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The University of California (UC) Master Gardener Program extends UC research-based information to the public about home horticulture. In exchange for the training and materials received from the University of California, master gardeners perform volunteer services in a variety of venues.
Check out the useful links on the left to answer your gardening questions.
North State Garden News
Looking for Authors
We are looking for Authors, Writers, Contributors for this blog. Are you interested? Please email Leimone Waite at LWAITE@ShastaCollege.edu Thank you
Forest Pests
Do you know what causes these brown needles on your pine tree? Is it diplodia blight, pine engraver beetles or just seasonal leaf drop? Come to the Shasta Master Gardener meeting on Thursday, Jan 8th (6:30 pm, Shasta College Downtown Campus, Room 8220) and listen to Don Owens, CalFire entomologist, answer this question. Don will speak on common forest pests, including mistletoe, bark beetles, Armillaria root fungus (which can affect both your conifers and vineyard) and more. You'll learn how best to deal with forest pests (when and how to remove dying trees to prevent the spread of disease) and what you can do during drought to help your landscape trees.
Holiday Cactus
In our office, this Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera buckleyi) is one cheerful plant! It gets cool temperatures at night (55°F) thanks to our programmable thermostat and received 12-14 hours of darkness per night during the last month. Both conditions encourage blossoms. It has rich, well-drained soil and gets frequent misting. After it finishes blooming, the Master Gardeners pinch off the leaf segments to easily root and propagate new plants for gift-giving during the next holiday season.
Winter Composting: Plan B
My compost pile and I have been lulled into lethargy with this warm fall weather. But the first hard frost reminds me that I need another plan for kitchen scraps and organic waste over the winter. I can keep putting material in the compost pile, but it will decompose VERY slowly, not reach temperatures that will kill pathogens or weed seeds and may leach nitrogen into groundwater. Now's the time to cover my compost pile to prevent leaching in winter rains and let it rest til spring. I've raked up leaves and used them as mulch in my gardens to insulate roots from freezing. Some of the drier oak leaves were run through a chipper, bagged, stored and will become mulch or compost in the spring. My dead squash vines, bean and tomato plants went into the burn pile since composting won't kill the plant mosaic viruses associated with those vegetables. If you can't burn, then bag and dispose of those plants. And lastly, my kitchen scraps now...
Dormant Spraying for Peach Leaf Curl
Did your peach tree have distorted, reddened leaves this spring that maybe fell off and grew back this summer? If so, your tree may suffer from a fungal disease called Peach Leaf Curl. You can get more information about the disease symptoms and management from the UC Pest Note If your tree does have peach leaf curl, the best time to apply a preventative fungicide is in November after the leaves have fallen. You can apply a copper ammonium spray such as Liqui-Cop or Kop R Spray. Make sure you follow the label and wear appropriate personal protection. If you wait til the symptoms appear again next spring, it's too late to control the disease.
2019 Master Gardener Training Class
Shasta College will be offering Master Gardener training in Weaverville beginning in January 2019. The Master Gardener program is a nationally-recognized program for individuals who wish to increase their horticultural skills and then return that knowledge to their community as a volunteer. The program provides over 50 hours of classroom and hands-on training.
There are 17 training classes beginning January 22, 2019 and ending on May 21st. Classes will be held on Tuesday evenings from 6 pm to 9 pm, with 2 Saturday classes, at the Young Family Ranch in Weaverville. Class topics include botany, pest management, soils, composting, plant propagation, entomology, plant diseases, irrigation, landscape design, turf management, fruit, vineyard and vegetable gardening.
The course is offered through Shasta College as AGEH-60 for the Spring 2019 semester. Interested students should go to www.shastacollege.edu and apply for admission if they have not done so before, then register for the course. Regular Shasta College fees and financial assistance apply to this 3-credit course. Assistance with registration and financial information is available at the Weaverville campus and by calling 623-2231. Space is limited to 22 students, so early registration is encouraged.
For the 2019 training schedule Master Gardener curriculum 2019
For more information about the Master Gardener program contact Carol Fall, Master Gardener Coordinator, at cjfall@ucanr.edu.
Straw Bale Demonstration Project
Check out our Straw Bale Demonstration Project at the Young Family Ranch Youth Garden. During the 2018 growing season, we'll be showing you how to set up and "condition" the bales, plant in them and hopefully grow a bounty of vegetables. We'll post photos and things we've learned here, so check back periodically.
With straw bale gardening the idea is to convert the bales into instant raised beds. You add high nitrogen fertilizer and water over a 2 week period to rapidly decompose the bales into a planting medium. They last one season then are used as compost or mulch.
Here's a more detailed description and important schedule for adding nitrogen to accomplish rapid decomposition. Or check out this Master Gardener presentation on Straw Bale Gardening.
We've received many requests for information on reducing water use in drought conditions. The UCCE Master Gardeners of Trinity County have prepared a handout with Water Conservation Suggestions for your Home Vegetable Garden.
The California Garden Web has more tips for Gardening in a Drought and Irrigation during a Drought.
IPM Youtube Channel
Do you like to watch and learn? Here's a fun way to learn more about pests with the Integrated Pest Management channel on Youtube.
Bug Squad Blog
Congratulations to UC Davis Pollinator Ecologist Neal Williams
With all the increasing--and alarming--global concern about declining pollinators, it's great to see some good news: pollination ecologist Neal Williams of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology is one of the Highly Cited Researchers in the...