A new season of Master Gardener Workshops is about to start! The series kicks off with “Seed Starting” on January 31, and will conclude on May 23 with a workshop on drip irrigation. In all, this Spring series totals 17 workshops, including five all-new topics. There is something here for every type of gardener and every size of home garden, whether you maintain a balcony of plants in containers or produce fruit and vegetables on a large plot for your family, friends, and neighbors.
A new workshop focusing on roses and their care will be taught by experts from the Butte Rose Society. Raised beds and container gardening are the topics of two more new workshops. Is your garden plagued by moles or gophers (or both)? Does it seem impossible to manage the weeds in your yard? We've got workshops to help you deal with those pesky problems.
Most of the workshops will be held either in the outdoor classroom located in the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden or inside Pat's Barn; both are located at the Patrick Ranch (10381 Midway, between Chico and Durham). A few workshops will be held at private residences; the workshop on Seed Starting will be held at the Veterans Memorial Hall in Chico; Landscaping for a Hotter Climate will take place in Paradise at the Terry Ashe Recreation Center; and Worm Composting will be held at the Worm Farm in Durham. All workshops will be held during morning or early afternoon hours.
The following is a list of workshop topics and dates. All workshops are free, but they do require advance registration. For full descriptions of all the workshops, information on our Covid safety guidelines, and to register, visit our website.
JANUARY
Seed Starting (Tuesday 1/31, 1-2:30 pm). Learn to start your own summer vegetables indoors, from seed. The focus here will be on tomatoes and peppers.
Bare Root Fruit Trees and Espalier (Tuesday 2/7, 1-3 pm). Planting bare root fruit trees, training them to grow along a support, and proper pruning strategies will be covered.
Tool Care (Saturday 2/11, 1-2:30 pm). Rob Fanno from Fanno Saw Works will tell us how to select and care for garden tools.
Edible Landscaping (Wednesday 2/15, 1-2:30 pm). Learn the basics of adding fruit and nut trees, vegetables, and herbs as garden design features for a more functional, sustainable, and tasty garden.
Worm Composting (Tuesday 2/21, 1-2:30 pm). Create fantastic compost by feeding your kitchen scraps to the worms! Learn how to make and use a simple worm bin.
Native Bees (Saturday 2/25, 10-11:30 am). Blue Orchard Mason Bees provide superior pollination for three months. Learn all about them, and also Bumble Bees and Leaf Cutter Bees.
MARCH
Honeybees (Saturday 3/4, 1-2:30 pm). If you are considering beekeeping as a hobby, or just interested in learning more about attracting and supporting honeybees and other pollinators to your garden, this workshop is for you.
Raised Beds (Wednesday 3/8, 10-11:30 am). With raised beds, garden tasks like weeding, watering, and replanting are much easier; so is pest control. Learn about the wide variety of methods and materials for making raised beds.
Gophers and Moles (Friday 3/10, 10-11:30 am). Learn how to deal with these little monsters that plague our yards; this workshop will include a demonstration on how to set a gopher trap.
Landscaping for a Hotter Climate (Monday 3/13, 1:30-2:30 pm). Learn to create areas in your garden that are more heat-adapted and use less water.
Rose Care (Wednesday 3/22, 10-11:30 am). Experts from the Butte Rose Society will discuss and demonstrate soil management, planting, fertilizers, integrated pest management, and pruning.
Container Gardening (Wednesday 4/5, 10 am – noon). Grow edibles, ornamentals, shrubs, and small trees outdoors in containers. Container types, plant choices, and best practices for soil, watering, and fertilizing will all be covered.
Weeds – Identification and Treatment (Wednesday 4/12, 10-11:30 am). Learn to identify and remove weeds, along with steps to take in order to prevent them from returning.
Propagation (Friday 4/21, 10-11:30 am). Learn when and how to propagate woody perennials and divide plants, and how to plant your cuttings and divided plants. Bonus: you will take home several plant cuttings from our Demonstration Garden.
MAY
Planting a Summer Vegetable Garden (Monday 5/1, 10-11:30 am). Choosing plants; preparing soil and planting beds, and best management practices for growing and harvesting summer vegetables.
Basic Soil (Tuesday 5/16, 10-11:30 am). Learn to focus on farming the microbes below ground, for healthier gardens with fewer weeds and pests.
Drip Irrigation (Tuesday 5/23, 10-11:30). An overview of different drip irrigation systems, how to install them, and how to troubleshoot problems and make repairs.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at (530) 538-7201. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.
Humans have been fascinated by herbs and their uses for millennia. Some of the earliest written documents contained information about herbal remedies, and the use of herbs for medical treatment was first recorded on papyrus scrolls in ancient Egypt. One of the oldest preserved medical texts, the Ebers Papyrus, was apparently found in the 19th century by Egyptologists conducting excavations in the Necropolis at Thebes. Written around 1550 BCE, the Ebers Papyrus is believed to be a compilation of other, earlier medical texts; it contains remedies for various human ailments and disorders, magical formulas to aid well-being, and recipes for repelling insects and other pests from the home and body. For example, remedies for diseases of the digestive system, head, skin, and eyes; treatments for diabetes; and recipes for birth control.
The herbal remedies, passed down by word of mouth, made their way from cities to rural areas and along trade routes. In later centuries, the Greeks and Romans expanded upon the Egyptians' use of herbs, adding bay leaf (Laurus nobilis) to a list of savory and sacred herbs used in cooking and on special occasions. The favorite herb of Mediterranean peoples was rosemary (Salvia Rosmarinus). The Romans heavily relied on rosemary, using it for a myriad of purposes, including salves for wounds, and even love potions. This plant was introduced further west in Europe and the British Isles by the Roman legions who brought rosemary with them when they colonized new lands.
In the 13th century, Italian explorers and merchants (such as Marco Polo) grew wealthy from trade with China via the Silk Road. European explorers soon began looking for direct passage across the sea to the east financed by wealthy merchants. In the 15th century, while much of the rest of Europe suffered from the Black Plague, the Portuguese led naval exploration to the south and east, eventually paving the way for the discovery of the New World. As trade routes expanded, more plants and herbal remedies were introduced to Europeans.
With the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, herbal books could be mass produced and widely distributed to those who were literate. In the 17th century Nicholas Culpeper, a London herbalist and botanist, attempted to bring medical knowledge to the lay public by translating the London Pharmacopeia from Latin to English. Culpeper added herbal formulas alongside the lists of ingredients, helping those who could read to access information that had previously only been available to physicians. Culpeper went on to write a number of medical books in English. Culpeper's Herbal (1653) was brought to the American colonies by early Puritan settlers; it remains in print to this day.
Lavender, rosemary, and thyme are included in many modern gardens. We use herbs in cooking, of course, but also in many other time-honored ways: for example, placing bay leaves in flour bins to repel weevils; making ginseng tea to help an upset stomach. The history of herbs is fascinating! These ancient plants continue to play an important role in the health and well-being of our species.
New Master Gardener Workshop Series starting up! Our Spring series of workshops will begin in late January with Seed Starting on Tuesday, Jan. 31. For more information and to register, visit the Workshop section of our website.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at (530) 538-7201. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.
Counting the time spent at work and at home, urban dwellers spend 80-90% of their time indoors. Studies have found that not only do indoor plants remove deadly carbon dioxide and replace it with life-giving oxygen (through their photosynthesis and transpiration processes) but also the soil itself may contribute to cleaner indoor air. Plants can also help us recover from mental fatigue and support cognitive health by improving our ability to focus and lessening anxiety levels, thus improving overall wellness. When relaxed, our blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels may be improved. Bringing nature indoors can contribute to a happier, healthier life. While various species of cacti and succulents top the lists of plants that absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen indoors, herbs can lend a helping hand.
Happily, there are many herbs that grow well indoors. Love Mediterranean food? Consider sweet basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and sage. For Mexican cuisine, choose marjoram, bay laurel, and epazote; Thai basil and mint for Asian recipes; and cilantro for both. The French love parsley and tarragon, and chive's delicate, onion-y flavor adds savor to a wide variety of dishes. Chamomile, lemon verbena, and mint make relaxing, refreshing teas, and creative mixologists transform cocktail hour by adding rosemary, sage, basil, and lavender to their libations.
Many types of herbs can be combined with traditional houseplants (imagine a weeping fig, ficus benjamina, potted with a carpet of sage or thyme) or planted together in a single pot. Herbs are ideal plants in homes with open floor plans and plenty of light, and they can thrive in sunny foyers, near windows, and under sky lights.
Containers are an important consideration. A planter can be anything that makes you smile, as long as it has a hole in the bottom. Size doesn't matter, either, although the larger the container, the less often you'll need to repot or replace. Set on a non-porous saucer (glass, plastic, or glazed ceramic) to catch runoff and protect surfaces. If repurposing a container, make sure it's clean. Steel wool or a stiff brush will clean the inside of the pot. Rinse, then wash in hot water before planting. The most reliable and inexpensive pots are the unglazed terracotta flowerpots found at garden centers.
Nursery and garden centers conveniently offer a variety of pre-bagged soils that are blended specifically for potted plants, including organic and pre-fertilized mixtures. To plant, position the root ball so its surface is an inch below the lip of the container. Fill with potting mix, and press gently but firmly to remove any air pockets. Water thoroughly. Keep soil slightly moist, but not soggy, and feed monthly with houseplant fertilizer.
Water your container-grown herbs gently from the top, so soil is not washed away from the roots. Add water until water comes out the drainage hole at the bottom of the container. This prevents salts from building up in the root zone. Check soil moisture by feeling into the soil with your finger. If soil dries out for too long, roots will die, so don't forget to water!
Herbs are happy in the same environmental conditions where we feel comfortable. Humidity should be kept at thirty to fifty percent; use a mister or an inexpensive spray bottle filled with distilled water to meet a plant's humidity needs.
The same techniques used in planting containers in the garden can be applied to your indoor garden herbs. Grouping herbs not only saves space but also provides a compatible growing environment for plants with similar needs. Think in terms of “a thriller, a spiller, and a filler” to add depth and beauty to a container. Combine herbs that complement one another: an example to consider may be garlic acting as a focal point (the thriller), creeping or woolly thyme as the spiller falling over the sides of the container, and parsley (the filler) providing bright green color and complement.
There are multiple benefits to growing herbs as houseplants. They can help clean our interior air, calm our nervous system, and provide tastiness in our culinary attempts. Perhaps best of all, bringing the outdoors indoors brings us closer to nature, and that's a very good thing.
New Master Gardener 2023 Workshop Series starting up! Our Spring series of workshops will begin in late January with Seed Starting on Tuesday, Jan. 31. For more information and to register, see our Workshop section of our website.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at (530) 538-7201. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.
This is the second of two articles on projects The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is involved with in our part of the North State. The Nature Conservancy is one of the world's most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations. In Northern California TNC manages, among others, projects along the Sacramento River (the subject of last week's Real Dirt column) and the Dye Creek Preserve in Tehama County.
Generally speaking, says Craig, we all need what Dye Creek offers. Whether one spends two hours, two days, or even more time out there, it's a healing, calming, and refreshing place. She's seen this effect firsthand in her role as Preserve Manger for over a decade: witnessing visitors leaving this space with a new sense of richness in their lives and a sense of fulfillment. Each person brings to the space their own experience and their own reason for visiting, so each one has a unique impression that they take away as their own.
Craig sees that the increased dryness and warmth has far-reaching effects. Migratory animals forced down to lower elevations by winter storms may struggle to find the water supply they need. Wetland areas (both natural and artificial) on the Preserve and nearby, have historically acted as pieces of the Pacific Flyway. As these resources become scarcer, waterfowl, other wildlife, and people may find it challenging to have their needs met.
The photos accompanying this article illustrate the physical beauty of the Dye Creek Preserve. But the following piece written by Andrea Craig pays tribute to its emotional and spiritual beauty. As she said at one point in our conversation, there are some love stories out there.
Atop the volcanic mudflows that formed this place, atop the lava cap,
Are the soil crusts, lichens, flowering plants and trees that came to be.
Dozens of special status plant and wildlife species are protected here (45 to be exact).
Dye Creek Preserve is an expanse of grasslands with vernal pools
and the majestic, old-growth blue oak woodlands we know today.
This is a region of ancestral convergence. Land of the Nomlaki, Yana, Yahi, Mechoopda, Wintu and Maidu peoples.
Fur trappers came for the beaver, sawyers came to pass winter, sheepherders
Settled; these foothills were dotted with chimneys and a schoolhouse.
Now down to a population of just two the Preserve is wilder than it's been
In over a century.
Rugged, rocky canyons glow with sunrise and set, its cliffs
Are home to the peregrine falcon, golden eagle and we expect condors -- again someday.
I've walked along the path of the sycamore, bay, ash and cottonwoods,
Watching the rump of a black bear disappear noisily into the willows.
If you linger and walk quietly you may see the mountain lions, bobcats,
And even a ringtail cat staring back at you -- if you're lucky.
But there is something grand just knowing they're all here, even if unseen.
If you walk east, gaining elevation through the woodlands, walk for one full day,
You'll leave the Central Valley and the blue oaks of Dye Creek to pass through pines,
Contiguous protected land, the Ishi Wilderness, and through Lassen National Forest,
Keep hiking, following the climb of the highest elevation chinook salmon passing by right here in Mill Creek,
You may reach Lassen Peak from Preserve headquarters, crossing only one paved road.
This place is still home for the largest migratory deer herd in California.
And for fairy shrimp and rain beetles, for yellow-legged frogs, and an astonishing seventeen species of bats.
My favorite of all is the year-round yip howling of coyotes
-- their excited ruckus a celebration of something wild and wonderful in the distance.
On a clear day you can see for 100 miles. These are big skies. Breathe. Notice quiet.
Watch sunsets over the coast range, feel the weather come and go on any day.
Boy can the wind blow, so, the wind-pollinated dominate this landscape-
Wind pollinated blue oaks, Valley oaks, live oaks, and 91 distinct species of grass alone.
91 kinds of grass, seriously.
For the fantastic diversity of life, and all that we do not yet know.
I am proud to work every day with amazing people ensuring this place is preserved--
Ensuring that our community will always have this watershed, this viewscape, and
this resource, to share with our children.
If you have never experienced Dye Creek it may be time to visit this one cool place.
Andrea Craig
New Master Gardener 2023 Workshop Series starting up! Our Spring series of workshops will begin in late January with Seed Starting on Tuesday, Jan. 31. For more information and to register, visit the Master Gardener Workshop webpage.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at (530) 538-7201. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us Hotline webpage.
The reach of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is global, with projects that range from pristine habitat preservation in Equatorial Africa to promoting regenerative agriculture in Northwest India to protecting old growth forests in Clayoquot Sound in British Columbia. Their focus is on the long-term health and resilience of natural places on our planet, while taking into consideration the needs of the human populations that also inhabit these spaces.
The Sacramento River is Northern California's principal river system and the largest river in the state. In a recent interview Ryan Luster, TNC Senior Project Director, described these two local Sacramento River projects, and explained what TNC has accomplished along our stretch of the river.
TNC does not advocate dam removal; their research has shown that dammed rivers, if operated with nature's needs in mind, can mimic the natural hydrologic processes. Instead, TNC projects seek to determine what elements of the natural flow regimes we could bring back without negatively impacting existing agricultural, recreational, and other uses. TNC works on the premise that we can balance our interests and needs with those of the species that evolved in relation to the original configuration of the river systems.
The Sacramento River Project, Luster's first large-scale riparian restoration project with TNC, began just over twenty years ago on 100 river miles of the Sacramento between Red Bluff and Colusa. This project was driven by alarming statistics: development, including agriculture, in the Sacramento Valley resulted in the loss of over 95% of the original riparian habitat. Before 1850 there were more than 1 million acres of this habitat, shaped over millennia by pre-development river hydrology, including an annual cycle of flood and drought that created floodplains, wetlands, vernal pools, and other forms of riparian habitat upon which the lives of an enormous number of species depend. The most recognizable of these habitats are probably the various salmon runs. Habitat loss, especially of this magnitude, resulted in the plummeting populations of dozens of species.
The Sacramento River Project was, until Florida's Kissimmee River restoration project, the largest riparian restoration effort in the United States. The resulting restoration methods, practices, and systems are now used by habitat restoration organizations around the world.
The second project Luster outlined is the Hamilton City Flood Risk Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project, described as “Making Room for a River: How one town restored a river to protect its way of life” on the TNC website (nature.org).
Built in 1906 to protect sugar beet fields from the floodwaters of the Sacramento River, the original Hamilton City levee proved inadequate to safeguard the town's inhabitants and acres of orchards. Initial negotiations with the US Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE) and the State of California began decades ago, but went nowhere, due to strict parameters defining risk vs benefit calculations. When in 2000 an Act of Congress amended how ecosystems (including floodplains) were valued in this equation, reconstruction of the levee protecting Hamilton City made economic sense, and Hamilton City sought the assistance of TNC to plan, design, and build the new levee and floodplain ecosystem. Thus began the signature TNC process of scientific analysis of existing and desired future conditions, a design process involving significant public input and careful evaluation of what to plant and where to plant it.
In 2023-2024 TNC and its project partners will restore approximately 200 acres along the Hamilton City portion of the river to native plants. The Hamilton City Flood Risk Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project involved the complete removal of the original levee and a new levee design that includes areas of setback, and depended upon the following critically interrelated elements:
- Flood risk reduction. Using science and experience on prior restoration projects to mimic how floodplains act, employing nature-based solutions.
- Functioning floodplain restoration, including by definition habitat restoration for all riparian species.
- Recreation for people. The wildlife refuges along the Sacramento River are open to the public for wildlife viewing, hiking, and birding.
- Groundwater recharge. Once the floodplains are reconnected to the river, and vice versa, the regular inundation recharges the groundwater.
And then there is future resilience: the project's built-in and originally unintended response to a changing climate. Luster notes that climate change makes it more and more important that we and the systems we rely on have an element of resilience built in. Climate models predict less snow and more rain, and more severe storms, all of which add up to more floods. Expanded floodplains, such as those integral to the Hamilton City project, are able to accommodate more frequent and / or stronger storms.
Luster emphasizes that TNC's successes are a result of adaptive management techniques -- ensuring that results at each restoration site are better each time. Through science and meticulous monitoring, TNC's scientists and other experts can see, measure, and know what is working. With over thirty years of restoration projects, TNC has amassed enormous amounts of data and evidence to apply to each new project dedicated to saving habitat around the world and in our own backyard.
The Nature Conservancy's website is nature.org. We urge you to go there for more information on this important organization, its many projects, and its global outreach.
New Master Gardener 2023 Workshop Series starting up! Our Spring series of workshops will begin in late January with Seed Starting on Tuesday, Jan. 31. For more information and to register, visit the Master Gardener website.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at (530) 538-7201. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us Hotline webpage.