Pest Management & Plant Health

While typically associated with timber production and arborists, chainsaws are one of the tools available to those tasked with removing non-desirable woody vegetation.

Help for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County Client Request: Hi...I am looking for some help. I have a pomegranate tree that I have enjoyed since moving in my home in 2006.

Let's hear it for biocontrol. You've seen lady beetles, aka ladybugs, preying on aphids. But have you seen an assassin bug attack a spotted cucumber beetle? No? How about a crab spider munching on a stink bug? All biocontrol, part of integrated pest management (IPM).

Landscape trees provide welcome shade, fruit, homes for wildlife, and even a place for kids to climb. But if the wood is damaged, disease-causing fungi can infect the tree. A number of fungal diseases decay wood in both tree branches and trunks, weakening and sometimes killing the tree.

The last time we saw a severe blast epidemic was 2011. Since then, we haven't had much blast; in fact, I had not see any blast at all during several years. I don't think 2019 qualifies as a severe blast year, but there is more blast than in the previous few years.

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has formed a work group to find alternatives to the pesticide chlorpyrifos that will help farmers manage insect pests when a state ban on the chemical goes into effect, reported Kerry Klein on Valley Public Radio.

Last week, someone called our helpline about a strange phenomenon happening on her backyard plants. She described the symptoms as big, white, masses of fluffy cotton. I asked her to email some photos our helpline address (ucmgstanislaus@ucanr.edu).

Last May, a Turlock almond grower noticed nearly all the nuts on a row of trees in his orchard had fallen to the ground. It looked like we shook this row, he said. I was scared. I thought the whole orchard was going to go. He called UC Cooperative Extension.

Many gardeners and landscapers enjoy growing and caring for roses. Through careful selection of varieties and appropriate cultivation, roses can be grown with a minimum of pest problems.

Palm trees are commonly seen in California, making some think about the tree-lined streets of Hollywood, or sitting by the pool somewhere.