Archive Nut, Prune and Olive Programs

The first month of 2019 is just about behind us. I find that hard to believe! However, this weekend the increasing day length was both apparent and welcomed. Admittedly, I miss the long summer days of Michigan. Even a seemingly small 4 difference in latitude makes a big difference.

With the rainfall we've been having every month in Southern California, there are a lot of weeds out there. For those who work in wildland management where rain is the only source of irrigation, in Southern California the growing season started in October.

"Mycorrhizal inoculants should be added to planting holes when installing woody ornamentals in landscapes" MYTH!!!!!! Read on: Chalker-Scott, L. , Extension Specialist And Associate Professor, Washington State University Downer, A.J.

Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County Customer's Request: I wanted to grow some artichoke plants this year, but recently read that they can be very invasive in some places.

If there's anything better than seeing honey bees foraging on almond blossoms, it's this: Bumble bees foraging on almond blossoms. Make that the yellow-faced bumble bees, Bombus vosnesenskii, in Benicia.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture's (CDFA) recently released statistics review (https://www.cdfa.ca.

Diamondback moth (DBM) is a persistent pest in the Salinas-Castroville area. We were able to find late instar caterpillars in several spots along Blackie road on Tuesday, January 22nd. Basically, these caterpillars were feeding on brassica weeds, located along the side of the road (Fig. 1).

Winter months are an important time in the garden. The shorter days bring a regeneration period for plants and the pollinators that will also emerge in spring. As we tend winter gardens or wait for the spring thaw, there are things we can do now to encourage healthy wildlife, come spring.

The 2019 Beer for a Butterfly contest is over. And the winner isdrum roll Art Shapiro, UC Davis distinguished professor of evolution and ecology.

The Soil Science Society of America had its North American Societies Conference (Canada/Mexico/US combined societies) in San Diego this month - https://www.sacmeetings.org/ 1,700 people came and gave talks.