Pressure Canning

By Sarah Arana   UCCE Master Food Preserver

I received a pressure canner as a birthday gift.  What can I preserve in it? Anita M. Cayucos, CA

What a thoughtful present! Having a pressure canner gives the home preserver several more options for “putting up” food at its peak freshness.  Pressure canning increases the variety of foods you can preserve.  It's the ultimate...

Citrus Leafminer

By Norman Smith

The Citrus leaf miner does most of its damage to the flush of new growth on citrus that occurs during the warm summer months, although it does not damage the fruit. Feeding damage occurs on the leaves.

The citrus leaf miner is a microlepidoptera (a small moth) that lays eggs on the new growth.  These eggs hatch into tiny larvae that will feed inside the leaf beneath the epidermis, with the mines getting bigger...

Norman Knows Thrips

By Norman Smith   UCCE Master Gardener

If you have citrus trees, you've probably seen damage from this bug, but not the bug itself.  This is damage by citrus thrips, a very small insect that likes to hide inside protective places such as inside orange blossoms and young flushes of leaf growth.  Careful searching can expose them, but most have no idea this insect is even there until it's too late.  The overwintering generation...

Autumn Garden Chores

by Tami Reece    UCCE Master Gardener

Now that my plants have passed their peak, what should I do to prepare for winter?  Karen P. San Luis Obispo

Autumn is the perfect time to clean up your garden from the past season and plan for the next planting cycle. Begin by taking a walk through the garden with paper and pen in hand. Make note of what worked last year and what did not. Are there new plants or planting...