http://groups.ucanr.org/sbdisplay/blogs.cfm?county=5609&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed SLO and Statewide Master Gardener News en-us UC ANR http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:54:46 PST Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:54:46 PST   The UC Master Gardeners are now accepting applications.  The deadline is quickly approaching!  Please have your application postmarked by November 20th. Please click on the underlined links below to find the application and more information about our program. Photo by Cindy Muther...
]]> Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:16:13 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1838&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed abreschini@co.slo.ca.us(Amy Breschini) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1838 The Master Gardeners of San Luis Obispo County recently celebrated its most successful Tomato Extravaganza to date – due in large part to the generous support of its donors and the community. Despite 110-degree temperatures, a record 400+ visitors showed up to sample dozens of varieties of tomatoes and basil, view fruit-tree grafting, worm-composting demonstrations and gather tips for growing healthy, sustainable gardens. While this annual event is free to the public, proceeds from tomato and......
]]> Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:42:55 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1820&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed abreschini@co.slo.ca.us(Amy Breschini) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1820 Next class is scheduled for Saturday, November 14th!REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED:  follow this link to register! http://ucanr.org/sloworm Another fun vermiculture workshop was held this past weekend in San Luis Obispo.  This is our 3rd class and has been a really positive experience!  Our instructor, Alice, is teaching people how to use red wigglers (Eisenia foetida) to break down kitchen scraps into valuable, rich compost (and compost tea!) for the garden.   Sadly, Californians dispose of......
]]> Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:38:16 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1789&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed abreschini@co.slo.ca.us(Amy Breschini) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1789 Aquatic Gardens, Not Aquatic Pests: How To Practice Responsible Water Gardening (ANR Publication 8369), has now been published online and is available FREE at the ANR CS Web site at http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8369.pdf. To view the catalog listing for this title, go to this URL: http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/InOrder/Shop/ItemDetails.asp?ItemNo=8369. Let us know if you have any trouble viewing, downloading, or printing the publication.Many gardeners are looking for aquatic plants that...... Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:57:05 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1755&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pmelam@ucdavis.edu(Pamela Geisel) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1755 We are so grateful for the hard work that the Youth CCC's put into our garden!  They found this large rock under the walnut tree and moved it over to use as a garden feature in the center of our "round about" path. So excited!  Here's the truck backing in with the delivery of the garden shed.  We were so fortunate that Susie got a great discount on it from Oak Country Lumber and Ranch Supply in Santa Margarita because it was one of their samples in the store.  At this point I'm wondering......
]]> Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:17:09 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1721&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed abreschini@co.slo.ca.us(Amy Breschini) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1721 Periwinkle or Vinca major is a ground cover that has been popularly planted in many areas of California.  It has also become a major pest in many coastal and valley riparian areas where it has naturalized and now out competes many of the native flora.  It is also a major pest in my garden and I am looking for great alternatives to take its place.  The good news is that there is a web link on the California Gardening website to a group called PlantRight.  (http://plantright.org)  They have......
]]> Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:28:55 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1689&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pmelam@ucdavis.edu(Pamela Geisel) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1689 I live along an historic boulevard of beautiful Canary Island Date Palms,  Phoenix canarensis.  They are really majestic but they do drop a lot of fronds during much of the year.  Anytime there is a breeze, one can expect to see the large fronds or flower clusters littering the ground around the base of the trees and  the street.  The dropping fronds are not really a huge issue in our area because the road is quite rural, and infrequently traveled.   However, there are many plantings that are......
]]> Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:47:14 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1670&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pmelam@ucdavis.edu(Pamela Geisel) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1670 Apricots and cherries can have a fairly short lifespan in many climate zones in California due to a disease called Eutypa.  This disease is able to invade through pruning wounds especially during the wet winter months.  This disease causes limbs or twigs to wilt and die suddenly in late spring or summer with the leaves still attached.  The bark may appear dark with an amber colored gumming on the branches.  To combate that the disease and reduce the potential for Eutypa to infect trees, you......
]]> Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:20:22 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1637&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pmelam@ucdavis.edu(Pamela Geisel) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1637 So much has happened! Here's a little summary of the garden to date: (Please forgive me if I forgot someone or something...things are moving and shaking now!  A special thank you for Susie who has been recording everything daily!  Much of this was extracted from the communication that she has been doing with the Demo Garden Committee!  Please feel free to comment on the post if you believe I forgot something or if there are any corrections.) Weds. July 8:  An irrigation committee (Ray and......
]]> Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:09:53 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1625&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed abreschini@co.slo.ca.us(Amy Breschini) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1625 Spotted spurge is one of those weeds that seem to defy our best efforts to control it.  It is a low growing plant that develops into a dense mat that can overgrow turf and compete with ornamental ground covers and annuals.  It can be characterized by its dark green tiny leaves, which often have a red spot about mid way down the center leaf vein.  The stem, when broken, exudes a milky latex juice. The plant has a central taproot system that is capable of extending more than 2 feet into the soil.......
]]> Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:29:30 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1613&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pmelam@ucdavis.edu(Pamela Geisel) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1613 This time of year, it is not uncommon to see the valley oak trees (Quercus lobata) with their leaves yellowed and splotchy with numerous small seed like balls on the underside.  These are called Jumping oak galls and they are made by a small Cynipid wasp larva (Neuropterus saltatorius) that is developing inside the gall.  Don’t worry-the wasp doesn’t sting humans.  In fact, you would be lucky to actually see the critter.  While the galls do cause some defoliation, they are not particularly......
]]> Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:41:19 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1575&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pmelam@ucdavis.edu(Pamela Geisel) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1575  The lawn, from a distance, looks lush and green.  When walking across it, however, the exploding seed pods of the densely growing oxalis spread seeds across my boots and across my lawn.  In one year the newly planted cool season turfgrass has become an oxalis or creeping wood sorrel lawn.  Creeping woodsorrel is a major weed in turf, ornamental plantings, gardens, and nurseries. Uninfested landscapes can become contaminated if infested container stock is used in plantings. As seed pods mature......
]]> Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:24:47 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1565&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pmelam@ucdavis.edu(Pamela Geisel) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1565 I have been growing the most wonderful variety of cantaloupes called “Athena” in my vegetable garden.  This variety is to die for….sweet, firm, and longer lasting than the Tuscan varieties.  The vines were vigorous, productive and gorgeous until the aphids moved in and started curling the leaves and excreting honeydew, making everything a sticky mess.  I am partly to blame because I watched the small aphid population just explode to a huge problem.  I knew I should have done something early on......
]]> Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:27:31 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1525&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pmelam@ucdavis.edu(Pamela Geisel) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1525 Summer is an important time not only for fruit harvest but also for insuring a good crop in subsequent years. For example, typical summer fertilizing calls for: Summer Growing Season Fertilize young trees monthly. Use 0.5 lb. urea or 25 lb. manure/tree/appl. Mature trees need 50% more. Water fertilizer in. If drip irrigated, do not exceed 1 oz. urea/emitter/mo. Drip irrigate daily or sprinkler irrigate about every 3 weeks. Maintain a weed free area around the base of the......
]]> Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:15:56 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1504&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pmelam@ucdavis.edu(Pamela Geisel) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1504 We’ve got an exciting program coming up on August 14 at the Wolfskill Experimental Orchard. Spend the day with us learning about creating and maintaining sustainable home orchards of any size. We’ll be tasting fruit, offering a hands-on demonstrations, touring Wolfskill and much more! Your registration of $45 includes lunch, fruit tastings and a pomegranate plant. Please join us – you’ll leave prepared to start your own backyard fruit production! You can pay by......
]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:00:05 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1495&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pmelam@ucdavis.edu(Pamela Geisel) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1495 Vegetables grown in most California soils often require some fertilizer for best growth. Nitrogen is the most important nutrient and can be applied using either organic forms such as manures or compost or inorganic forms (chemical fertilizers) to supply needed nutrients. Learn More..........
]]> Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:14:35 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1469&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed pmelam@ucdavis.edu(Pamela Geisel) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1469 Mowing your lawn entails much more than just mowing on a weekly basis or whenever the lawn appears too long. For a healthy turf, you must pay special attention to: Learn more . . ....
]]> Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:40:05 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1442&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed dcseaver@ucdavis.edu(Donna Seaver) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1442 To get the most from your vegetables, harvest them when they are at the best stage for eating and store them under conditions that will keep them as close to garden-fresh as possible. Learn more . . ....
]]> Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:50:15 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1422&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed dcseaver@ucdavis.edu(Donna Seaver) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1422 Most all gardens in California will require some irrigation especially in summer. Irrigation that is inadequate will cause a significant reduction in productivity. However, water can be very expensive so creating an irrigation system that will adjust to the rooting depth of various plants is important. Learn more .......
]]> Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:37:23 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1393&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed dcseaver@ucdavis.edu(Donna Seaver) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1393 Vegetables grown in most California soils often require some fertilizer for best growth. Nitrogen is the most important nutrient and can be applied using either organic forms such as manures or compost or inorganic forms (chemical fertilizers) to supply needed nutrients. Learn more........
]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:01:08 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1387&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed dcseaver@ucdavis.edu(Donna Seaver) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1387 California has a unique vegetable growing climate and we can grow many different types of vegetable crops throughout the year. Crops are classified as warm season or cool season crops. It is important that you plant at the right time of year for each crop for optimum yield. . . . . . Learn more...
]]> Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:54:51 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1340&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed dcseaver@ucdavis.edu(Donna Seaver) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1340 Strong structural support is needed to support the vines and crop; this can be a trellis, an arbor, or a fence. Many gardeners grow grapes on an arbor to provide both shade and fruit. A trellis provides the easiest method . . . Learn more...
]]> Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:53:05 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1243&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed dcseaver@ucdavis.edu(Donna Seaver) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1243 Starting your vegetables indoors early can give your garden a jumpstart on spring. It also reduces the cost of seedling transplants in that a packet of seeds cost about the same as 1, 4-inch tomato plant. It also allows you to grow seedlings of varieties that may be difficult to find in the nursery as transplants. To start you will need . . . . . Learn more...
]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:01:21 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1226&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed dcseaver@ucdavis.edu(Donna Seaver) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1226