Archive Nut, Prune and Olive Programs

The California Rice Research Board supports our statewide variety trail evaluation each year. This project runs nine variety trails around the state and evaluates commercially available lines as well as promising lines that are coming out of the Rice Experiment Station. These are large trails with each one…

Nominations are being accepted until April 20 for the 2026 ANR Distinguished Service Awards, which are sponsored by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Academic Assembly Council.

California native lupines are a wonderful addition to a garden. They have dramatic bloom stalks and support many insects and other critters.A remarkable diversityLupines are in the pea (or legume) family, Fabaceae, which means that they fix nitrogen in the soil. In California, there are 70 lupine species and…

Composting 101 for BeginnersFirst installment in an upcoming series exploring home composting for small-space gardens—stay tuned for more in future issues of News to Grow By.Every trash day, I happily wheel my green waste barrel to the curb.  The municipality will turn my garden and kitchen waste into…

Plants are astonishing! Even in their highly vulnerable state of immobility, they are capable of developing defenses to outside forces that threaten them. Around 500 million years ago, land plants first appeared and were small and moss-like, lacking true roots and stems. They required moist environments,…

A new public demonstration garden is about to open!  Located in the public walking space outside the Gehringer Community Garden fencing, at 1790 Lynwood Dr. in Concord, it will provide a real-life demonstration of the versatility and adaptability of California native plants. Join the community for…

Do I Need to Do Something?A Season of Observation As the growing season unfolds, many gardeners begin taking a closer look at their plants, wondering whether everything is thriving as it should. Spring is often the time of year to determine whether a little help might be needed to keep our plants…