Rain gardens are small depressions in the ground (from a few inches to a few feet deep depending on soil conditions), that receives rainwater from hardscapes and holds the water to seep back into the ground. Rain gardens are often planted with native plants that can tolerate wet feet for part of the year but are just as happy when the dry, drought like condition occurs. Rain gardens are relatively inexpensive to build, and are sized according to your hardscape; the more hardscape, the larger the rain garden. Most home sized rain gardens cover less than 500 square feet, so they are easy to maintain. Rain gardens are very effective at controlling runoff. One neighborhood in Burnsville, Minnesota installed 17 rain gardens at 14 homes and runoff was reduced from almost 36,000 gallons to less than 1,000!
Community parks can serve as a rainwater retention pond during the wet season. This will help the community avoid flooding, but the park itself will be unusable when the area is full of water. Curbline planting areas, front yards, side yards, even street dividers can serve as bioretention cells. A complimentary solution would be for homeowners to consider building their own rain gardens, and collect some of the water that would normally be lost to rivers and lakes or to the park retention pond. As the gardens consist mainly of native plants, the homeowner and community will benefit from less water use, beautiful yards, and everyone will benefit by replenishing the groundwater aquifers that we rely upon. Of course, rain gardens can be built anywhere…how about your yard?
Asian Citrus Psyllid and Huanglongbing Disease
Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) insects are found worldwide. These insects carry Huanglongbing disease. In 1998 ACP had established itself in Mexico, Florida and Texas. The Florida citrus crop was devastated by over 50% loss of trees during the height of the spread. In 2008 ACP was detected in Southern California vectoring in from Mexico. ACP are very small winged insects the size of an aphid (approx 4mm or 1/8”). Since 2008, the ACP has migrated northward through California's central valley and is now established in the Bay area and Sacramento. The problem is not the ACP, but the disease it carries: Huanglongbing.
Huanglongbing (HLB), also referred to as Yellow Dragon Disease or Citrus Greening Disease is a major disease of citrus. It causes reduced fruit quality and yield, tree decline and eventual tree death. It is vectored into trees by the ACP. During feed-ing, the ACP can transmit the bacterium that causes HLB disease. The psyllids feed on the leaves of citrus and other related plants (Kumquats, Chinese Box Orange, Orange Jessamine, Indian Curry Leaf, and more). During feeding HLB bacterium is injected into the leaves and transmits throughout the plant.
ACP can be found in old or new growth areas of the tree. Eggs or nymphs arefound only in the very new growth (flush growth) area of a tree. Nymphs produce a sugar filled waxy tubule as they feed. These curly tubules are unique and can be easily seen. They also attract ants, so be on the lookout for ants. Check for the prescence of ACP by their feeding position. The ACP leans forward and tips its rear end at a characteristic 45 degree angle.
For more information UC/ANR has produced a video which can be found here
- Author: Sherida Phibbs
Cultural care can help in managing and spreading of the infection. It is important to reduce the sources. Remove fallen fruit from the ground as soon as it drops as well as remove damage fruit from the tree. To increase air circulation, prune out dead limbs and prune trees. Pruning tree skirts at least 24 inches above the ground will help to minimize the spores being splashed up from the ground. Do not allow sprinkler irrigation from wetting the fruit. Only harvest the fruit when the fruit is dry and do not store wet fruit - wet fruit becomes diseased during storage. Do not store infected fruit with clean fruit.
For serious problems applications of a preventive copper fungicide can be considered. This should be applied before or just after the first autumn rain, directing the spray to the ground beneath the tree and to the tree skirt up to 4 feet above the ground. When rainfall is extensive, additional applications in January or February would be beneficial.
Source: UCANR Publication 3332 Pests of the Garden and Small Farm pages 128-129
IPM Pest Information for brown rot
- Author: Sherida J Phibbs
Bats are flying mammals from the order Chiroptera (meaning hand-winged). Bats are the only mammal capable of true flight. There are 25 species of bats in California and it is estimated there are around 13 species found in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Depending on their species, they can live five to thirty years. The little brown bat generally lives 30 years with the female giving birth to 1 pup per year. The females form colonies in the spring to give birth and raise their pups. Bat populations are threatened by the White Nose Syndrome. This highly contagious disease is the culprit for the declining population, leaving many species threatened or endangered.
A few years back my niece was bitten by a bat when entering an outbuilding. Although only a small percentage of bats carry rabies, she could not chance the unknown and received the series of treatments. Once symptoms appear the disease is most always fatal. Rabies exposure is from the saliva of an infected mammal through an open wound, abrasion, eyes, nose or mouth. Bats carry various diseases to humans and other mammals. We can minimize the risks by not handling bats, not breathing their droppings, and most importantly vaccinating our dogs and cats for rabies. Bats also create unsanitary conditions where they roost. Their droppings (guano) and urine attract insects and creates odors.
In most cases bats do not create problems, in fact they are beneficial predators and pollinators for our farms and gardens. Being nocturnal, they play an important part in our ecosystem consuming large quantities of night flying insects in our landscapes, gardens and farmlands. Bats are an excellent vector control for mosquitoes. Bat houses are often found in gardens and on farms to encourage bat populations.
Finding a bat on the ground or out in the open does not mean it is sick. It might be tired and resting. It is best to let it lay if it is in an area that isn't harming anyone. If it is an area that children or pets might find it, gently scoop it into an open box while wearing leather gloves and place the box where no one can encounter it. If it has been in contact with other animals or people, contact the county health department for testing.
The University of California IPM Publication 74150 is a great resource to obtain additional information. View Publication
Once I determined from a reliable source that the berries were edible my Master Food Preserver hat replaced my Master Gardener/Curator hat and I picked the berries to make jam. I used Lee Ann Moore's recipe for Salal Jam. Lee Ann and Her husband Gary have Oceanside Jams and specialize in making preservers using native fruit.
After picking the fruit, I washed it carefully then put it into my steam juicer to extract the juice and leave behind the very gritty, seedy berries. The jam is not very exciting, it tastes like apple or grape jam…mostly sweet, but it has a spectacular dark purple color and I bet no one else is making Gaultheria pseudonotablis Jam.
Note: The jam should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer for there is no tested and approved recipe for this berry.
Sources: Ball Blue Book, Berry, Jams and Jellies
June Walsh is the Co-Curator of the Moss Family Temperate Woodland Garden in the Humboldt Botanical Garden, a UC Extension Master Gardener and Master Food Preserver.
