- Author: Ben Faber
And live to regret it when it comes to planting a tree. Bring out that power auger and dig a hole and slam that tree in the ground and move on to the next planting hole. If it's rocky soil, with good drainage, the trees may look like this two years later. Alive, but some are much bigger than others. In a loamy, heavier soil with more normal drainage, they would most likely be DEAD.
The trees here were all planted with quality tree, all th same size at planting. Irrigated the same, Fertilized the same. They looked kind of the same for the first year, and a little different, but after the winter and spring rains, there was a big difference. The good rain water, helped some trees grow, but suffocated/asphyxiated some of the trees.
What happened? Auguring the holes was done haphazardly. Drilling some holes too deeply, and over time, the root balls sank, burying the trunks.
The tree wrap is buried in the ground. The crown roots are the most active physiological part of the root system. Bury that part and you reduce the air flow into the roots. And tree health suffers. This is a really good way to bring on crown rot - Phytophthora mangei.
And not only that, there is a 3-inch round stake driven right through that delicate root ball.
Over time, the root ball also sinks deeper in the soil, and a well is created around the crown roots, where a good rain is going to puddle and further cause problems. All that good rain that helped the well positioned trees, actually was drowning the deeper planted trees. Buried too deep and further sinking over time.
Watch what is happening at planting. Monitor how trees are placed in the ground. This orchard is going to suffer more over time. How to irrigate the increasingly bigger trees and those dinky, stunted trees? Best to start all over using a chain saw.
Planting depth is not only an issue for avocado, but for all plants from petunias to palms. And may be one of the most difficult issues in mass plantings when speed is of the essence. Well it's not. I've seen whole orchards of lemons that were planted "of the essence" that turned putrid over time from lack of attention at planting.
- Author: Ben Faber
This from the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner's Office:
Basically the baiting treatment (for growers) involves 2 options: For conventional farms the material is Malathion 8 Aquamul mixed with Nulure Insect Bait and for organic growing the available product is Spinosad GF 120 Naturalyte which comes premixed with a fruit fly bait. The treatments that CDFA is performing for residents within 200 meters the QFF finds is only the organic Spinosad.
This treatment differs than a standard broadcast spray in a few ways. First, this method uses very little product. Only 20 ounces per acre are needed for the Spinosad treatment, and only 2.8 ounces per acre of Malathion is needed. Secondly, not every plant or tree is needed to be treated. The purpose of the treatment is to create spots throughout the field or orchard where any present flies would be attracted to and then die on contact. The pattern of treatment for growers under the quarantine compliance agreements is every tree or row ends on the perimeter and then every plant/tree approximately every 20ft of every 6th row inside. Thirdly, the entire plant/tree does not need to be covered, only a quick spritz or spot is needed on each chosen plant, typically somewhere on the trunk or cane if possible. This is what is meant by creating a ‘bait station'.
For growers under quarantine, a schedule of treatments must occur during one full life cycle of the fly, and also under CDFA supervision before they may harvest. Growers MUST be under compliance agreements with either the State or County before they can begin this process. Our office is offering pre-quarantine compliance agreements to growers near the current boundary so they may preemptively start the process in case the quarantine were to expand.
Growers/Residents can contact our office at pestexclusion@ventura.org or (805) 388-4222 if they have any questions regarding this pest
- Author: Ben Faber
HLB Quarantine Expansion |
Effective December 19, 2023, the Department is expanding the HLB quarantine boundary in the Santa Paula area of Ventura county in grid 437. A map of the proposed boundary can be found at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/citrus/pests_diseases/hlb/regulation.html.
Also effective December 19, 2023, the Department is expanding ACP Bulk Citrus quarantine zone 6 in the Santa Paula area of Ventura county to reflect the newly expanded HLB quarantine area. A map of the new boundary can be found at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/citrus/pests_diseases/acp/regulation.html
Regulated articles and conditions for intrastate movement under the quarantine can be found at Title 3 California Code of Regulations (CCR) sections 3435 & 3439. Pursuant to 3 CCR § 3435 & 3439, any interested party or local entity may appeal a quarantine area designation.
Process to Appeal the Proposed Expanded Boundaries The appeal must be submitted to the Department in writing and supported by clear and convincing evidence. The appeal must be filed no later than ten (10) working days from the date of this notification. During the pending of the appeal, the designated quarantine boundary under appeal shall remain in effect.
Mail Appeals to: CDFA - Citrus Division 1220 N Street Sacramento, CA 95814
Electronic Notification of Boundary Changes California Code of Regulation allows interested parties to be notified of quarantine area boundary changes, as well as the opportunity to submit quarantine boundary appeals. If interested in receiving notifications, please sign up for regulatory updates through the email notification ListServ at: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/citrus/pests_diseases/hlb/signup-email-updates.html.
For questions regarding the regulations or map, please email Raymond Niem (Raymond.Niem@cdfa.ca.gov) or call 916.274.6300. |
Ventura Co. ACP/HLB Grower Liaisons
/table>/h1>- Author: Ben Faber
Maybe eucalyptus?
So you thought there were only three species of eucalyptus? Well there are a lot more and they all grow differently. Here's an interesting study evaluating their performance in the Central Valley which probably has value along coastal Southern California, as well.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/capmctn13794.pdf
Eucalyptus species were introduced to California and extensively planted, initially for timber and
later as windbreaks and ornamental trees. The Lockeford
Plant Materials Center (CAPMC) as part of the NRCS Plant Materials Program carries out
systematic evaluations of plant materials for conservation use. In 1984, eucalyptus germplasm
sourced from Australia was planted at the CAPMC to evaluate growth rate, drought tolerance
and assess the suitability of eucalyptus species to function as windbreaks in the southern Central
The eucalyptus genus includes around 700 species, most of which are native to Australia. Their resilience and drought tolerance have resulted in extensive plantings around the globe, primarily for timber, but also as shade and windbreak trees . Since 1860, when eucalyptus seedlings first became available for planting in California, they have become the most common non-native tree in the state. Eucalyptus stands are associated with negative attributes including poor habitat for wildlife, allelopathic suppression of plants, high combustibility, and for some species the likelihood of dropping branches unexpectedly or blowing over in high wind events. A positive exception is sites, primarily of blue gum (E. globulus), along the Pacific Coast, which are important overwintering sites for the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus); although the butterflies prefer native trees. Several species of eucalyptus are recognized as naturalized in California with the ability to regenerate from seed. Currently, two species of eucalyptus, river red gum (Figure 2) and blue gum, are listed as invasive with limited potential by the California Invasive Plant Council (2020), while a third, sugar gum (E. cladocalyx) is listed in the “watch category.
Suitable windbreak trees have a preferred growth habit of a columnar form and one to several trunks, with rapid growth in the first few years. Data on the best adapted eucalyptus species was first collected in 1990 after six years of growth. An evaluation of the 34-year-old planting provides further information on long-term survival of these species in the Central Valley. The objective of this publication is to provide a short list of fast growing, non-weedy, long lived eucalyptus species that are adapted and would be suitable for further testing in windbreaks
Five eucalyptus species were identified for further evaluation as windbreak candidates based
upon survival 34 years after planting. The five species are narrowleaf red ironbark, black box,
gray ironbark, red iron bark and black sally.
- Author: Ben Faber
SWEEP 2023 opening soon!
The State Water Efficiency Enhancement Program
READ ALL ABOUT IT
https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/sweep/
Get your paperwork ready!
SWEEP 2023 will release $23 million in funding this round, looking to open by the end of this year. It will be returning to a competitive grant process, so applications can be submitted anytime within the open application window.
Proposed (but not finalized changes) include:
- Parcels that have previously received SWEEP funding are eligible to apply again.
- Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers will be prioritized with a minimum of 25% of funding.
- Strengthened ways to ensure one user does not submit multiple applications. In addition to needing separate tax ID numbers, each application will need a separate mailing address and grant contact.
- Changes to the scoring rubric to prioritize 'well-rounded' projects. (We will have more clarity on this in the final draft)
To view the full draft grant proposal for SWEEP, click here.
As always, if you are interested in applying to SWEEP, you will need to gather three things before beginning an application:
1. Recent pump efficiency test(s)
2. 12 months of energy records for each pump (electric bills and/or fuel logs)
3. Quote(s) for proposed project.
For free assistance in beginning an application or if you have further questions, please contact your local climate-smart agriculture education specialist: https://ciwr.ucanr.edu/Programs/ClimateSmartAg/TechnicalAssistanceProviders/