Our office produced a great resource to extend good management practices for orchard water quality management. Topics include:

• Irrigation system design, maintenance, schedules

• Irrigating to meet plant needs

• Using tools to measure soil moisture and evapotranspiration (ET)

• Ways to limit contamination of runoff using integrated pest               management (IPM), smart chemical use and proper storage

• Suggestions on how to improve soil infiltration

• Reducing water and sediment runoff

• And more

An electronic version of this resource can be found by clicking here. Hard copies are also available. Please contact our office if you would like a hard copy version.

Ventura County UCCE shares hard-working Natural Resources Advisor, Sabrina Drill with Los Angeles County. She has many projects to which she devotes much time . One of them is SAFE (Sustainable And Fire-SafE) Landscapes. This program has Sabrina working and collaborating with a wide base of people and groups throughout our state.

From this collaboration an enormous wealth of knowledge is available at http://groups.ucanr.org/SAFE/index.cfm, or by clicking on the Fire Information button on our home page. At the site you will find many ways to help reduce the possibility of fire damage or destruction to your home and much more.

Many of the suggestions offer other positive outcomes. One such example is using native plants. These plants are not only resistant to fire, but they also take less water, and grow slower. By planting these species around your home, you are reducing the threat of fire, saving water, and time spent on yard maintenance. Suggestions on steps to take throughout the year are broken down by season, helping to reduce the where, what and when panic that often accompanies large projects around the home.

Wildfires are always a danger in Southern California, and anytime is a good time to get started educating yourself and your family on steps to take to minimize the threat of damage and increase safety. Our website is a great place to start.

Some of you, especially those who commute between Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, may have noticed murky, red tinted ocean water along the coast. This abnormal looking sea water is due to a natural event called a “red tide.” The event has been ongoing in the waters off Ventura County for several weeks, with a shorter but still significant and noticeable event more recent off Santa Barbara County.

What are red tides? Why do they happen? And how do they impact our environment?

Today, Carrie Culver, our Ventura and Santa Barbara County UCCE Sea Grant Marine Advisor shares some of her knowledge with us.

Red tides are made up of microscopic, single cell plants known as phytoplankton. These tiny plants are the basis of the bottom of the ocean food web. Phytoplankton have pigments that capture sunlight used for growth and reproduction. Red tides occur when these plants reproduce extremely rapidly resulting in a large ‘blooms’ of phytoplankton.

Because phytoplankton blooms can reach concentrations of millions of cells per gallon of water, the water itself can change color. The color of the water varies depending on the types of phytoplankton species present. The blooms can produce hues of bright red, brown, burgundy, yellow and anything in-between. Some blooms produce no visible changes.

Blooms can last from a few days to several months. The length of time depends on a variety of variables including: available nutrients, sunlight, water temperature, changes in wind or surf conditions, competition with other species, and grazing by zooplankton and small fish.

Depending on the type of phytoplankton, the blooms may or may not be toxic. Luckily our current red tide is not toxic. It consists of three organisms; mainly Lingulodinium polyedrum in combination with species of Prorocentrum and Ceratium. While these organisms do not produce toxins, they still can impact people and marine life due to the changes in the chemical composition of the water. People swimming through a non-toxic bloom have reported irritation of the eyes, mouth, and throat, as well as cold and flu-like symptoms. The water can also become depleted of oxygen leading to fish kills and deaths of other marine life.

How do you know whether a red tide is toxic or not? You can’t tell just by looking at the water. You need to refer to the experts, including the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). This agency works with dedicated volunteers from other agencies, universities and public and private groups to routinely monitor our coast and shellfish for the presence of these blooms. You can obtain the collected data from CDPH’s toll-free Biotoxin Information Line at 1-800-553-4133. That line can also be used to request a copy of the monthly monitoring newsletter or to get further information on phytoplankton blooms.

Ceratium

Lingulodinium polyedrum

Prorocentrum

Our Ventura County UCCE Master Gardeners work hard delivering science-based gardening information to the public. One of the ways they accomplish this is through their MG Speaker Bureau. The speakers are very knowledgeable in their subjects and are available for group meetings.

The current topics offered are:

• Composting
• Container Gardening
• Container Vegetable Gardening
• Fruit Gardening
• Garden Design/Plant Selection
• Gifts from the Garden
• Introductory Horticulture
• Pest Management
• Water-Wise Gardening
• Low Cost/No Cost Gardening
• Low Maintenance Gardening
• Propagation
• Pruning
• Roses
• Tomato Culture
• What About Soils?
• Succulents and Cacti
• Vegetable Gardening
• What is a Master Gardener?
• Peppers, Onions and Tomato Facts
• Fertilizer Use
• Weed Killers

Additional information and instructions on how to request a speaker can be found by clicking here. Please contact our office if you need additional information.