Topics in Subtropics

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Topics in Subtropics Blog
You can subscribe to this  blog with multiple entries per week reflecting what's happening with subtropical crops and upcoming educational events.  Just click on the "Subscribe" button just to the right of this paragraph.  There's also our seasonal quarterly Topics in Subtropics newsletter found at our Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Riverside, San Diego, Tulare and Kern Counties Cooperative Extension websites.
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young avocacdo tree

Planting Holes

January 12, 2014
By Ben A Faber
I am amazed how such a simple procedure can go so wrong. For avocado and citrus growers, its time to think about planting in the spring. And every spring and summer I get called out to diagnose trees that are failing. It often turns out that the trees have been planted too deeply.
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Copy of avocado irrigation

When the Rains Don't Do Their Thing

January 9, 2014
By Ben A Faber
"We don't need to irrigate, it's winter." This is a commonly held idea, and many years it is true. Adequately timed rains will often meet the needs of avocado trees during the winter period, and in times like last year, even satisfy much of the spring requirement.
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diseased plant

Effect of fertilizers on plant diseases

December 18, 2013
Jim Downer is the Environmental Horticulture Advisor in Ventura County Cooperative Extension As growers of thousands of ornamentals we understand that minerals absorbed mostly by roots as ions are essential for plant growth and development.
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broad mite leaf damage

Broad Mite Trial

December 13, 2013
By Ben A Faber
We have had resurgence of broad mite damage on coastal lemons this year. We haven't seen damage like this in a long time. Chlorpyriphos should care of it, but with small orchards, spray drift can be an issue. We looked at releasing the predatoiry mite Neoseiulus californicus.
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