- Author: Bruce A Linquist
As I write this in early April, the weather is shifting back and forth between being warm and cold and there is the occasional rainfall. Many of you have started or are thinking about starting ground work in preparation for planting. With all this going on, I ask you to imagine what it would be like for your farming operations if you could plant a rice field in mid-April. Later this week, we are planning to plant our first research plots on a summer stale-seedbed (fallowed last year and worked in the summer into a seedbed) using a no-till planter. The ground is firm enough to support equipment, we have taken care of our winter weeds and the seed will be planted into moisture. On top of that, we have rain in the forecast for the weekend. Once planted, these rainfall events are helpful.
If the soil is dry, how early one can plant really depends on temperature. Daily average temperature (average of daily minimum and maximum) should be 60oF. Historically, this average falls between April 10 and 15 in the Sacramento Valley. The other consideration if you are planting early is the availability of water. The seeds need to have water to germinate. You cannot always rely on rainfall. Sometimes it may be hard to plant to moisture. In these cases, you need irrigation water. If you have an irrigation pump, you are free to decide when to plant and irrigate your field. If you have to rely on district water, you will be more restricted in your planning.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Look closely at a patch of California golden poppies and you may see a sweat bee (genus Halictus) collecting gold pollen. The pollen basket is on the hind legs but you'll see "gold" also dusting the head and abdomen.
Native bee, commonly known as "halictid bee." Native plant. In fact, the California golden poppy, Eschscholzia californica, is the state flower.
And the rumor that it's "protected" and you'll get arrested if you pick a poppy along a roadside is inaccurate.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife sets the record straight on its website: "It is often believed that there are laws prohibiting the cutting or damaging of the California poppy because it is the state flower. While there is no law protecting the California poppy specifically, California Penal Code Section 384a(opens in new tab) requires written landowner permission to remove and sell plant material from land that a person does not own, and removing or damaging plants from property that a person does not own without permission may constitute trespass and/or petty theft. However, these laws do not prevent the collection of California poppies on private land by the landowner. California poppies are a beautiful and easy-to-grow addition to your garden, and although you may choose to pick them from your property, they last much longer in the ground!"
Want to learn more about native bees? California has some 1600 species of wild or non-managed bees. Be sure to read California Bees & Blooms: A Guide for Gardeners and Naturalists. It's the work of University of California authors, all with UC Berkeley connections: Gordon Frankie, now professor emeritus, UC Berkeley; Robbin Thorp (1933-2019), UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor who received his doctorate in entomology from UC Berkeley; photographer Rollin Coville, who holds a doctorate in entomology from UC Berkeley, and Barbara Ertter, curator at the UC Berkeley-based University Herbarium and Jepson Herbarium.
The Bohart Museum of Entomology is hosting an open house on bees, both wild and managed, from 1 to 4 p.m., Sunday, May 19 in Room 1124, Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane. It's free and family free.