Ongoing research

By Vivian Patterson, Inyo-Mono Master Gardener VolunteerThe first freeze of the season is now behind us. If you were lucky enough to get out in the garden and rescue all your green tomatoes before the freeze, then good for you!  If you would like to try something other than green tomato chutney or…

 Blooming in shades of purple, white, yellow, pale pink, and anywhere in between, crocus are cheerful additions to any garden. While many species bloom in early spring, some, such as saffron crocus (Crocus sativus), bloom in autumn. These different species need different care, but there’s sure to be at…

 Last week, Erin Marnocha, our new Vice Provost for Research and Program Integration, Daniel Obrist, Vice Provost for Academic Personnel and Development, and I visited our UC Cooperative Extension colleagues in Placer, Nevada, Plumas and Sierra counties. Thanks to Michele Fisch, UCCE area director, who…

Many of us have replaced turf (lawn) with low-water-use shrubs and perennials. Whether native to California or elsewhere, the plants were chosen for their ability to require less water and, in other ways, be more "climate-adapted." We now have a patchwork of no-lawn yards in our valley and in many public…

By Penny Pawl, UC Master Gardener of Napa CountyOne of my favorite plants in my garden is nicotiana (Nicotiana sylvestris), also known as flowering tobacco. The plants need almost no care and bloom most of the spring, summer and autumn. The flowers are fading just now in October. Nicotiana also does double…

 What a day when Betty White visited the Vacaville Museum!Not the beloved Betty White, the American actress, comedian, producer, activist, and animal welfare advocate who passed Dec. 31, 2021 at age 99. It was her namesake.It all began when the Vacaville Museum hosted a public function on Oct. 11…

Please find the attached document to provide the previous week’s estimated water use report in terms of evapotranspiration for almonds, peaches, walnuts, established vineyard, alfalfa, and pasture in Stanislaus County. This report may be used as a guide in your irrigation schedule for the…