- Author: Chris M. Webb
Invasive species wreak havoc on the environment. When these plants are put in gardens they often spread quickly via seeds or plant fragments that produce new plants. This is especially a problem for people living close to open areas. Once the invasive species enter open areas their populations often explode, taking up precious natural and financial resources.
Invasive species crowd out native vegetation wiping out native plants and destroying the ecological habit of wildlife. Their unbalanced growth can clog up waterways and lead to increased flooding. They often become serious fire hazards. Both flooding and fires are examples of the financial resource expense caused by these species.
So how do you know if you have an invasive plant on or around your property? One of the most popular handouts in the Ventura County UCCE office is the California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) brochure, Don’t plant a pest!. This full color brochure provides background information, photos of common invasive species, and provides examples of substitution that are friendlier to our local ecosystems. All this and much more, including instructions on safely removing invasive plants, can be found on Cal-IPC’s website.
More information about invasive species in our area can be found by checking out UCCE San Diego Carl E. Bell's webpage . He is UC's Regional Advisor - Invasive Plants, serving San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. Mr. Bell was a collaborator on the Don't plant a pest! brochure. Additional publications can be found on his site.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
On Tuesday, September 1st Ventura County UCCE’s Dr. Oleg Daugovish held the 8th Annual Strawberry Production Meeting. This meeting and ones like it are to provide information on current research relevant to Ventura County strawberry production happening both in the county and through other UC campuses. What happens if you missed the meeting, or attended but need to refresh your memory?
As luck would have it, Oleg posts all of the presentation materials on our Ventura County UCCE website. Besides the presentations themselves, you will find other formats of knowledge waiting to be shared. You can find them by clicking on this link.
Once there, you will see that in addition to strawberries, Oleg has much information on caneberries, vegetables, organic production, cost and return studies, weed susceptibility to herbicides chart, weeds and invasive plants in Ventura County, and Master Gardener presentation trainings, which cover backyard vegetables and weeds.
A grower checks strawberry leaves for the presence of spider mites
A tube is used to collect soil and root samples from a test plot looking for methyl bromide alternatives
Recording counts of spider mites and predator mites in Ventura County field
A roller is used to properly slope the tops of strawberry beds for good water drainage
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Dr. Sabrina Drill, our cross-county (LA & Ventura) Natural Resources Advisor has developed guidelines for creating and maintaining fire-safe, environmentally-friendly landscapes in the wildland-urban interface that minimize the use and spread of invasive plants.
The information available on the UCCE Los Angeles County website has the potential to reduce the chances your home will be damaged or destroyed by wildfire. By clicking on the “CLICK HERE to get a copy of the 2009 Ventura County SAFE Landscapes Calendar and Guidebook.” You will find great tips and practical measures to implement around your home that are parsed into small tasks to tackle on a monthly basis. Further links for additional information are available at the bottom of the page.
The Ventura County UCCE office has some copies left of the 2009 fire safe landscaping calendars if you would like a hard copy version. While the year is almost over, the calendar was designed to remove the part that will soon be outdated leaving the great suggestions and tips behind for future reference. Please contact our office if you would like a copy.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
We hear often of exotics pests and invasive species. We know that plants, pests and disease can spread in many ways. We also know new problems arrive regularly – seemingly with increasing speed.
In the Ventura County UCCE office people often show up with samples of soil, plants, and insects. We would like to take this opportunity to remind people that moving these, and related items, across geographical borders (countries, states and counties) often require permits. Permits may even be required when working with government agencies. Not obtaining a permit when required can lead to unpleasant consequences including: regulatory action, fines, or loss of research funding.
To help protect yourself and reduce the spread of exotic and invasive species, please do not move samples across geographical borders without checking if a permit is required. UC ANR Safety Note #146, “Quarantined and Regulated Pest Permit Requirements” can help. It can be found at http://groups.ucanr.org/ehs/files/68310.pdf.
Other UC ANR safety topics can be found at http://groups.ucanr.org/ehs/Safety_Notes/.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
One of the most common walk-in questions we receive in the UCCE office is weed identification. Did you know that our website has a fantastic page for weed and invasive plant id? It can be found here.
Part of what makes this such a great resource is the variety of ways to search. You can search by plant names in alphabetical order – both by scientific name and common name. In addition you can flip through photos and find the name of the plant. The flip through section is separated into broad leaf varieties and grasses, sedges, and alliums varieties.
Regardless of how you find them, the photos show several shots of each plant. As often as possible, pictures at different life stages are provided.
After identifying your weed, further information is available with a click of the mouse!
