This week, we shared information about important invasive species, what to do if you find them, and how you can help prevent their spread. To wrap up California Invasive Species Action Week, we’d like to highlight a few key takeaways: Don’t pack or plant a pest Whether you’re traveling or gardening…
The scary-looking, ominously-named wolf spider is actually a beneficial insect. Wolf spiders belong to the class Arachnida and are members of the family Lycosidae (derived from the Greek word lycos, meaning wolf). Wolf spiders stalk their prey like wolves do; they do not spin webs or use silk to subdue prey…
Ever since this show, In The Garden with UCCE Master Gardeners, started, the prospect of drought has hung over our heads. We have a show today that we are calling “Water for Our Gardens – What to Expect”. Our own Master Gardener show host Teena Spindler is lucky to have another Master Gardener friend…
The invasive goldspotted oak borer has spread across Southern California, leaving boneyards of dead trees behind. This June, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources launched a community science effort to track down new populations of this destructive pest and digitally log the data. The first “GSOB Blitz”…
If you're thinking about heading over to the California Honey Festival in downtown Woodland on Saturday, June 21, don't.It's moved to the nearby Yolo County Fairgrounds, located at 1250 East Gum Ave., Woodland. "Plans change, but the fun doesn't," organizers said.The event, free and open to the public,…
The golden flowers of French broom covering hillsides and the tall, striking stalks of pampasgrass stand out on trails and roadsides. These plants may be beautiful, but they are invasive and harm California’s natural landscapes. Invasive plants outcompete and crowd out native plants, damaging…
Blog article by Paula PashbyIt is a great feeling to have veggie seedlings tucked into their new home in my garden. I double-check my sketched-out planting plans and take one last walkthrough to make sure all the plants are set for the growing season - everything looks good! I love anticipating another…
It's National Pollinator Month, the month to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators and their vital role in food production and in our ecosystems. Take this male foothill carpenter bee, (Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex).We spotted it nectaring on mallow in a…
I came across the UC Master Gardener program about eight years ago, while walking along the Vallejo Farmers Market on a Saturday morning. A small table with small stacks of cards and flyers with information on all manner of gardening topics, from composting to vegetable gardening, to watering, to drought…
Hannah Thompson has been named as the new director of the Nutrition Policy Institute. With Lorrene Ritchie retiring July 1, Wendi Gosliner will serve as interim director until Thompson begins in her new role on Sept. 1.
A local grower was surprised yesterday morning by the huge bug infestation depicted in the photos below suddenly appearing in his berry field. Photo 1: A mass of false chinch bugs crawling up a support post. Photo…
You may not see them, but small hitchhikers can cling to your boats, trailers, fishing gear, kayaks, and paddleboards. These hitchhikers are aquatic invasive species like plants, fish, and mussels. Once introduced to a body of water, they can displace native species, clog motors, damage water delivery…
When it comes to early season seedling injury, the damages wrought by rice seed midge and tadpole shrimp can be difficult to differentiate. Both are invertebrate pests that feed on young rice seeds and inhibit or terminate rice growth, and both can leave a field devoid of plants. However, taking a closer…
"Tropical milkweed is not the first thing that we need to worry about in monarch butterfly conservation.”So says UC Davis professor and monarch scientist Elizabeth Crone of the Department of Evolution and Ecology.Crone is the senior author of the newly published “Neither Source Nor Trap: Urban Gardens…
While bringing firewood from home for your weekend camping trip may seem harmless, many invasive pests can hide in firewood and cause serious harm to California’s forests and urban landscapes. You can help limit the spread of these unwanted hitchhikers by collecting or buying firewood close to where you plan…
Sometimes we get questions about leaning trees. People want to know if a tree that is leaning can be straightened out, and how. This is what we’ve learned.The first question to consider is why is the tree leaning? For most young trees, with trunks smaller than 4” in diameter, the leaning can be traced back…
Be on the lookout for invasive species threatening California! While state and federal agencies actively monitor for new invasive pests, the public serves a critical role in early detection and often are the ones who find new invasive species first. During California Invasive Species Action Week …
General Situation Despite relatively high thrips counts in some areas, TSWV incidence remains low generally. Any younger crops will remain susceptible to economic damage until fruit set. Temperatures over the next 10 days are set to hover in triple digits for 5 days before cooling off to the mid…
General Situation Despite relatively high thrips counts in some areas, TSWV incidence remains low generally with a few heavily infected crops. Any younger crops will remain susceptible to economic damage until fruit set. Temperatures over the next 10 days will start out with a run of 4 or 5 days…
General Situation Despite relatively high thrips counts in some areas, TSWV incidence remains low generally. Planting finally wrapped up in the last couple of weeks and younger crops will remain susceptible to economic damage until fruit set. Temperatures over the next 10 days are set to hover in…
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