Ongoing research

June 18, 2017 12:00 PM 1:00 PM KSTE Talk 650 Sacramento (650-AM) CASI's Jeff Mitchell will be featured on the Farm Hour with Fred Hoffman this Sunday from noon to 1 o'clock.

A tensiometer is one of the most wonderful devices for figuring out when to water plants. It works equally well in orchard and garden situations. It follows the soil moisture content as it is depleted by the plant and will tell you when it is time to rewet the root zone.

When a story is worth its weight in gold, and a photo is worth its weight in silver and bronze...according to the judges...

The Bohart Museum of Entomology at the University of California, Davis, stocks a "Got Milkweed?" t-shirt in its gift shop. In real life, insects "get" milkweed.

Erected in 1852, this historic building was ostensibly intended for Benicia City Hall. Offered as the state capitol and promptly accepted, it had that honor from February 4, 1853 to February 25, 1854. Deeded to the state in 1951, it was one of the four locations of the 'Capitol on Wheels.

Hats Off. The Orange County Master Gardeners have lived up to their name with their website information on citrus. It's a truly impressive information site for not only homeowners, but also growers: http://mgorange.ucanr.

Mark your calendars for a one-day science symposium on Invasive Species at UC Davis on August 29 co-sponsored by the Delta Interagency Invasive Species Coordination (DIISC) Team, the Delta Stewardship Council's Delta Science Program, and UC Davis.

Two summary interviews of CASI's Jeff Mitchell by local Fresno, CA KMJ 580 AM Radio Producer Don York are available below.

The conversation usually starts like this: "I saw this huge, huge bumble bee with yellow on its back. It was buzzing like crazy." Often it's not a bumble bee, but the Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, that's been foraging on the blooms of the passionflower vine (Passiflora).

Summer is right around the corner. The mild weather we've recently experienced following a rich rainy season is the perfect combination for the luscious growth we see in lawns and landscapes.