Springtime planting is almost here but don't rush to plant seeds until the soil has warmed up! Planting seeds too soon, when the soil is cold and wet, risks losing them to damping-off, a disease caused by fungi and oomycetes in the soil. Learn more about this common disease in the newly updated Pest Notes: Damping-off Diseases in the Garden written by UC IPM Director Dr. Jim Farrar and UCCE emeritus advisor Ed Perry. They cover the biology of the pathogens, identification of the disease, and how to prevent damping-off when growing transplants or seeding directly into the ground.
- Author: Lauren Fordyce
Did you know that UC IPM has an online tool that provides month-by-month pest prevention and management tips? It's called the Seasonal Landscape IPM Checklist! You can select your region of California to view activities to do in the landscape each month. You can also subscribe to receive an email at the beginning of each month for your designated region.
Follow these general tips for the month of January. To view more tips specific to your region, visit the checklist on the UC IPM website.
- Monitor for damage and pests such as
- Author: Lauren Fordyce
Mark your calendars and register now for these free IPM webinars! Learn about pest identification, prevention, and management in and around the home, garden, and landscape. Webinars are open to all members of the public and we encourage you to share them with anyone who may be interested in joining!
The UC Statewide IPM Program Urban and Community Webinar Series occurs on the third Thursday of every month from 12:00-1:00pm PST. All webinars are recorded and posted to the UC IPM YouTube channel– so don't worry if you can't attend!
January 18, 2024 – Peach Leaf Curl &...
“Kill your lawn!” has become a popular phrase and landscaping trend in recent years. Whether you are looking to completely remove your lawn or just renovate it, this article will give you useful information to help you decide how best to do away with your existing lawn and prepare for your new design.
There are many reasons someone might be looking to get rid of their lawn.
- Can be costly to maintain (water, landscapers, time, equipment, fertilizers, etc.)
- Aesthetics (desire a different look)
- Create habitat (plants for birds, pollinators, natural enemies, etc.)
- Replace groundcover (plant different grass type, install turfgrass alternative)
- Save water by...
- Author: Lauren Fordyce
Tomatoes are ripening all over California right now keeping many gardeners and tomato lovers busy picking, canning, and eating. But what may not make gardeners happy are seeing curled leaves and not knowing why. There are many reasons why your tomato leaves may be curling or rolling. Being able to narrow down possible causes takes a bit of detective work, but using this article and UC IPM's Plant Problem Diagnostic Tool can make it achievable!
Tomato leaf curl can be the result of:
Environmental stressors
Leaf curl on tomato is often caused by environmental stress, not necessarily pathogens or...
