- Author: Elizabeth Moon
- Contributor: Saoimanu Sope
Chris McDonald, Inland and Desert Natural Resources advisor, brought together 80 people from various federal, state, county, and university affiliations at the Pala Band of Mission Indian Administrative Building in Pala for the Southern California Tribal Partnerships Workshop. The Pala Tribal community graciously welcomed us to their community with a homemade lunch and an invocation by Pala Tribal Member, Eric Ortega.
The two-day event kicked off with foundational knowledge about Pala Tribal life, Tribal civics, and building partnerships with John “Bud” Machado, Cupeño Language Instructor for the Tribe, Shasta Gaughen, Environmental Director and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, and Heidi Brow, Water Resource Specialist in the Environmental Department.
For many in the audience, the knowledge gained was new and nuanced. For example, did you know that despite a Tribe's sovereignty, meaning they are recognized as an independent nation, the federal government is required to serve as a ‘guardian'? This reality is truly horrendous considering the genocide of native people and the stealing of their lands.
The nuance of this Civics 101 is a minimum foundation for how outsiders to the Tribe need to, first, do their own learning before attempting any partnership with a Tribe. Second, it is a reminder that partnerships must be based on what the Tribe needs and, third, that all efforts need to involve the Tribal community every step of the way. Overall, the presentations offered a clear example of what many of us in the audience believe to be missing in education.
We ended the first day with McDonald's advice on studying your organization's history. ]Knowing the history of your organization will help to identify how it has affected the Indigenous communities where you currently or will work, and offer guidance on how to avoid repeating a cycle of harm.
I spent the evening beginning to reflect on my personal and professional communities. I thought about how I could build out this living history and build safe spaces for exploration of how to create trust through training and composing questions that allow us to hear the words of the Native communities in California.
Day two started in the demonstration garden located outside the Pala Administration building. Attendees had the opportunity to take a walking field trip of the on-ground projects being accomplished with partnerships. Upon entering the garden, where cherry tomatoes were ripening and a few workers were shoveling dirt from one pile to another, we learned how the Pala Tribe gained access to this trust land and their vision to make it an educational space for both gardening and culture.
The demonstration garden is in the process of building out its composting structures and future goal for a turtle pond. Next on our tour was the aquaponics demonstration site, which I found to be the most interesting. Learning about the infrastructure and financial resources required to get the site off the ground was fascinating. I cannot wait to see it fully in action with its solar energy source and the proliferation of greens and reeds for use by the Tribe. We ended our tour with a walk around the sports complex adjacent to the Pala Administration Building to see the pollinator garden and the Trujillo Creek restoration project.
Perfect timing for us to return inside for another mouthwatering lunch provided by the Pala Tribe and a conversation around the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Pala partnership on a fuels reduction project. Our afternoon gave us the opportunity to learn directly from the following Tribal members and affiliates: Will Madrigal Jr. from Climate Science Alliance, Lisset Valencia-Pigman and Andrew Pigman from Condor Visual Media, Jeremy Zagarella from TriHydro, Lena Ortega from the Intertribal Agriculture Council, and Tina Fernandez from the Pala Environmental Department.
Each person freely gifted us their knowledge and expertise. Lena Ortega's presentation awoke in me the need for honesty in assessing my motives through the lens of my actions. “How many of you know the five tribes closest to where you work?” Lena asked. “How many of you have attended an open event in the tribal community you wish to partner with in the last month or two?”, “Do you know the history of the Tribe?”, she continued. More questions were calling us out for our passive expectations to gain knowledge and partnerships without the work, something I appreciated then and now.
We ended our time together in circles of learning and sharing - providing another opportunity to build connections, deepen learning, and find ways to collaborate and co-create as organizations with the Tribes in our communities.
I am looking forward to our NorCal Tribal Partnerships Workshop in August in Davis. I hope to see many more folks join in this learning and be challenged to learn more about the land where we reside and how we can show respect to those whose land and knowledge we aspire to partner with in the future.
- Author: Penny Pawl, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
I love propagating plants and I have used several methods with success. As I walk around my garden, I can see the results of this pastime. Some of my propagating efforts have grown into full-size plants.
When I am pruning, I often save some of the pruned parts and attempt to make new plants through a process known as vegetative propagation.
My first attempts at this method were under the guidance of John Hoffman, a retired Napa arborist who was among the first certified Napa County Master Gardeners. John told me to take cuttings of the plants I wanted to reproduce and plant them in a mixture of half sharp sand and half pumice or perlite. This mixture drains well but stays damp, so cuttings don't dry out.
This method can take a while depending on the type of plant. I have on occasion put a large bottle over the top of the pot to retain moisture.
Many people dip the cut end of the plant in rooting hormone to help with rooting. I have found that step unnecessary. When I can tug gently on the cutting and feel some resistance, it has probably rooted and is ready for potting in well-drained soil and its new life. Not every cutting will root, in my experience. I can treat two identical cuttings the same, yet one will fail, and one will root.
I reuse the sand-pumice mixture and have cuttings going in and out over time. I keep these pots filled with starting mixture in the greenhouse during winter and in a shady spot during summer.
Many plants are patented. If they are reproduced vegetatively and sold, the patent holder is entitled to payment.
This is not a concern for me as I give away my extras.
Another propagation method I like is via root cuttings, which works well on elms and maples. When pruning plant roots, take a piece of live root that has tiny feeder roots and plant it in the rooting medium cut side up so that the feeder roots are buried. The new growth will emerge from the cut end. If you inadvertently plant the wrong side up, you will likely have a failure. In time, the cut end will sprout new leaves and more roots, and you will have another plant ready to pot up.
Air layering also works for propagation, although it takes a lot more time. It is most suitable for hardwood bushes or trees. I have seen it used in Japan on large pine trees. I successfully propagated a Japanese maple via air layering in 1994 and it is still growing well. The trunk was about 3 inches in diameter when I air-layered it and now it is a full-size tree.
To succeed with air layering, you need to pay attention to proper technique. It's difficult to describe the method but you can find good videos and websites to guide you. This site clearly explains how to use air layering to propagate a fruit tree.
A few years ago, while reading about propagation, I learned about the plant propagation machines known as cloners. I now own three and two are full of cuttings all the time. I have done both hardwood and softwood cuttings in the cloners, which rely on hydroponics, continually washing the stems of the cuttings with water. The cloner comes with a small pump, and I check these pumps daily to make sure nothing is plugging them.
It is amazing how quickly the softwood cuttings root. I once put a germanium in the cloner and left home for two weeks. When I returned the plant had enough roots to go into its own pot. Using a cloner, I have had success propagating elms, maples, milkweed, verbascum, salvias and many other plants.
To take a cutting for propagation, I look for new tip growth. I cut a piece 10 to 12 inches long, measured from the cut to the growing tip, and strip off the bottom leaves. I make the cut on the diagonal to expose as much of the green cambium layer as possible. Usually the new roots push from that part. However, on some plants, roots emerge from the stem where leaves were removed. If new leaves push from the stem, I remove them.
There are other propagation methods that I don't use. One practice involves bending a stem (or branch) of the plant to the ground and then topping the stem with soil. Given time and good conditions, this stem will develop roots and can then be separated from the mother plant.
What do I do with all the plants I propagate? Many go into the ground, some into pots and others I happily give to friends.
Workshop: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County for “Succulent/Dry Garden: Double Your Pleasure - Double Your Fun” on Saturday, July 27, from 10 am to noon, at Las Flores Learning Garden, 4300 Linda Vista Avenue, Napa. Do you know the five most common ways succulents reproduce? Learn their secrets and how you can increase your plant collection or add to your low-water landscape through succulent plant propagation. Register here.
Library Talk: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County and Napa County Library for a talk on “Fabulous Ferns, Indoors and Out “ on Thursday, August 1, from 7 pm to 8 pm via Zoom. Ferns are an accommodating family of plants ranging in size from tiny to behemoth. Some species grow in air and others in water, as well as in just about any type of soil. Enjoy an overview of these remarkable plants and find the perfect one for your space. Register to receive the Zoom link.
Help Desk: The Master Gardener Help Desk is available to answer your garden questions on Mondays and Fridays from 10 am until 1 pm at the University of California Cooperative Extension Office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa. Or send your questions to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. Include your name, address, phone number and a brief description.
Become a Master Gardener Volunteer: UC Master Gardeners of Napa County is now accepting applications for the Class of 2025. Visit napamg.ucanr.edu to read the informational brochure, then register to attend a mandatory information session for applicants. Application deadline is 5 pm on September 25.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
One potato, two potato, three potato, four...
You never know what will pop up in a pollinator garden.
Meet Mr. Potato Capsid, Closterotomus norvegicus, often found on nettle, potato, clover and cannabis.
We spotted him (or her) in a Vacaville pollinator garden, where there is no nettle, potato, clover or cannabis. But it also feeds on chrysanthemum, carrots and members of the sunflower family, Asteraceae.
It popped up on a chrysanthemum blossom. The insect is green and probably a nymph as the color changes, when it's an adult, to reddish brown.
It belongs to the family Miridae. Entomologists point out that this family is the largest of true bugs belonging to the suborder Heteroptera.
At first we thought it was a lygus bug, which is also a myrid and a serious pest of cotton, strawberry and alfalfa.
But no, a potato capsid, an insect originating in the Mediterranean region. It prefers to feed on flowers, buds and unripe fruit.
Same family, though.
- Author: Eve Solana Roxane Dowdell
- Editor: Suzanne Morikawa
During the first week of February, I flew a total of 10 hours to the Nation's capital, Washington D.C., to facilitate a meeting hosted by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. The meeting was a public information gathering session for the Committee on Out of School Time Settings.
The Committee collected insights through a discussion between young people and staff from various out-of-school programs on the east coast. My role was to connect with the youth speakers, guide their insightful conversation, and make them feel at ease. The six youth speakers made my job smooth and pleasant. They shared their lived experiences participating in or supporting out-of-school programs. From the elementary schooler to the high school graduate, these young rockstars contributed their perspectives on program quality, barriers to access, and measuring success.
This amazing opportunity was above and beyond what I could have imagined. I learned about different out-of-school programs, interacted with their leaders, and met passionate, prudent people from the National Academies (See image below to see a few.) As a California 4-H alumna, former State Ambassador, and current California 4-H Communications Intern, my participation accentuated the positive impact that youth development organizations like 4-H have on youth.
Fulfilling My Spark
On my three-day trip, I strolled in Downtown Washington D.C., lunched at the Judiciary Park, and tasted yummy treats from allergy-friendly restaurants. PUH! (or "finally" in English) To top it off, I finally got the opportunity to visit the Starbucks Signing Store! This Starbucks store is staffed by a diverse team of employees who are all fluent in American Sign Language (ASL). As an avid ASL student, signer, and enthusiast, visiting the store has been a dream of mine since my first years of high school. I excitedly ordered myself a venti coffee, communicating fully in ASL. I am actively working to become an ASL interpreter—this visit not only solidified that goal but reinforced my desire.
Keep scrolling for some photos from my trip.
I am at a loss for words to describe the gratitude and giddiness I felt before, during, and now, after this trip. I continuously pinched myself in Washington D.C. because this adventure felt like a dream. Fortunately, it was indeed a dream come true.
Editor's note
Watch Eve in action! The website includes a video recording of the entire meeting, broken up into four parts. You can see the change in the youth presenters as Eve makes them more comfortable with speaking and sharing in front of a room of adults. You can hear similarities to how 4-H engages youth and encourages them to thrive. Eve shares about her 4-H experiences to fill in spaces when the youth are thinking about their answers.
Part 1
- 3:17 Eve is introduced to facilitate the youth discussion
- 30:25-31:22 Eve shares about her experience at Ag Day at the Capitol to spark discussion about the ways their afterschool program gave them experiences that impacted them.
Part 4
The youth panel and program staff answer Q&A. The discussions continue about why quality youth programs are needed and should be supported, and the impact they make on youth.
Eve's facilitation skills impressed the Committee on Out of School Time Settings and they invited her to continue as a facilitator for Part 2 on April 18th. That meeting included a 4-H Healthy Living Ambassador from Hopi 4-H in Arizona. The recording of that meeting will be posted on their website.
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- Author: Joy Humphrey
I have a thing for tiny vases. Not fairyland tiny, just, you know, small. Wandering around in any shop, I will home in on any vase that is under six inches and ignore the proper sized ones with the result being that anyone bringing me a bouquet of flowers will find me looking perplexed in my cupboards wondering what in blazes I'm supposed to put the huge thing in. It's not that I don't like big vases of flowers—they are abundant and glorious and make any tabletop pop. It's just that I'm drawn to the sweetness of a tiny bouquet sitting unexpectedly among the unopened mail on my crowded desk, or the little pop of color it provides on my white bathroom counter or the cheery floral faces sharing space with the napkins on my breakfast table.
I also find it less daunting to fill a small vase, and I'm more likely to cut the flowers in my garden knowing I won't be decimating an entire patch to fill a large vessel. One of my favorite flowers to snip is tickseed (Coreopsis). It blooms profusely, so there are always plenty for my vases as well as for the landscape. Another favorite is pincushion flower (Scabiosa). I find the pale purple-blue color goes with everything. Yarrow (Achillea) is wonderful and long-lasting, but since mine are newly planted this year and still small, I hesitate to cut the few blooms I have, although I couldn't resist the yellow of my ‘Little Moonshine.' I was surprised that impatiens and begonias make good choices for a tiny bouquet. When snipping off some leggy stems of each, I decided to put them in a vase and was pleased that they were long-lasting and had the added bonus of putting out roots--beautification and propagation at the same time.
When it comes to arranging, sometimes I like to feature one type of flower and keep it simple. Three roses in a small vase shine very nicely on their own. But most of the time, I'm filling in with cuttings from my herb garden: tall sprigs of rosemary, mint that needs to be cut back anyway, lemon balm. Bolting parsley makes a lovely delicate arch, and sprigs of lavender never go amiss.
I know it's popular to go big, but I think I'll continue to go small, making tiny bouquets for every room, and happily losing track of time while experimenting with different floral and herb combinations. (I do need to buy some bigger vases, though.)