Archive Nut, Prune and Olive Programs

 A Client recently wrote to the Help Desk seeking feedback on the lichen growing on their Japanese maple tree.“Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk regarding your Japanese Maple. Thank you also for the great pictures, as they are always helpful in understanding a situation,”…

Many environmentally minded gardeners are looking for simpler pest-control solutions. These gardeners are turning to soaps and detergents for insect and disease control; it’s cheap, it’s handy, and it seems to do the job. Gardeners have been adding a few drops of “soap” to liquid pest spray for years; this…

The UC Master Gardener Program is thrilled to honor four UC Master Gardener volunteers as “Gardeners with Heart.” They join others across the state who are celebrated this year for their extraordinary dedication. In 2025, the Contra Costa County UC Master Gardener program selected representatives in two…

Photos by Dan Chavez I am Lisa Phillips, a Year 1 UC Master Gardener, Class of 2025.  The best advice at graduation was to sample everything and then decide where you fit. Here's what I did!Our Garden - My time at OG gave me a whole arc of hands-on experience. In the spring, I staked new tomato…

 We are Mike and Karen Lance, and this is about our experiences as First Year UC Master Gardeners, Class of 2025. We went through the training together and were impressed with the depth and breadth of the materials and the great instructional staff. Among many other things, we learned that we’ve been…

 I continue to be astounded by what I don’t know and am grateful to be an old dog able to learn a few new tricks, oh, I mean gardening gems.The UC Master Gardener training was like having the entire Bancroft Library thrown at me and was a bit overwhelming. I didn’t really get to savor the personalities…

 Today, on Veterans' Day, let's salute our kin who served in the military. I pay tribute to the family members who fought in all of our nation's wars since the American Revolution.I particularly pay tribute to my maternal great-grandfather, Samuel Davidson Laughlin,  (1843-1910), a Civil War…

For many of us in the North State, Autumn is our favorite time of year. The heat of summer is past, and deciduous trees put on a spectacular show of deep reds, yellows, and oranges. The intensity of this show, however, is not consistently the same each year. What makes the colors of autumn leaves vary in…

 If you and your family love science--who doesn't?--be sure to participate in the free workshop, “Life Begins in Water: A Workshop on Restoring Healthy Wetland Communities,”  on Saturday, Nov. 15 at Capay Open Space Regional Park, Yolo County.UC Davis entomologist Geoffrey Attardo is leading the…

Please find the attached document to provide the previous week’s estimated water use report in terms of evapotranspiration for almonds, peaches, walnuts, established vineyard, alfalfa, and pasture in Stanislaus County. This report may be used as a guide in your irrigation schedule for the…