Blog
UC Master Gardener Program News:
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Seed Libraries: Building Communities One Seed at a Time
Step into a seed library and you'll discover a wealth of seed collections and gardening knowledge. A seed library collects and stores seeds that allows gardeners to “borrow” donated seeds for free. Many libraries offer detailed planting...
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From Concrete to Green: How Gardening is Changing California's Cities
Imagine living in a place where parks are scarce and concrete stretches for miles. This is the reality for many Californians - in fact, according to the 2020 U.S. Census, 94.2% live in urban areas, making it America's most urbanized state. In cities like...
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UC Master Gardener of San Diego County’s ‘labor of love’ improves health of older adults
The Belden Village Apartments in Clairemont Mesa East of San Diego is home to a diverse population of older adults. Shital Parikh, a UC Master Gardener of San Diego County, took the initiative to build a garden that grows food and encourages residents...
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Spotted Lanternfly: The Need to Remain Vigilant (Part 2)
Read Spotted Lanternfly: The Need to Remain Vigilant (part one) here. The spotted lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive insect pest first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014, with confirmed sightings and/or infestations of SLF now reported in 20...
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Healthy Soils Week: Common soil problems in the garden, and how to fix them!
It's Healthy Soils Week! Healthy soil is the secret to a successful garden. Just like you need nutritious food to grow and thrive, your plants need healthy soil to produce beautiful flowers, delicious vegetables, and strong roots. For...
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December Garden Tips - Wrapping Up the Garden Year
As we prepare to close the chapter on another year in our gardens, December offers us time to reflect, protect, and celebrate. This month bridges the gap between this year's achievements and next year's possibilities. Let's explore how to properly wrap...
Pests in the Urban Landscape:
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Your Rat Management Questions Answered!
UC IPM recently hosted a webinar on rat management presented by Dr. Niamh Quinn. During this webinar attendees were able to ask the expert their burning questions about rats and their management. Below are responses to common questions from the...
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![Flower of yellow nutsedge. [Credit: Jack Kelly Clark]](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/UCIPMurbanpests/blogfiles/110412_square.jpg "Flower of yellow nutsedge. [Credit: Jack Kelly Clark]")
Wrapping Up the Year
As the end of 2024 approaches, I'd like to reflect on the UC IPM Urban and Community program's accomplishments and share what's to come from us in 2025. Some highlights: Published an updated version of the Pesticide Active Ingredient Database which...
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Bugs in Your Holiday Cookies!?
In a recent TikTok video, a woman's holiday baking spree came to a halt when she discovered bugs in her flour. While initially alarmed, the woman was also intrigued. What are they? Where did they come from? How did they get into the container? There are...
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Spotted Lanternfly: The Need to Remain Vigilant (Part 2)
Read Spotted Lanternfly: The Need to Remain Vigilant (part 1) here. The spotted lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive insect pest first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014, with confirmed sightings and/or infestations of SLF now reported in 20 eastern...
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December Pest Tips
Take the following steps to keep your plants healthy and pest-free this winter. Refer to the UC IPM Seasonal Landscape IPM Checklist for more monthly pest management to-dos for your region so you can prevent pests and their damage in the garden and...
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2025 Webinars from UC IPM
Want to learn something new on your lunch break? Join the Urban and Community IPM Webinar Series hosted by UC IPM every third Thursday of the month from 12:00 to 1:00pm. Webinars cover pest identification, prevention, and management around the home,...
Green News From UC Agriculture & Natural Resources:
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Swain to discuss rain in fire zone 3pm Friday, Jan. 24
Light rain is expected to dampen Southern California this weekend, easing fire conditions but also raising landslide risks in burn areas. It won't end local fire risk. The drizzle is “enough to tamp down but not end fire season,” says...
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UCCE offers water measurement training Jan. 30 in Davis
California water-rights holders are required by state law to measure and report the water they divert from surface streams. For people who wish to take the water measurements themselves, the University of California Cooperative Extension is offering...
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Floods, droughts, then fires: Hydroclimate whiplash is speeding up globally
New research links intensifying wet and dry swings to the atmosphere's sponge-like ability to drop and absorb water Key takeaways Hydroclimate whiplash – rapid swings between intensely wet and dangerously dry weather – has...
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Preparing soil for winter can protect soil health
Farmers placed clumps of soil into metal mesh baskets, submerged the baskets into jars of water, then watched to see if their soil held together. The slake test, conducted at the Soil Health Field Day in Woodland, measured soil health. Healthier soil,...
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Ask a rancher: Surveys draw on hard-won wisdom for surviving drought
Roche team lands $1 million to help ranchers stay strong California ranchers benefit when they plan ahead for extreme weather variability, according to rancher surveys and interviews conducted by a team headed by Leslie Roche, a...
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Feeding grazing cattle seaweed cuts methane emissions by almost 40%
Findings offer solution for more climate-friendly cattle farming Seaweed is once again showing promise for making cattle farming more sustainable. A new study by researchers at the University of California, Davis, found that feeding grazing beef...