- Author: Michele Martinez
Encouraging healthy bee populations has long been part of the Master Gardener mission. In our study of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), we learn that chemical pesticides can do harm to entire food chains, from plants to insects, and other wildlife. With bee colony health very much in the news, many gardeners are surprised to learn that in addition to the European honey bee, California is home to hundreds of species of native bees, many of whom reside in solitary nests, hidden in plain sight around our gardens. On a recent walk through a local apple grove, I was excited to identify four – maybe five types of native bee hovering in the blossoms alongside the honey bees. We know that plants and bees rely on one another for their existence. Recent studies published by the UC Cooperative Extension can help us recognize our native species, and help raise awareness about preserving bee habitats.
How do we identify native bees in the garden? The 2009 report Native Bees are a Rich Resource in Urban California Gardens presents findings of a UCANR study done in collaboration with the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign and the Xerces Society. Over three years, scientists surveyed bees in seven urban areas across the California, including La Cañada-Flintridge, near Pasadena. Of an estimated 1600 native species currently known in California, 60 to 80 species were observed, along with the plants that attract them. The study shows which native bees are likely to show up in our gardens.
Of the species counted, the most common was the ultra-green sweat bee (Agapostemon texanus). To spot this bee it's important to look closely. With its smooth green body and slender shape, the sweat bee can be mistaken for a fly. The photos from the UC study by Rollin Coville (©2009) show a female ultra-green sweat bee (above) and a male (below) as they feed on native blooms.
Another common visitor, the leafcutting bee (Megachile perihirta) has a distinctive mandible designed for chomping stems and leaves.
The digger bee (Anthropora edwardsii) is prevalent in Southern California and is specifically adapted to the tiny flowers of the native manzanita (photo at top of article) (Arctostaphylos sp.). Like many native bees, the digger bee is solitary. The female prefers dark quiet places to lay her eggs, and makes her nest in dead wood, or in the ground.
Unlike the male of most bee species, females have specially formed hind legs made for gathering pollen. During springtime's brief blooms, native bees can be seen going from flower to flower loaded up with the golden powder. This solitary bee (Svasta obliqua expurgata) is a muli-tasker, as she simultaneously sips nectar and collects pollen on a coneflower (Echinacea pupura).
The native bees to look for in our gardens this season include those counted in the study: mining bees (Andrena angustitarsata); digger bees (Anthrophora); and three bumblebee varieties (Bombus), California, black-tip and yellow-faced. Others bees found include carpenter bees (Ceratina); gray digger bees (Habropoda depressa) and long-horn digger bees (Melissodes), as well as squash bee (Peponapis pruinosa); cuckoo bees (Xeromelecta californica); large carpenter bees (Xylocopta tabaniformis incompletes); leafcutting bees (Megachile); mason bees (Osmia coloradensis); and the blue orchard bee (Osmia lignaria propinqua).
Learn More About Bees
The Xerces Society's The Citizen Scientist Pollinator Monitoring Guide was created to help communities as they survey pollinator populations at the local level. The user-friendly guide (see link, below) helps gardeners learn the basics about bees, identify different varieties, and track their activities, over time:
http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/CA_CSM_guide.pdf
The UCANR publication, Native Bees are a Rich Resource in Urban California Gardens is available online. It details some of the native plants that attract native bees, and help them thrive (California Agriculture 63(3):113-120 (2009)):
http://calag.ucanr.edu/Archive/?article=ca.v063n03p113
Credits:
All photos are by Rollin Coville (© 2009), used by permission of the Regents of the University of California.
Information on Native Bees:
North American Pollinator Protection Campaign
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Getting to Know our Native Bees
- Author: Michele Martinez
San Bernardino County Master Gardeners and Fruit Preservers brought their Fruit Trees, Drought Efficient Trees and Shrubs Seminar to the Crestline Library, on Saturday, February 24. The well-attended workshop provided information tailored to the gardening needs of mountain residents.
Yucaipa Master Gardeners Jillian Kowalczuk and Adam Wagner began the day with fruit trees. Why do some trees love the mountains more than others? Looking around our neighborhoods, we see many healthy apple and cherry
Tree Selection & Care
Among cool weather-loving trees, we have many choices. The local nursery staff can help identify trees best suited to the specific area. Today new varieties are developed for flavor, tree size, and hardiness. They range from tasty hybrids, to dwarf trees that give fruit that can be harvested from the ground, without using a ladder. Once you have settled on the right tree, Jillian and Adam offered best-practices for preparing soil, planting, and caring for the tree. Nursery-bought trees don't always arrive in top condition, especially container trees which may have crowded or damaged roots. Bare-root trees are often less expensive, and can be easier to establish. Jillian and Adam concluded with tips on setting up drip watering for fruit trees, and pruning methods that promote both healthy trees and bountiful harvests.
Fruit Preserving & Canning
San Bernardino County Master Food Preservers is a sister program to Master Gardeners. Once we establish our
Finding the Right Plants for Mountain Locales
Local Master Gardeners Shelly Eagan of Big Bear, and Ken Witte of Lake Arrowhead, led the afternoon session with a focus on sustainable practices for mountain gardens. Shelly is a garden and landscape designer with a wealth of experience helping mountain residents select and care for trees and shrubs. Among her tips was to have your correct USDA and Sunset zone information in hand when choosing plants. In communities from Big Bear to Running Springs, Lake Arrowhead to Crestline, Shelly pointed out, there are a variety of zones, and several micro-climates can exist side-by side in our own yards. In observing such factors as wind direction, slope versus flat land, filtered or reflected sunlight, and so on, we can map our yards for hydro-zones, where plants are grouped according to water needs. Shelly gave examples of tried-and-true trees and shrubs, reminding participants that though a tree or shrub may be labeled “drought resistant,” new plantings need to be watered in the first two years, so their roots can take hold. Trial and error is part of the game for mountain gardeners, and attendees shared stories of hard-to-grow plants. Ken Witte concluded the day, sharing his work with the Heap's Peak Arboretum in Sky Forest. The Rim of the World Interpretive Association has collaborated with local scout troops to place educational signage along the trails at the Arboretum. Ken showed a series of Internet-based resources that feature mountain ecology, with information on native plants and their animal communities. For those of us hoping to establish native gardens at home, the Arboretum demonstration garden is a tremendous resource. While walking the trails, we can observe plants, birds, and insects in their ideal habitats, and figure out what species might suit our micro-climates. The Heaps Peak Arboretum offers a bi-yearly native plant sale, and is open year-round to visitors. Ken's information on mountain species is available at the Heap's Peak Arboretum web site: http://www.heapspeakarboretum.com/.
- Author: Michael Bains
We have a couple of upcoming seminars starting this Saturday in Chino Hills and Crestline. Hope to see you there.
- Author: Michael Bains
Garlic and kale are two popular vegetables with many health benefits. As a gardener, you can be harvesting kale right now, with kale being a winter grown veggie. Garlic, as anyone who's driven through Gilroy, California in June and July will know, is a summertime vegetable. However, due to its long growing time, garlic is normally planted in October and November to give it plenty of time to turn into a bulb that can be harvested.
In celebration of these two great veg, we're offering some advice on how to prepare them. Hopefully, this will get you motivated to give them a try and maybe get some going in your own garden.
January 2018 - Veggies of the Month
- Author: Deanna Cook
Editor's Note: In the spring, Deanna joined Urban Farm on The Urban Farm Podcast to discuss kids and farmer's markets! Listen to the podcast episode here.
One of the great pleasures of spring's arrival is the bounty of fresh foods and flavors we've been hungry for all winter long. Depending on where you live, the farmers' markets in your town may be starting to open up for the season.
1. Turn shopping into a food-filled scavenger hunt. Before you head to the farmers' market, download these printable activities from Farmers' Market Create-and-Play Activity Book and take the scavenger hunt list along to turn your shopping experience into a learning adventure. Accompany children as they search for foods that grow underground (say, potatoes) or foods with seeds you can eat (peas in a pod). This activity will familiarize young shoppers with the wide range of offerings — from foods and flowers to handmade goods — grown or produced in your region.
2. Meet the farmers. As you walk around the market, stop by as many different booths as you can. Encourage children to say hello to the farmers and to try free samples set out for them to taste. When you or your children encounter an unfamiliar vegetable (such as kohlrabi or fennel), ask the farmer how he or she likes to eat it or cook with it. Don't forget to introduce your children to the dairy farmers and buy butter and eggs to take home, too.
3. Eat the Rainbow. Give kids a say in what you buy! Ask them to pick out some colorful fruits and veggies to bring home. (Use the Eat a Rainbow activity sheet for a list of foods to try.) Explain that foods of different colors provide different vitamins and nutrients their bodies need. At home, have them keep track of what they eat over the course of the week by posting the sheet on the fridge.
4. Get cooking! Help your kids pick out a few recipes you can cook together using their farmers' market finds. For kid-friendly, farm-to-table recipes, check out the salads and plant-based recipes in Cooking Class.
5. Recreate the spirit of the farmers' market at home. For a rainy day activity, set up a creative play area modeled after a real farmers' market. Set out pretend fruits and veggies, play money, shopping bags or baskets, and shopping lists on a table or wooden crates. Take turns pretending to be a farmer selling produce and a customer buying it. Then step back and let your little ones' imaginations take over.
6. Cultivate young growers. Take inspiration from your farmers' market field trip and have kids help with planting a vegetable garden in your yard or in pots and containers. You can pick up starter plants at the market or plant carrots, lettuces, and radishes from seed.
As the kids shop, play, and eat, they'll learn important classroom and life skills, such as identifying the names of fruits and vegetables, practicing addition and subtraction, and making healthy food choices. For Farmers Market lesson plans aligned to Common Core curriculum standards, download this educator's guide and add a learning element to your children's farmers market adventures!
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