- Author: Belinda J. Messenger-Sikes
Figuring out what's wrong with your plant takes a little detective work. Plants can look unhealthy for a number of reasons, including diseases, pest insects, or even environmental conditions like sunburn, too much water, not enough water, wind damage, and other issues. Start by examining the plant closely for anything out of place. Knowing what the plant should look like will help you determine if there's a problem. Because some pests attack only specific plants, identifying the type of plant, including the variety or cultivar, narrows down disease possibilities.
Diseases caused by a plant pathogen, like a fungus, will look and act differently than something caused by environmental factors. Note the plant's location in the garden or landscape and compare the symptoms to nearby plants. Disease symptoms will usually develop slowly and unevenly on one type of plant. Damage from environmental issues is more likely to appear quickly and be widespread.
If the plant is growing in a preferred location and receiving the right amount of water and fertilizer, it will be less susceptible to disease and environmental disorders.
To learn more about plant diseases and what might be affecting your plant, find your plant in the UC IPM plant disease index. Not sure if you have a disease or another type of pest? Use the plant problem diagnostic tool to help narrow down what's wrong with your plant. Find out more about plant problems on the UC IPM website.
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- Author: Heidi Aufdermaur
The Master Garden handbook defines a weed as “a plant growing where it is not wanted.” For the home gardener, a plant can become a weed when it interferes with intended use of land and water resources.
I recently purchased “Weeds of California and other Western States” a two-volume resource book. It lists over 1600 pages of plants considered weeds. As I read through this book, I see many plants listed that I would not have considered as weeds, such as the broadleaf forget-me-not. I love the look of this annual. I scattered their seeds several years ago in one area of my yard and this year I found them growing in several other places. This isn't surprising as I've observed their seeds attached to my clothes and garden gloves.
So, is it a weed if this pretty flower shows up somewhere else? According to the California Invasive Plant Council, the answer is “yes,” since this particular plant is also considered invasive. It can escape landscapes and move into natural habitats and pastures. The control of invasive plants in California costs over $82 million dollars per year.
Nostalgic Weeds
One “weed” I enjoy came from my grandmother's garden, it's called the “three-corner leek”. This “weed” looked so pretty in her yard, I brought it home many years ago. Now, I see it made itself comfortable all over the yard. This perennial bulb, with white umbel-like flowers, has “escaped cultivation as a garden ornamental”, according to the “Weeds” book. It has been somewhat easy to control, and I dig out the bulb when it appears. I think of Grandma when I see it, so in the garden, it's staying.
A Weedy Menace
I am slowly winning the fight in two areas where these weeds are located. However, under the birch trees, I have surrendered to taking my garden knife and cutting off the greens just below the surface of the ground. I know it may not be a permanent solution, but it looks good until I need to cut the greens again, in a few weeks. The “Weeds” book says this process eventually “depletes bulb energy reserves.” I have learned not to let this plant set flowers as it also reproduces itself using seeds.
I am determined to win this battle against the weeds with perseverance. Wish me luck!!! I hope to see your comments on how you are doing controlling weeds in your garden.
UC IPM Home and Landscape Pests - Weeds
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/menu.weeds.html
California Invasive Plant Council
https://www.cal-ipc.org/
Weeds of California and Other Western States, vol. 1&2, UC ANR publication 3488
http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu
For more information about Stanislaus Master Gardener's program and upcoming classes, sign up for the Stanislaus Sprout blog at https://ucanr.edu/blogs/StanislausSprout
A Help Desk is also available to help with other gardening questions or concerns: https://ucanr.edu/sites/stancountymg/
Heidi Aufdermaur is a graduate of the 2019 Class of Master Gardeners in Stanislaus County.
- Author: Cheryl Reynolds
Looking to hire a maintenance gardener? Make sure they are DPR certified
—Cheryl Reynolds, UC Statewide IPM Program
Summer is right around the corner. The mild weather we've recently experienced following a rich rainy season is the perfect combination for the luscious growth we see in lawns and landscapes.
Business picks up this time of year for the many maintenance gardeners who are hired to mow lawns, clean up landscapes, or get rid of unwanted insects, diseases, or weeds. What many people may not realize is that maintenance gardeners who apply pesticides as part of their services must be certified by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). Even if pesticides are not used often, such as a single herbicide application, a Qualified Applicator Certificate in the Maintenance Gardener Category Q (QAC-Q) is required. This certification allows maintenance gardeners to legally apply general use pesticides as part of their services.
According to DPR, approximately two-thirds of pesticide exposure-related illnesses reported between 2005 and 2014 in California came from urban settings such as parks, gardens, schools, and homes. Maintenance gardeners with a QAC-Q are qualified to follow California laws and regulations that help them to use, transport, store, and dispose of pesticides safely in order to avoid human injury and contamination of the environment. They are also trained in pest identification and alternative methods to managing pests without the use of pesticides.
If you are a homeowner and use maintenance gardener services or are looking to hire, be sure to use one that is certified by DPR to ensure that they have the qualifications to follow the law and apply pesticides safely around your home. View the DPR Maintenance Gardener leaflet for homeowners and consumers (PDF) for more information on what you can do.
If you are a maintenance gardener and not yet certified, visit the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) website for resources to help you. The exam preparation page lists several materials such as a study guide available for purchase as well as free online modules and practice exam questions available in both English and Spanish.
Those who already hold a QAC-Q must renew it by taking eight hours of DPR-approved continuing education (CE) courses every two years, with at least two hours in the laws and regulations category. Find approved online courses on the UCIPM training page.
For more information about the Qualified Applicator Certificate in the Maintenance Gardener Category, check out the DPR website and DPR's quick reference pocket guide (PDF).
- Author: Cheryl Reynolds
Memorial Day Weekend has just passed, bringing with it the unofficial start of summer. The warm weather we've recently experienced following a rich rainy season is the perfect combination for the luscious growth we see in lawns and landscapes.
Business picks up this time of year for the many maintenance gardeners who are hired to mow lawns, clean up landscapes, or get rid of unwanted insects, diseases, or weeds. What many people may not realize is that maintenance gardeners who apply pesticides as part of their services must be certified by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). Even if pesticides are not used often, such as a single herbicide application, a Qualified Applicator Certificate in the Maintenance Gardener Category Q (QAC-Q) is required. This certification allows maintenance gardeners to legally apply general use pesticides as part of their services.
According to DPR, approximately two-thirds of pesticide exposure-related illnesses reported between 2005 and 2014 in California came from urban settings such as parks, gardens, schools and homes. Maintenance gardeners with a QAC-Q are qualified to follow California laws and regulations that help them to use, transport, store and dispose of pesticides safely in order to avoid human injury and contamination of the environment. They are also trained in pest identification and alternative methods to managing pests without the use of pesticides.
If you are a homeowner and use maintenance gardener services or are looking to hire, be sure to use one that is certified by DPR to ensure that they have the qualifications to follow the law and apply pesticides safely around your home. View the DPR Maintenance Gardener leaflet for homeowners and consumers (PDF) for more information on what you can do.
If you are a maintenance gardener and not yet certified, visit the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) website for resources to help you. The exam preparation page lists several materials such as a study guide available for purchase as well as free online modules and practice exam questions, available in both English and Spanish.
Those who already hold a QAC-Q must renew it by taking eight hours of DPR-approved continuing education (CE) courses every two years, with at least two hours in the laws and regulations category. Find approved online courses on the UCIPM training page.
For more information about the Qualified Applicator Certificate in the Maintenance Gardener Category, check out the DPR website and DPR's quick reference pocket guide (PDF).
- Author: Anne Schellman
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
Weeds
- Manage weeds using nonchemical methods such as cultivation, handweeding, or mowing.
- Prevent weeds using competitive plants, mulches, and hand removal.
- Herbicides (weed killers) are rarely needed in established landscape plantings when nonchemical controls are used regularly.
To learn more about managing weeds, see the UC IPM Pest Note: Weed Management in Landscapes.
Insects and Diseases
Insect pests and disease pathogens may be overwintering on your plants or hiding in other places in the landscape. When weather warms in spring, these pests can quickly become a problem. To prevent this:
- Practice good sanitation around the yard by removing diseased wood, brush piles, and debris and dispose of waste immediately.
- On fruit trees, remove “mummies” from both the tree and the ground.
- Prune off dead, diseased, and borer-infested wood.
For more information on common winter pests and how to prevent them, visit the dormant or delayed-dormant season controls page.
Monthly tips
Wouldn't it be great if you could find a list of what to do in the landscape each month in your area? There is!—the Seasonal Landscape IPM Checklist (SLIC). This monthly guide helps gardeners and landscape professionals see common pests of landscape plants in certain regions in California (more to be added soon), and provides information to help you use integrated pest management (IPM) to avoid and manage the pests.
Also, many county UC Master Gardener offices and web sites have monthly gardening tips to help you plan. Find your local UC Master Gardener office at http://mg.ucanr.edu/FindUs/.