Gardening

  Pollinators like bees, butterflies, moths, and birds play an important role in pollinating your vegetable garden and supporting a healthy ecosystem. However, habitat loss, disease, and pesticide use have contributed to the decline of these species. You can help pollinators by selecting a wide…

When you spot a plant in your garden that doesn’t look healthy, how do you figure out what’s wrong with it? Plant problems can be caused by insects, mites, vertebrates, environmental conditions, and diseases, but it can sometimes be hard to tell which is causing the problem. UC IPM's Plant Problem…

Two of the most common earthworms found in our area are redworms and nightcrawlers.  Redworms (eisenia foetida, also known as red wiggler worms) are shallow dwellers, living in the top 12 inches of the soil.  These are the worms most commonly used for vermicomposting, a method of creating rich garden compost…

 When the winter rains end, it’s time for gardeners to focus on providing spring and summer edibles with the water they need to grow and produce. While hand watering may be the simplest way to adjust watering to the needs of individual plants, it’s not the most efficient means for getting the right…

Dandelions can be an especially troublesome weed in lawns and landscapes. Once they're established, dandelions readily regrow from their deep taproot when only the tops are removed or mowed. Dandelions can regrow if even 1 inch of the taproot remains. The best way to get rid of dandelions is to control them…

When you hear “bulbs” you might think of springtime plants – tulips, daffodils, iris, and others. But did you know there are plenty of summer-flowering bulbs that you can plant in the spring? 

Lady beetles (known more commonly as ladybugs) are often sold in nurseries and garden centers to control aphids. But will releasing them actually solve your pest problem, and if so, how can you release them correctly? There are about 200 species of lady beetles in California, varying in color, size, and…

For many of us, gardening involves a constant battle with weeds. Basically, a weed is nothing more than a plant growing where it is not wanted, the classic example being dandelions in the lawn. But as the old saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” and there are many “weeds” that are, in…

Hantavirus has been in the news a lot lately. Betsy Arakawa, wife of the late actor Gene Hackman, recently passed away in New Mexico due to the disease and California has already seen 3 hantavirus-related deaths this year. In this article we share information to help you understand hantavirus and what you…