Ongoing research

Ready for the new year? The UC Davis Department of Nematology's winter quarter seminars will take place on Wednesdays at 4:10 p.m., beginning Jan. 5 and continuing through March 9, announced seminar coordinator and nematologist Shahid Siddique, assistant professor.

by Melody Kendall After working an hour or so doing some fall pruning in my garden, the song Oops I did it again' came to mind as I rushed into the house for a quick wash on my itching arms. It seems every time I work in my garden I forget that the gaillardia plant is a skin irritant.

December is a slow month in The Orchard, but there are still a couple of things going on, both related to the start of winter. First up, we have had several nights of frost as well as ice on the birdbaths. That means the citrus and avocado trees are at risk.

It's beginning to look a lot like...chrysalis. It didn't "look at all like chrysalis" this year in our pollinator garden in Vacaville, Calif. We spotted only one monarch--repeat, only one monarch--and it fluttered around and finally oviposited on our milkweed. The eggs vanished.

A group of local Master Gardeners have begun meeting each month to discuss a gardening-related non-fiction book.

From the Journal of Aquatic Plant ManagementSpecial Issue Vol. 59s 2021 John Miskella and John Madsen FULL ARTICLE Abstract Waterhyacinth [Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms)] is a perennial free-floating aquatic plant species native to the Amazon region of South America.

"It's wasp time! This is a beewolf! Have you ever heard of beewolves? Well, neither had I until I discovered a bunch of them nectaring on Queen Anne's Lace flowers near my apartment complex! Have you noticed a pattern in the insects I post? A lot of them prey on bees.

Photos by Sabrina Williams Soil is... not dirt, of course. Many of us who have spent time in the garden know that dirt is essentially dead. Soil, on the other hand, is a living, complex ecosystem.

They will discuss important topics like proper pruning, pre-treatment for potential pests and disease, and what certain fruit require for chill hours. Learn what chill hours really means! AND learn how to store that rainwater we so desperately need to save.

Just squeezed then one out right before the end of the year. Great work here with Jeremy Murdoch from the UC Agricultural Issues Center, and some real thorough input from local strawberry growers, who once again unselfishly committed their time and knowledge to updating this vital document.