Archive Nut, Prune and Olive Programs

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May 2025Archived

 

Field picture submitted by Elizabeth Fichtner

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Cooperative Extension Ventura County: Page

Pruslane

Purslane is a prolific seed producer. Even a small plant (2-3 inches in diameter) will have started to produce seeds. The fleshy leaves of purslane also make the plant resistant to drying out.
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Cooperative Extension Ventura County: Page

Rehabilitation of Freeze Damaged Plants

The following information was taken from a bulletin prepared by Nick Sakovich and Ben Faber Farm Advisors in Ventura County. Seriously frozen leaves collapse, dry out, and remain on the plant. Foliage from recent flushes is most susceptible to this damage.
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Cooperative Extension Ventura County: Page

Root Sprouts

Virtually all fruit trees are grafted onto a rootstock, which in case of apricot could be another apricot or a plum. Rootstocks are selected for their vigor, also their disease and nematode resistance.
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Cooperative Extension Ventura County: Page

Stop Olives from Bearing

There are several products available. All contain naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) or ethephon. These chemicals will cause flowers to abort at blossom time. NAA and ethephon should be applied as a spray at mid-bloom and again at full bloom. The entire tree should be sprayed.
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Cooperative Extension Ventura County: Page

Strawberries

In the wild strawberries are perennial, thus will grow for many years in the same location if cared for properly. I would suggest you cut all the plants back to three to four leaves each. Remove all the dead and old leaves and other plant debris and put them in the green waste can.
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Cooperative Extension Ventura County: Page

Tomato Fruit Set

Tomatoes are a warm season crop. They are native to central and South America. As such they are sensitive to cool temperatures. Tomato flowers are self-fertile, i.e., the pollen (male) of a flower can fertilize the egg (female) of the same flower.
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Cooperative Extension Ventura County: Page

Tomato Leaves Turning Yellow

If the vine is growing well, the lower leaves may be shaded and in a normal decline. If, however, the plant is generally looking light green and growing slowly with small fruit, the yellowing of older leaves could be due to nitrogen deficiency.
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Cooperative Extension Ventura County: Page

Tomato Problems

First let me say that Santa Maria, and the Central Coast in general at least the area that is in the fog belt is not an ideal location to grow tomatoes. Tomatoes like sunny, warm weather in order to produce good fruit.
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Cooperative Extension Ventura County: Page

Walnuts Shriveled and Inedible

The most common cause of shriveled nut meats inside a normal looking shell is inadequate or inconsistent watering. If the tree suffers even one dry period during the time when the nut meats are developing and maturing, the nut meats may shrivel. The most critical period is July through October.
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Cooperative Extension Ventura County: Page

Will Bird Damaged Fruit Cause West Nile Disease

No! At this point in time all research on West Nile Virus (WNV) indicates that the virus must be acquired via a blood infection. Data from the 1999 epidemic in New York indicates that over 100 species of birds can be infected with WNV.
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