What can you grow? Asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, mustard greens, lettuce, spinach, and Swiss chard (just to name a few.)
Please join UCCE Stanislaus County Master Gardeners Rho Yare and Terry Pellegrini on Zoom to learn tips for having a successful fall vegetable garden. Topics will include:
-Vegetable gardening basics.
-Which fall vegetables grow best in the Central Valley of California.
-When to plant and planting methods.
-When to harvest.
-Library books you can download free from the Stanislaus County Free library!
There will be time for questions along the way, so be sure to type yours in the Q&A box. Also, get ready for some fun polls about your favorite vegetables to grow!
When: Tuesday, August 25, 2020 from 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Where: on Zoom.
How: sign up to receive the link by email at: http://ucanr.edu/fallvegs/2020
Please sign up to receive the link by August 25, 2020 at 4 p.m.
If you don't have Zoom or have to miss the class, watch it later on our Stanislaus County UCCE Master Gardener YouTube Channel!
You say "Herbs, I say "Erbs," but they all are fun and delicious! 
Please join our Stanislaus County Master Gardeners Rho Yare and Terry Pellegrini online for a fun evening learning about the wonderful world of culinary herbs, including:
-Which herbs grow best in the Central Valley of California
-How to plant and care for herbs
-What herb plants need to thrive
-How to make tea
-Harvest and storage methods
-Rho and Terry's favorite tips for using herbs
-Library books you can download free from our local library!
There will be time for questions along the way, so be sure to type yours in the Q&A box. Also, get ready for some fun polls to ask about how you use herbs!
Our program is excited to present this interactive webinar. We hope to "see" you online and introduce you to the wonderful world of herbs!
When: Tuesday, June 30, 2020 from 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Where: on Zoom.
How: sign up to receive the link by email at: http://ucanr.edu/virtualherbs/2020
Please sign up to receive the link by June 30, 2020 at 4 p.m.
If you don't have Zoom or have to miss the class, watch it later on our Stanislaus County UCCE Master Gardener YouTube Channel!
The Master Gardeners would like to invite you to join us for a fun evening of learning about native pollinators and how you can attract them to your garden. This presentation will focus on using California native plants and pollinator friendly practices to create habitat for these fascinating species.
When: May 26, 2020 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Where: Zoom
How: Register at: http://ucanr.edu/virtualpollinators/2020
Speaker: Chris Howington, Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS)
Watch the Live Broadcast
To watch the presentation live, make sure Zoom is installed on your device. You'll receive the Zoom link just a few days before the presentation in an email, as well as slides for you to print so you can follow along. Please do not share this link with others.
If you don't have Zoom or want to watch the presentation at another time, it will be available on our YouTube Channel at a later date. http://ucanr.edu/uccemgyoutube
- Author: Ed Perry
For gardeners the coming of winter means, among many other things, the beginning of the bare root planting season. Local nurseries will soon receive good supplies of bare root fruit and ornamental trees, roses, grapes, berries, and vegetables such as asparagus and rhubarb. Unlike container plants, bare root plants are dug from the field when dormant and separated from the soil. This allows the nursery grower to ship plants at a lower cost and means a good saving for the buyer.
Since all the soil has been removed from the roots, take care to prevent them from drying out while you transport the tree or dig the planting hole. Never allow the plant roots to be exposed to sun and wind for more than just a few minutes. You can protect the roots for a few hours by placing them in a moist plastic bag or by covering them with wet newspaper or cloth. It's best to plant and water your bare root trees right away. If you need to delay planting for a day or more, you should “heel in” the plants. “Heeling in” is a method of protecting plant roots by placing the plants into a hole or shallow trench and covering the roots with moist soil, sand or sawdust.
You should consider trees, shrubs and other perennial plants to be long term investments. It's therefore worth the effort to pick the proper place for the plant. Fruit trees especially need full sun to produce properly, as well as room to grow. Most standard fruit trees can be planted 10 to 15 feet apart, or much closer if you are willing to spend time doing heavy pruning and careful training each year. Semi-dwarf fruit trees are good choices for a garden with limited space. It is not a good idea to plant a fruit tree in a lawn area, as the lawn's water requirements are not compatible with those of the tree. Fruit trees growing in lawns often grow poorly or are killed by shallow, frequent lawn irrigation.
Fruit trees prefer well drained soils at least 3 or 4 feet deep but will grow in shallower soils if you water carefully. Plant your tree when the soil is moist enough to dig easily. Do not plant in wet, sticky soil. The planting hole should be 2 to 3 times wider than the root spread, but only deep enough to plant the tree at the same level as it grew in the nursery. A tree planted in a deep hole will settle too much after watering. When this happens the tree is often attacked by a soil borne fungus disease where the soil contacts the trunk.
Before you plant the tree, carefully cut off broken or badly damaged roots with sharp pruning shears. Do not prune the roots to fit the hole. If necessary, put soil in the bottom of the hole so that the tree is slightly higher than the soil line. This will allow the tree to settle slightly without becoming buried. Using the same soil that came out of the hole, carefully cover the roots completely, then water thoroughly to settle the soil around the roots. You may want to complete the planting job by placing a mulch on the ground around the tree to help control weeds and conserve moisture.
For more information on care of your newly planted bare root fruit trees, berries, grapes, and roses, visit The California Backyard Orchard.
- Author: Anne E Schellman
This past week, the UCCE Stanislaus County Master Gardeners held a class about pollinators and the plants they prefer. Speakers from Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Xerces Society helped the audience “meet” many local pollinators found in our county.
Everyone knows about honey bees, but many might not realize there are over 4,000 native bees in California nor be able to recognize them.
Pop Quiz
At the beginning of the class, one speaker showed the image above and asked the audience, “How many bees are in this photo?” Participants shouted out several numbers, but most didn't know the answer. Take a moment to view each insect and count the bees. How many did you find? The answer and insect identities are at the very bottom of the page.
Conservation
Education about pollinators is important so people can learn how to recognize bees and incorporate sustainable gardening practices that help protect them.
Our program plans to create a pollinator collection to have on display at events to help people learn how to recognize these helpful insects. We also plan to have more classes about pollinators throughout the county. In the meantime, you can consult the following pollinator resources.
Native bees and other pollinators
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
UC Berkeley Urban Bee Lab
Best plants for native bees and pollinators
Visit these sites for lists and information about plants native bees and butterflies prefer that provide pollen and nectar. Many local nurseries and garden centers also carry these plants.
California Native Plant Society
Plant California
Visit a Local Garden!
You can see a local pollinator garden by visiting the La Loma Native Garden located near downtown Modesto.
Answer
Six of the insects are bees!
- Fly
- Bumble bee
- Butterfly
- Sweat bee
- Grasshopper
- Mining bee
- Mason bee
- Honey bee
- Velvet ant (actually a wasp)
- Metallic green sweat bee
Special thanks to the Natural Resources Conservation Council and the Xerces Society for making this class possible. The first photo in this article is based on a study written in Frontiers in Ecology called Public support of bee conservation.
