Archive Nut, Prune and Olive Programs

When I think of spring, I think of yellow: African daisies, poppies, oxalis, tidy-tips, and daffodils. And one of my favorite things to do in early spring is taking a road trip to Volcano to visit McLaughlin's Daffodil Hill.

If you have not already done so, it is time to prune your young fruit trees! On February 25, 2019, Dustin Blakey demonstrated how to prune young fruit trees to a group of about 25 Master Gardeners and other home gardeners at the home orchard of Kristin Ostly.

The affordability of healthy food is often cited as a barrier to low-income families eating nutritious meals.

March 6, 2019 Doug Karlen, - an amazingly productive, creative and thoughtful soil and water conservation research scientist at the USDA ARS National Lab for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames, IA, - retired on March 2, 2019.

UCCE Master Gardener and longtime CASI member, Tim Sullivan, paid a very nice visit to CASI's NRI Project field in Five Points on March 1st, as part of the site's Friday Open House program.

Sometimes we don't see things that are not uncommon, but suddenly catch our eye. A recent lemon harvest of a trial in the Central Valley turned up lots of fruit with enlarged nipples on the stylar end. These are from a 'Limoneira 8A' rootstock trial.

Pollinators aren't just bees, butterflies, beetles and bats. They're also birds, like hummingbirds. Ornithologists tell us that hummingbirds can easily eat their weight in a day, feasting on carbohydrates (nectar from blossoms and sugar water from feeders) and protein (insects and spiders).

Alkalaiweed is a new weed popping up in pistachio orchards. If you have it, please participate in a survey to help us learn more about it. Pistachio crop insurance listening session held on March 13th in the Madera County Farm Bureau building.

(Proceedings of the Royal Society B) DAVIS--If you're like many Americans, you've set up a hummingbird feeder in your yard to nurture and watch these high-energy pollinators.

Just like humans, pests need food, water, and shelter to live. Unfortunately, we may unknowingly attract and even invite them to live in and around our homes! Pest Attractors and Supporters Some pests prefer to live outdoors, while others like the ambiance inside your garage or home.