- Author: Rose Marie Hayden-Smith
This week marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. This year, consider celebrating the day with gardening and other stay-at-home resources curated by your local UCCE office.
History of Earth Day
Earth Day was launched in 1970. Many factors contributed to the call for a national day focusing on environmental stewardship, including the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring - serialized in the New Yorker - and the catastrophic oil spill that occurred off the coast of Santa Barbara in 1969. The Santa Barbara oil spill galvanized U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin) to call for a national day of locally inspired and organized "teach-ins" on the environment - a national "Earth Day." The Earth Day model was inspired by the spirit of campus activism at the nation's colleges and universities. It wasn't top-down, but rather a grassroots effort that encouraged communities to develop educational and service events around issues and topics important to them.
Earth Day struck a chord; some estimates suggest that 1 in 10 Americans participated in the first events. Earth Day is widely credited with "sparking" the modern environmental movement. Landmark environmental legislation swiftly followed (including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act). The Environmental Protection agency was founded that same year. Twenty years after its launch, Earth Day became a global movement.
You can learn more from the Earth Day Network by linking to this website.
Home Garden Resources
There is a wave of renewed interest in gardening as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about "crisis" gardening - and a new "Victory Garden" movement - in this article from the New York Times.
Closer to home, we have a wealth of gardening resources for you.
One of our favorites is the California Garden Web, designed by our UC Master Gardeners. You'll find a wealth of gardening information and a helpful glossary.
Ventura County is blessed with a wonderful growing climate and many of us have backyard fruit trees. Learn more about cultivating and caring for your home orchard here.
Resources for the Home Classroom
Many of us are working with our children in home classrooms. The UC 4-H Youth Development Program has a range of resources available to engage young learners. In honor of Earth Day, take a look at our 4-H Vegetable Gardening Project sheet. We also recommend our 4-H Water Conservation Project sheet, which provides engaging, science-based activities the entire family can enjoy. 4-H is one of the oldest youth development programs in the nation and we'll be sharing other educational resources in upcoming posts. #Head #Heart #Hands #Health.
Be Kind to the Earth by Reducing Food Waste
Nearly 40 percent of the food produced in the U.S. is wasted and much of that waste ends up in landfills (definitely not good for our environment or the economy).
The National Resources Defense Council estimates that the average family of four throws out nearly 1,000 pounds of food each year, wasting roughly $1,500.
Consumers as a group waste more food than farms, grocery stores or restaurants. For tips on ways you can reduce #FoodWaste, click here.
History lesson: The image on the left is a poster that was used during World War I and World War II to promote food conservation. First printed in 1919, it contains tips that are helpful today.
This image is from a collection held by the Museum of County. Photographer: Aysen Tan.
Related reading: What a World War I Poster Can Teach Us About #FoodWaste.
Thank you, Volunteers!
This week is National Volunteer Week and we want to thank the hundreds of volunteers who are part of UCCE Ventura...and who make our work possible. Thanks to our 4-H, Master Gardener and HAREC volunteers. You are central to our mission and we value you. Youth, Families and Communities Education Program Manager Susana Bruzzone-Miller created this video to express our appreciation.
COVID-19 Resources
Our COVID-19 landing page provides links to important resources about the pandemic, including information for the agricultural community. In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) illness, our office is closed for face-to-face service through May 15th. While we regret the inconvenience, these are the precautions we are taking to support one other and comply with University, local, county and state government recommendations. Our staff is telecommuting and can be contacted via phone and email. We are here to serve you.
Stay safe.
- Author: Cris L. Johnson
The latest issue has recently been posted on our website and features articles on:
Caution on Free "Compost/Mulch." This article by UC San Diego Cooperative Extension advisor Dr. Gary Bender offers a warning to growers on accepting free or very inexpensive mulch or compost. Improper practices can turn a great deal into a breeding ground for pests and plant disease.
Oriental Fruit Fly Affects Green Waste Movement in Southern California. UC Ventura County Cooperative Extension advisor Dr. Ben Faber adds to the disussion on green waste and how the Oriental Fruit Fly, Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer, Asian Citrus Psyllid and other harmful pests can be spread through recycled green waste.
Olive Tree Phenology. UC Tulare County Cooperative Extension advisor Elizateth Fichtner and UC Riverside Professor Carol Lovatt report on the relationship of fruit load to vegetative growth and return bloom.
Training and Pruning of Cherimoya. A Santa Barbara County cherimoya grower provides some hands-on advice on handling these trees.
High Density Avocado Installation: Use a quick cost study to make a decision. Dr. Gary Bender follows up on a previous "Topics in Subtropics" article with some useful cost estimates for high density avocados.
Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emissions from Pesticides. Tunyalee Martin with the UC Statewide IPM Project summarizes California Department of Pesticide Regulation's online VOC information.
Read the full articles from this newsletter or check out other issues of Topics in Subtropics here.
- Author: Cris L. Johnson
Once a tree has been infected by the psyllid that carries and transfers the huanglongbing (HLB) bacteria to the tree there has been no alternative but to quarantine the infected area and destroy the tree. To complicate the issue further, the disease can lie dormant and be difficult to detect as the infection spreads from tree to tree.
Efforts to control the psyllid through pesticides have been ineffective and while quarantines have helped raise awareness and slowed some of the spread, a viable weapon to combat this invasive pest has been unavailable until recently.
Mark Hoddle, director at the Center for Invasive Species Research at UC Riverside, has been experimenting with a tiny parasitic wasp, Tamarixia radiata, that feeds on and kills the psyllid. After a series of tightly controlled and successful tests, the wasps have been released on infected sites and have been effective in reducing the psyllid population. There is no danger to pets or humans and the release program has been approved by the Department of Agriculture.
To learn more about this effort, please see the UC Riverside Newsroom article.
- Author: Cris L. Johnson
The latest issue has recently been posted on our website and features articles on:
Simazine degradation in California citrus orchards. This article focuses on research performed in response to concerns about the effectiveness of simazine as a means of weed control. Here you can read about the experiments performed to test degradation levels and recommendations made regarding use of this herbicide for weed control.
Lime-induced iron chlorosis. Iron deficiencies in many fruit trees can be escalated where soils and irrigation water contain lime which can in turn impede soil drainage. Iron oxides serve as a common source of nutrition for the trees and the deficiency of it can cause dieback and other disorders. This article explores the causes and possible treatments for this condition.
Avocado trunk cankers. UCCE Ventura citrus, avocado and subtropicals advisor, Dr. Ben Faber, contributed this article on the various types and causes for tree cankers. Wounds to the tree, low rainfall, fungi and moisture can promote this disorder.
Asphyxiation. Dr. Faber also explores the problem of asphyxiation that occur in parts or all of the tree. This condition can seriously harm the tree and Dr. Faber discusses some methods of treatment and prevention.
Tree wraps. This article presents information about some of the benefits and considerations in installing wraps on young trees.
Stem and leaf blight. Dr. Faber also wrote this item on blight that he has observed lately on local trees and how insufficient water can contribute to the condition.
Read the full articles from this newsletter or check out other issues of Topics in Subtropics here.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Asian citrus psyllid, has not recently received much attention in the news media. However the pest, and the deadly bacterial disease it can carry, are still of great concern.
The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) has now been found in eight California counties. Quarantines are in place. The psyllid by itself is not much of a problem; it is its ability to spread the fatal disease that has the potential to devastate both the California citrus industry and backyard citrus throughout the state.
Huanglongbing (HLB) is the name of the disease ACP can carry. Citrus and closely related plants are at risk. The disease is transmitted between plants by the psyllid. The psyllids transmit the disease to healthy plants and trees. After feeding on an infected plant, the ACP will transmit HLB to every other plant it feeds on.
While much outreach has focused on citrus trees, it is important to remember there are other plants that can host both ACP and HLB. This list from the University of Florida provides both the common and Latin plant name for many known hosts. Hosts include: curry leaf, ornamental orange-jasmine, and all the varieties of citrus, including kumquat, mandarin, grapefruit, orange and all of their hybrids.
Please remember to check your citrus and closely related plants regularly for signs of ACP or HLB. General information about this pest disease complex can be found on this section of the CDFA website. For local updates, the Ventura County ACP Task Force is a great source of information.
