Archive Nut, Prune and Olive Programs

The place to "bee" on Saturday, April 6 is the UC Davis Bee Haven. That's when the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology will celebrate the 15th anniversary of its bee garden with an open house from 10 a.m. to noon. It's free and family friendly.

Flowers and veggies lingered in my garden this year, encouraged by the mild autumn weather. Then came the holidays, followed by rain. So much for Fall garden tasks and cleanup chores.

Although many of you are already well aware of the upcoming changes to pesticide labels related to the Endangered Species Act, many are not. A quick background can be found in a Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) press release from last year (link here).

General situation, thrips population development Temperatures and precipitation this spring are close to historic norms, and the thrips population predictions remain similar to last update. We're currently at the peak of 1st-generation adults; they'll be laying their eggs over the next few weeks.

In this issue: Jolene Hancock celebrates Annual Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival; Ann Platzer describes the California Tortie butterfly; Jill Hishmeh updates the Training Program; Darrilyn Erickson invites us to the Riverside Community Flower Show and Garden Tour; Grow Lab Plant Sale...

Winter is here. Put your garden to bed for winter and prepare your garden for the dropping temperatures and wet season. Here are tips from the University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners. General Tasks Compost: Turn compost and keep it as moist as a wrung-out sponge.

Spring is here and if you are like us, you can't wait to get outside and see how your plants and garden are doing! As usual, UC IPM has useful tips for the month of April to prevent pests in the garden and landscape.

Starting a compost pile in winter may not be at the top of your to-do list, but it may be just the thing you need to beat the winter doldrums. Your reward will be soil that is more fertile, supporting bigger and heather plants in next summer's garden.

I Can Name That Worm in Four Clues How About You? Match the clue to the Worm's Image. Place an X in the appropriate column. Worm 'A'Earthworm, nightcrawler, Lumbricus terrestris, is one of over 2,700 varieties of earthworms.

by Liz Rottger Well, actually, with more than 35,000 seeds! Thats how many plants the UC Master Gardeners of Contra Costa are propagating for their Great Tomato Plant Sale that will be held in 3 county areas (Walnut Creek, Antioch, and Richmond) this year.