Gardening

If you are looking for an interesting evergreen that can serve as a hedge or small tree, why not consider planting one or more Feijoa? Commonly known as Pineapple Guava, Feijoa (Feijoa sellowiana O. Berg.) is an evergreen subtropical shrub or small tree that produces an aromatic edible fruit with a somewhat…

Have you ever wondered how queen bumblebees survive winter? Many queen bumble bees living in temperate climates spend the winter in underground nests and remain buried in a hibernation-like state called diapause. During diapause, the quiescent queen’s metabolism slows; in common eastern bumblebee queens, it…

Spring has arrived! Along with warmer weather and blooming flowers (and seasonal allergies for some of us!), you may have also noticed more insects and spiders roaming your home. If these unwanted houseguests have you thinking about cleaning and clearing up some clutter, join the UC IPM Urban & Community…

Is there such a thing as a deer-proof plant? Perhaps…but there are a variety of reasons deer may choose to ignore or consume specific plant species at a particular time and place.  Certain plants native to California (and elsewhere) have evolved natural defenses against being eaten by browsing…

It is time to start thinking about thinning the fruit on peach, nectarine, plum, pluot, apricot, apple, and pear trees. To produce fruit that is large and healthy, fruit trees need plenty of leaves to feed the developing fruit.  Since trees often set far more fruit than their leaves can adequately support,…

Below is a crop-by-crop summary of the best time to plant vegetables here in the Lake Tahoe Basin.  Keep in mind these are estimates of ideal planting windows, each season can bring very different conditions so also take into account potential freezes in the weather forecast and your individual planting…