There's still time to sign up for our Garden Tool Maintenance Class happening Saturday, January 13 at 9:00 a.m.

UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners Tim Long and Ted Hawkins have a fun and informative experience planned for you! This class involves:

• Presentation on how to clean and maintain your tools, materials to take home included.
• How to prevent the spread of plant diseases in your garden by sanitizing tools.
• Hands-on demonstrations on how to sharpen and clean tools.

Where: Agricultural Center, Harvest Hall rooms AB&C
Address: 3800 Cornucopia Way, Modesto, 95358.
When: Saturday, January 13, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Cost: $10
Instructors: Tim Long & Ted Hawkins, UCCE Stanislaus County Master Gardeners
Payment Link: https://ucanr.edu/tools/2023
Questions? (209) 525-6862

Please let us know if you plan to attend, as we are preparing handouts for the number of people signed up. If the credit card survey doesn't work for you, just write (check or cash) after your name and then hit "submit" and you can bring a check with you for $10 made out to UC Regents.

Our last newsletter may have prompted you to have more questions about citrus. The good news is, the topic for January Classes at Stanislaus County Libraries is (you guessed it) Growing Citrus Trees! We hope to see you at one of these free classes.

You can also see a list of our classes on our calendar by visiting our website at https://ucanr.edu/sites/stancountymg/Calendar/

p.s. February's topic is Spring Vegetable Gardening, stay tuned for more information!

Garden tools looking sad? Your hula hoe doesn't dance anymore? Got rust on your shovel?

Join the UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners next month for an experience that's sure to not be dull! Learn how to sharpen common garden tools such as hoes, shovels, pruners, loppers, and hula hoes so you can go home and sharpen the tools in your shed.

See live demos to help you better understand the process and get your questions about tool maintenance answered. Another important topic covered is how to keep tools clean and sanitized to prevent the spread of pathogens.

Where: Agricultural Center, Harvest Hall rooms AB&C
Address: 3800 Cornucopia Way, Modesto, 95358.
When: Saturday, January 13, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Cost: $10
Instructors: Tim Long & Ted Hawkins, UCCE Stanislaus County Master Gardeners
Payment Link: https://ucanr.edu/tools/2023
Questions? (209) 525-6862

Our UC Master Gardener Help Line often receives calls about citrus. Here are five commonly asked questions about how to care for this juicy, delicious fruit tree.

1. Why are the leaves on my orange tree turning yellow?

It's common for citrus tree leaves to turn yellow in winter*. Fertilize to provide the tree with nutrients now, then watch as leaves green up in spring. Avoid fertilizing in fall, which encourages new growth favored by pest and can leave the tree susceptible to frost injury.

 

2. How do I know if my oranges are ripe/when should I pick my oranges?

Oranges are ripe when (drumroll please) the fruit tastes ripe! If you pick an orange and it tastes sour, wait, then repeat the following week until the fruit tastes sweet. Oranges picked unripe will not ripen, no matter how long you leave them on the counter.

You don't have to pick all your oranges once they ripen. In fact, the best place to store oranges is on the tree, where they stay fresh! Pick as needed, unless temperatures below 28 F are predicted, then you'll want to harvest.

 

3. What is this pest?

When clients bring samples of citrus branches in to our office, we often see pests like cottony cushion scale, soft scale, or whiteflies. In addition, ants, along with a dusty looking fungus called sooty mold, may be present.

Scales and whiteflies suck plant juices and weaken the plant. Ants do two things:

• Protect pests from predators like ladybugs, parasitic wasps (very tiny wasps) and lacewings.
• “Harvest” honeydew (a sticky sugary substance excreted by these pests) for food, in a symbiotic relationship that does not include the gardener.

You can find easy-to-read, UC IPM Quick Tips publications in our office or online about each of these pests. Or, you can call or email your local UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program. For Stanislaus County residents, click on this link to submit your question along with photos if you have them:http://ucanr.edu/ask/ucmgstanislaus

 

4. Why are my oranges splitting?

The reason this happens is not well understood, although it's often related to changes in weather conditions. However, allowing the soil to dry out too much between irrigations is believed to result in increased splitting. Make sure your tree has a constant supply of moisture by watering monthly during the dry season.

 

5. When should I prune my orange tree?

To be honest, nobody has asked this question. However, Ed and I think they should! The answer is the opposite of what most gardeners think. THE BEST TIME TO PRUNE CITRUS IS IN SPRING!

When pruning deciduous trees like peach, plum or cherry, after leaf drop, don't be tempted to prune citrus! Citrus trees are evergreen and require little if any pruning except to control size. If you'd like to keep a new citrus tree under 5 feet tall, you can carefully prune it in spring to manage the height. This way, you won't need a ladder to pick fruit again!

Avoid pruning in fall or winter, which encourages new growth favored by pests and can leave the tree susceptible to frost injury.

 

*if your tree leaves turn yellow and it's not winter, this may be a different problem.