Archive Nut, Prune and Olive Programs

Don't miss Clyde Elmore's photo exhibit Our Great Outdoors. If you attend Weed Day 2016 (July 7, 2016) you'll get a chance to see the exhibit. Our Great Outdoors July 8-Sept. 2, 2016 Buehler Alumni Center, UC Davis There will be a reception from 4-7 PM on July 8, 2016. Clyde Elmore clelmore37@gmail.

Oh, that cuddly teddy bear. The male Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, also known as "the teddy bear bee," comes around occasionally to nectar our broadleaf milkweed, Asclepias speciosa, in our pollinator garden.

Avocado Heat Advisory Temperatures are forecast to be in the triple digit range throughout much of the southern California avocado growing region beginning Sunday June 19 and extending into Tuesday June 21.

In the past week, many growers and PCAs have identified fields infested with armyworms. The size of these worms is small, ranging from first to third instars. The amount of defoliation they cause at these stages is small.

We just met a male black-faced bumble bee, Bombus californicus. It was early morning and he was resting on a blanket flower (Gaillardia), a brilliant member of the sunflower family. When you're a bee, a blanket flower offers both bed and breakfast. Gaillardia was named after M.

Researchers have now confirmed that six glyphosate-resistant weed species have been identified in California. Four have been known to exist for some time; they are horseweed (marestail, Conyza sp.), hairy fleabane, rigid ryegrass and annual ryegrass.

From two friends in the space of a week! While I was away, this tool made the rounds: http://sf.terrapattern.com/: This is the alpha version of Terrapattern, a visual search tool for satellite imagery.

The honey bee struggled, but couldn't free herself from a broadleaf milkweed blossom in our pollinator garden. Had a predator nailed her? Or was the bee dying of natural causes? What was happening? Two hours later we returned. The bee, now in a frenzy, was still stuck.

If you grow milkweed in your yard, you probably have some very special tenants, monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus). As just about every kindergarten student knows, milkweed (Asclepias spp,) is their larval host plant. Without milkweed, no monarchs.

Wednesday, June 15th, 2016 10:00 AM T & D Willey Farms, Madera, CA The fourth in our series of five farm visits that are part of the California Farm Demonstration Network will be taking place this Wednesday, June 15th, beginning at 10:00 AM and winding up at about 11:45 AM at the farm of Tom and Den...