- Author: Chris M. Webb
The County of Ventura Landscape Division applies environmentally friendly practices at the government center site and at county building locations throughout the area. Landscape Supervisor, Scott Bucy, works hard to balance costs, function and environmental benefits.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices are incorporated throughout the division. These principals are front and center in the planning stage and continue through routine maintenance work. Mr. Bucy emphasizes using the right plant in the right place goes a long way in reducing the need for weed, insect and vertebrate pest control in the future. When chemical control measures are required, low toxicity products are used. Using IPM principals to guide choices helps to reduce labor and material costs while reducing potential damage to the environment.
Water usage and conservation is another important consideration throughout the division. Drought resistant and native plants are used during replanting efforts. At the Government Center’s 82 acre site, an onsite weather station and wireless water management system work together to provide high tech water guidance, which greatly reduces usage while insuring plants get enough water to maintain health. In areas in which is practical, wood mulch is used to improve water filtration and retention. These water saving efforts combine to further reduce costs and environmental impact.
These positive choices and long-term benefits go a long way towards improving water quality and reducing costs. While an onsite weather stations and wireless water management systems are more practical on a large scale, the concepts and practices used by the County Landscape Division can help home gardeners save time and expense while helping to improve water quality.
Assistance in implementing changes in your home garden can be found in previous blog posts, or by contacting your local UCCE Master Gardeners by email or by phone at 645-1455.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, fire blight is a common and frequently destructive disease of pome fruit trees and related plants.
Symptoms commonly appear in spring. The first sign is usually a watery, light tan ooze that leaks from cankers. After being exposed to the air, the ooze darkens and leaves streaking on branches or trunks. Other signs of infection are petal fall, flower stem wilt, and the blackening and shriveling of flowers, shoots, and/or young fruit.
As the disease progresses, the pathogen spreads into the wood. The infected wood tissue can become sunken and cracks often develop in the bark around the infected areas.
Ideal conditions for infection, disease development and spread of the pathogen are rainy or humid weather with daytime temperatures from 75 (degree sign) F to 85 (degree sign) F.
Home Gardeners can learn more about fire blight in UC IPM’s Pests in the Gardens and Landscapes: Fire Blight publication. Subjects include: identification and damage; life cycle; and management.
Commercial growers can find fire blight information by crop on UC IPM’s Agricultural pest page.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Produced by UC’s Statewide IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Program, Retail Nursery and Garden Center IPM News is designed to educate retail center operators and their customers on how to solve pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment.
The current issue features:
- Managing powdery mildew on ornamentals
- Asian citrus psyllid update
- Mushrooms and other nuisance fungi in lawns
- Preliminary report on Iron HEDTA: A natural selective herbicide
- National Pesticide Information Center: A good source of pesticide information for your customers
You may subscribe to the newsletter, read back issues, or contact authors by visiting this page of UC IPM Online.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
UC IPM (Integrated Pest Management) has a collection of resources to help educate the public and water treatment professionals about mosquitoes. Some species of mosquitoes found in California have the potential to transmit microorganisms that can cause disease to people, pets, and livestock.
While mosquitoes are best managed on an area-wide basis by public agencies organized specifically for this purpose, the combined actions of individuals can greatly improve larger mosquito control efforts. And because some areas of our state do not have organized public mosquito management programs, the individual actions of residents are all the more important.
Main mosquito subjects found at UC IPM are:
- Mosquitoes Pest Notes
- Mosquitoes Quick Tip
- Managing Mosquitoes on the Farm
- Managing Mosquitoes in Surface-Flow Constructed Treatment Wetlands
- Managing Mosquitoes in Stormwater Treatment Devices
- West Nile Virus and related mosquito information and links
The Mosquitoes Quick Tip resource is available in Spanish.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Populations of California oakworm (Phryganidia californica, family Dioptidae), vary from year to year with no particular pattern. Judging from calls to our office, this year’s population levels are very high. In the caterpillar stage, these insects can cause widespread damage to leaves.
The good news is healthy oaks can generally tolerate extensive loss of leaves without serious harm. UC IPM’s California Oakworm guideline provides information to help you care for your trees.
Topics include:
- Identification
- Life cycle
- Damage
- Management
- Monitoring tools
- Biological control
- Cultural controls
- Chemical controls