Days are getting shorter and evenings cooler as winter approaches. Sweater weather also means a change in the to-do list around the yard.
Here are a few things to consider when preparing your landscapes and gardens for winter.
Frost
- Protect sensitive plants from cold injury when freezing or frost is predicted. Cover plants with cloth or a similar material at night, leaving the covers open at the bottom so heat from soil can help warm plants.
- When frost or freezing is expected, irrigate dry topsoil at least 3 days before the cold weather to increase the soil's ability to retain...
If you are puzzled by curling leaves on plants in your garden or landscape, you may need to do some detective work to figure out the cause. Curling leaves can be caused by many problems, including insect damage, disease, abiotic disorders, or even herbicides.
Insects
There are several insect pests that cause leaves to curl when they suck plant juices of new or young leaves that are still growing. These include aphids, thrips, and whiteflies.
Peach leaf...
- Author: Janet Hartin
[From the Spring issue of the UC IPM Retail Nursery & Garden Center News]
Most disorders impacting landscape trees result from abiotic (non-living) disorders rather than attacks from biotic (living) pests like plant pathogens, insects, and vertebrates. Damage caused by abiotic and biotic disorders can appear similar, making diagnosis difficult at times. For example, discolored leaves on a Ficus nitida tree could be due to drought stress, a fungus, or a nutrient toxicity or...
/span>- Author: Anne Schellman
- Author: Karey Windbiel Rojas
Gardeners and other consumers frequently look to retail nursery and garden center employees to answer questions about pests and pesticides. To help retailers stay abreast of current pest topics facing California, UC IPM held a workshop for retail employees on January 28, 2016 in Ontario, CA focusing on integrated pest management (IPM) concepts and current issues. Partnering with local UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Advisors and Specialists, the day was filled with information participants could bring back to customers to address their pest and plant problems.
Topics addressed in these workshops include:
- Invasive Pests
- Asian citrus psyllid and...
Are you busy on Thursday, January 28? Are you a retail nursery/garden center employee, Master Gardener, or someone interested in learning more about garden pests in southern California?
If so, join us for a one-day, jam-packed IPM workshop covering invasive pests, Asian citrus psyllids, less toxic pesticides, abiotic disorders, and UC IPM resources.
The workshop is open to all but you must preregister. The cost is only $40 and includes breakfast, lunch, and many great take-home materials.
Don't wait! Register today!
See the full agenda, location, and registration form at