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May 2025Archived

 

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UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo & San Francisco Counties: Article

Landscape Fabric: A Cautionary Tale

September 16, 2025
By Cathrin Callas
Do those nice, neat rolls of “weed blocking” fabric seem like the perfect solution in your battleagainst unwanted vegetation? Visions of freeing oneself from this perennial struggle are enticing and the task seems simple enough: just lay it on the soil, cover with an attractive layer of mulch and the foul…
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Female praying mantis, Stagmomantis limbata. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

What a Mantis!

September 16, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 There’s a “mom” in the word Stagmomantis, as in Stag-mom-antis limbata. That genus name seems quite appropriate for a gravid mantis, don't you think?Take the mama-to-be that's a permanent tenant in a Vacaville patch of African blue basil. She knows this is the place to "bee."We've nicknamed her …
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Photo by Brian Hicks
UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo & San Francisco Counties: Article

Cool Season Cover Crops

September 16, 2025
By Cathrin Callas
 If you’re taking a break this fall and winter after growing summer veggies, then plant a cover crop to enrich and protect your soil as well as to attract beneficial insects. Choose a variety of cool season cover crop seeds, such as flowers, grasses and a legume, for sowing in early fall. See Cover…
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landscape fabric
UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo & San Francisco Counties: Article

Landscape Fabric: The Hidden Truth

September 16, 2025
By Cathrin Callas
 Before rolling out landscape fabric to keep weeds at bay, consider the effects on your soil and plants. Landscape or “weed blocking” fabric, usually made of plastic or polyester, has varying degrees of permeability. Over time, holes in the fabric get clogged, preventing the movement of water, oxygen…
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gopher
Urban Agriculture: Article

Integrated Gopher Control in Urban Farms: A Multilayer Approach

September 16, 2025
By Amrita Mukherjee
Urban farms face unique challenges from pocket gophers. Unlike rural fields, urban farms are often smaller, intensively managed, and located near homes, parks, or other landscaped areas. These conditions can actually increase gopher pressure: food is concentrated, protective cover may be abundant, and…
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