Archive Nut, Prune and Olive Programs

I had heard from many sources over the years that ladybugs can solve an aphid infestation. I have always had seasonal attacks but with a little water spraying, they were discouraged so it never seemed necessary to call in the big guns.

Who knew they were declining? Well, ecologists Richard "Rick" Karban Mikaela Huntzinger of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology did. For years, they've been observing meadow spittlebugs along the California coastline.

So I got called out to see an orchard that had dieback. Over the phone it sounded like Dothiorella Leaf Blight (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=10354). This symptom shows up when there has been water stress of some sort, over a period of a few weeks to months.

Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County Client's Request: I am about average in composting: mix a balance of brown and green; no weeds, seeds, meat, dairy products; moist like a squeezed-out sponge; and rotate/turn over.

This summer, you may have noticed what looks like a large dandelion plant covered in blisters growing in your lawn or landscape. It's known as bristly oxtongue, and if you examine or touch it you'll see and feel why.

It looks like even the Wall Street Journal has caught the urban farming bug. Link to article below out of their "The Future of Everything" series, followed by my comments. https://www.wsj.

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Becoming a Master Gardener! By Noni Todd Want to become a San Luis Obispo Master Gardener? Your first step is to attend our informational meeting Sep. 10th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm in our auditorium.

When a biocontrol agent turns on you, it can be painful. Recently a grower called in asking about an insect that had bit him when he picked it up. It caused a fearsome pain and some swelling.

Saturday, August 18 is National Honey Bee Day! Many people are concerned about the health of honey bees, and rightly so, as there has been a decline in their populations during the last decade.