- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
UC Master Gardener Francie Murphy was pruning the succulents in her San Diego front yard when an unfortunate accident catalyzed her commitment to communicating the dangers of toxic plants. She trimmed a stem on her drought-tolerant pencil milk bush and milky sap spurted into one eye, causing stinging pain.
“I tried to wipe it out, and in doing so got in both eyes. I was blinded. The pain was unbelievable,” she said.
A nearby friend rushed her to the emergency room where the doctor diagnosed chemical burns to her corneas and washed her eyes with two liters of saline water each. Murphy removed the plant from her garden, but saw it growing throughout her...
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced today (Dec. 4) that a Stop Use notice and statewide quarantine have been issued for the organic fertilizer product AGRO GOLD WS to all organic operations registered in California.
Residents who use the product in their gardens or landscapes should also be aware the product may contain weed killers, said Chris McDonald, UC Cooperative Extension natural resources advisor.
"Home gardeners should not use the organic biological amendment Agro Gold WS, which is commonly sold as a bundled package with the organic herbicide Weed Slayer," said McDonald. "CDFA has found Agro Gold WS to have been adulterated with...