- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Covering the ongoing drought, Peter King wrote a story in the Los Angeles Times about different approaches being taken around the state to manage with less water. From desalination facilities to solar-powered telemetry towers to help improve irrigation efficiency in an almond orchard to water storage projects, the former UCOP news director highlighted a number of efforts to plan for a drier future. He ended up at UC ANR's South Coast Research and Extension Center, looking at the landscape project...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Low rainfall in the state of California is stressing landscape trees in urban areas, reported the San Jose Mercury-News.
Igor Lacan, UCCE advisor in Santa Clara, Contra Costa and Alameda counties, says it's difficult to make blanket statements about which species are in trouble, since a tree's water- and heat-related health depends on its location.
Some species on a south-facing slope might show drought stress, while the same species on a north-facing slope doesn't....
/span>- Author: Brenda Dawson
Reporter Laurie Lucas covered UC Riverside's turfgrass field day for The (Riverside) Press-Enterprise. Approximately 200 homeowners, park managers, water experts, scientists, nursery professionals and golf course supervisors attended the event. One of the 13 projects highlighted at the Turfgrass Research Facility's event examined water-efficient groundcover, including rosemary, thyme and iceplant. UC Cooperative Extension specialist Donald Merhaut commented on the plants' response to reduced water. "Most of the 18 species we grew with limited irrigation did...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
There are many good reasons to plant California native plants in the landscape, and right now is a good time to do so, according to an article that ran over the weekend in the Sacramento Bee.
Native plants attract beneficial insects and birds, use up to 75 percent less water than conventional shrubs and lawn, require less work and are resistant to pests.
In September and October, the soil is warm enough in most parts of California to encourage native plant's root growth and winter rain will irrigate the new plants. The plants will be ready to produce abundant flowers in the spring, the article said.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Cooler, breezy weather in California this week is a welcome sign of autumn. After three years of drought, the beginning of fall holds hope for a "normal" rainy season. Since the hoped-for stormy weather can release branches from trees, UC Cooperative Extension horticulture advisor Michelle LeStrange reminded readers in her Visalia Times-Delta column today to take a close look at their landscape trees.
"It’s better to find a broken branch in your tree," she wrote, "than on your car."
She suggests trees be inspected before and after storms for leaning, weakly attached multiple trunks, a split where large branches attach to the trunk,...