- Author: Loren Nelson
Good soil is the starting place for a great garden. Learn what comprises healthy soil, about soil texture and structure, and how to protect, improve, and nurture soil. In this presentation, we will discuss soil testing, aeration, and drainage.
Click the image to learn more and visit our Classes and Events Calendar page.
/h2>- Author: Loren Nelson
We will walk you through the basics of growing orchids, including plant selection, structure and characteristics, plus care and feeding. With thousands of species growing worldwide, there are sure to be orchids that you can grow successfully, and we will show you how.
Click the image to learn more and visit our Classes and Events Calendar page.
/h2>- Author: Loren Nelson
Good soil is the starting place for a great garden. Learn what comprises healthy soil, about soil texture and structure, and how to protect, improve, and nurture soil. In this presentation, we will discuss soil testing, aeration, and drainage.
Click the image to learn more and visit our Classes and Events Calendar page.
/h2>- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
UC Cooperative Extension in Modoc County is partnering with Utah State University to offer a mustang camp for California youth ages 9 to 19.
The 4-H Mustang Camp, sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, will be held on June 28-29.
This overnight camp is an opportunity for youth across California to learn about managing public lands, rangelands, wild horses and burros. Mustangs are feral horses that roam freely.
“We realize not everyone can take a wild horse home so we'll take the young people out on the range,” said event organizer Laura Snell, UC Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources advisor for Modoc County.
“Participants will learn about range management, the grasses, habitat, ecosystem and wild horses,” she said.
Youth also will learn about careers with U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service related to wild horse management.
Camp participants will spend the night at a campground and use facilities at the Lassen County Fair Grounds. Registration for the mustang camp is $75 and includes lunch and dinner on June 28 and breakfast and lunch on June 29. Space is limited to 25 youth.
“Our hope is that by participating in this camp these young people will leave understanding and appreciating the uniqueness of our wild horses and burros,” said Snell.
The 4-H Mustang Camp is sponsored by the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program and UC Cooperative Extension in Modoc and Lassen counties. It will be held at Lassen County Fair Grounds at 195 Russell Avenue, Susanville, CA 96130.
Registration for camp is open through June 14. To learn more about the camp or to register, visit https://extension.usu.edu/utah4h/events/mustang-camp.
Colt Challenge on June 22
The public is invited to celebrate the five-year anniversary of the Devils Garden Colt Challenge on June 22 in Alturas in Modoc County. In the Colt Challenge, 4-H and FFA youth in California and in the Oregon border counties of Lake and Klamath take home young, wild horses in December to train, then gather in June to show their horses' progress. Attendance is free.
For more information about the Colt Challenge, visit https://www.devilsgardenucce.org/post/colt-challenge-faq.
- Author: Anne Schellman
What do pumpkins need?
Space - Pumpkin plant vines can grow over 20 feet long. Give plants plenty of space to grow. Use a tomato cage or small trellis for mini pumpkin varieties. For larger pumpkins, vines can grow on a fence. Make sure to support each pumpkin with a “sling” like a t-shirt or tied nylon stocking tied that is also tied to the fence.
Mounds - Make a small mound or hill and plant 3-5 pumpkin seeds per hill. Create a small basin around each planting to help keep the soil moist until seedlings appear.
Water – Water early in the morning. As the plants mature, water deeply and infrequently to a depth of 12 inches, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between watering.
Fertilizer – If desired, you can use a vegetable fertilizer labeled for pumpkins.
Thinning – If growing large pumpkins, select the best-looking fruit when it is small, and remove the others. This will send all the nutrients into that pumpkin so it can grow large.
Possible Pests
If you see any of these pests on your plants, visit the UC IPM Website tips on what to do.
Just for Fun
When pumpkins are small, carve your name or a cool design on the skin and it will become more apparent and look extra spooky as the pumpkin gets larger.
Also, if you are on Facebook or Instagram, please follow us @UC Master Gardeners of Stanislaus County and @UCMGStanislaus (respectively).
Resources
Sonoma Master Gardeners: https://sonomamg.ucanr.edu/Food_Gardening/Additional_KG_Articles/Pumpkins/
UC IPM Cultural Tips for Growing Pumpkins
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/pumpkins/cultural-tips/index.html?src=307-pageViewHLS
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