storm (Jan. 4) with a 100% chance of rain throughout Ventura county for tomorrow.

We hear about the decline in honeybees (non-native, from Europe and the most commonly managed bees), but native bees are declining too and in many instances these are the pollinators of California avocado. The loss of any pollinators is a loss for agriculture as well as the environment.

The disease pyramid describes how disease can eventually destroy a plant. It is comprised of the presents of the pathogen that causes the disease, the plant or host, the environmental conditions that sets up the pathogen to go after the plant and time.

There have been so many calls recently with the same problem, thinning canopy with dieback. Thiscan be caused by several problems, but the most common this time of year is lack of good water management over the year, accentuated by lack of rain and salt damage.

Lots of seeds; thick, coarse skin; not big, not small; thorns; sour; but fragrant, cold tolerant and selling for good prices. A cross between one of the original citrus parents papeda and a mandarin. It's got some pretty ancestral properties with something of a lemony flavor and a grapefruit odor.