Blog
UC Master Gardener Program News:
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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...
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Spotted Lanternfly: The Need to Remain Vigilant (Part 1)
On March 27th, 2024, a flatbed truck carrying a metal art structure originating in New York and headed to Petaluma, California was stopped at the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Inspection Station in Truckee, California...
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November Garden Tips - Embracing Fall Gardening
Hello, fellow California gardeners! As the crisp autumn air settles in, November brings exciting opportunities to nurture our gardens. Let's explore some essential tips for thriving green spaces this month. Embrace the Fall Cleanup (with a...
Pests in the Urban Landscape:
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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,...
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Turkey Troubles
With Thanksgiving approaching, turkeys are on many of our minds. But for those that live in a neighborhood with frequent turkey visitors, you might think of them more often. Like most creatures, turkeys are not always considered a pest, and...
Green News From UC Agriculture & Natural Resources:
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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...
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Good fire is back at the Hopland Research and Extension Center
Fire has been part of indigenous stewardship in California since time immemorial. These fire practices were deeply connected to cultural traditions, food ways, and enhanced the resilience of landscapes. Using fire for research and land management at...
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Virtual fencing ‘game-changer’ for ranchers grazing cattle
Tech can save ranchers time and benefit animals and land, becoming more viable After the Caldor Fire destroyed seven miles of fencing on their cattle ranch in 2021, Leisel Finley and her family needed to replace the fence. Finley, a sixth-generation...
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Extreme weather accelerates nitrate pollution in groundwater
Extreme weather spurred by climate change, including droughts and heavy rains, may increase the risk of nitrates from fertilizers ending up in groundwater, according to a recent study from researchers at the University of California, Davis. The study...