Ongoing research

This is a time of transition: cooler weather, shorter days, and reverting back to standard time. Sigh, I will miss the later sunsets, until the clock changes back in the spring. Forecasters are predicting a warmer and drier month for November. Remember that the new watering schedule starts Nov. 1. Your yard…

We've had a perfect start to autumn this year, and in November the season is in full gear. We can feel the transition: gone is summer; winter is coming. This is a great time to plant almost any tree, shrub, perennial, ground cover, wildflower seeds, and the last of spring-flowering bulbs. It's also a good…

You may be thinking about Thanksgiving Turkey this month, but November is also World Vegan Month. More Plants, Less Meat“Vegan” refers to a lifestyle that does not use any animal products, which includes following a plant-based diet. Plant-based diets have been associated with numerous benefits, both…

Earl Weak, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer In simple terms, pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline (basic) a solution is. A pH below 7 indicates an acid solutionA pH above 7 indicates an alkaline (basic) solutionpH 7 is considered neutral In the context of food…

Tim Long, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer Red Delicious apples at the market (Photo caption: Tim Long, used with permission).  If you’re looking for a native apple tree, you’ll to be disappointed. Apples, other than three varieties of crabapples, aren’t native to the Americas…

Henry Shaw, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer Your Name Here MFP Badge (Photo caption: Henry Shaw, used with permission). Do you want to learn more about safe food-preservation techniques? Do you have a passion for sharing your knowledge with others? Are you willing to donate your…

Robyn Barker, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer If you have a sunny spot in your garden or on your patio, chili peppers are fun and easy to grow. The plants don’t get too large; they can even be grown in a container. They are relatively disease and pest free. With limited space and…

Mary Nazara, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program VolunteerCounty of residence: Los Angeles Mary Nazara, used with permission.  I started preserving in the summer of 2022 after a phone call from my sister. She had a tree full of ripe plums and didn’t want them to go to waste. I already had…

Several members of UC ANR participated in the California Economic Summit, Oct. 21-23 in Stockton, organized by CA FWD in collaboration with the California Stewardship Network.