http://ucanr.org/blogs/slomggarden/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed San Luis Obispo County Demonstration Garden en-us UC ANR http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/ Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:36:02 PST Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:36:02 PST Q.  Are Indian walking sticks considered pests in the garden? -Rhonda Kohler, San Luis Obispo A. The ultimate expert in camouflage, the Indian walking stick exhibits crypsis, the ability to change color, shape and behavior to blend into their environment. Adult specimens reach up to 4 inches in length. Their long, wingless body is generally brown-colored. When confronted, this amazing creature retracts its legs alongside its body, adding to its appearance as a stick. In fact, if it were a bit...
]]> Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:35:58 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=6671&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed mayockey@yahoo.com(Michele Yockey) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=6671 By Maggie King, Master Gardener January means different things to different people. For some it means good books, bunny slippers, and naps by the fire.  For avid gardeners, January is the time to grab a pair of pruners and head outside to the fruit trees and vines that await our attention.  Careful pruning can make the difference between a bountiful crop of fruits and berries and an unhealthy, unproductive orchard.  When we prune we get rid of dead and diseased branches and we improve the...
]]> Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:00:42 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=6485&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=6485 Advice To Grow By WorkshopBy Andrea Peck, Master GardenerThe San Luis Obispo Master Gardeners are at it again with their monthly Advice To Grow By Workshops. This Saturday from 10 to noon the workshop will discuss that odd piece of machinery that inhabits the center of the Garden of The Seven Sisters. As important as any growing element in the garden, the mechanical whirligig is not modern garden art; it is a state-of-the-art weather station which measures temperature, precipitation, wind speed...
]]> Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:34:41 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=6138&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=6138 Q.  What can I plant under the Coast Live Oak in my front yard to fill in the sandy area below and around the canopy? Ginny Kemper, NipomoA.   You have lots of colorful and interesting choices in companion plantings for oak trees.  Hummingbird sage will give you a wide-spreading groundcover of bright green leaves with pink flowers.  Carpenteria californica is an evergreen shrub with beautiful white anemone-like flowers.   In a sunnier section under the tree, plant California fuchsia for grey...
]]> Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:22:07 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=5977&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=5977 Thinking of doing a little re-landscaping this fall? Wishing your landscaping could thrive with less work and water?  The Master Gardener Advice to Grow By presentation this Saturday will give ideas for low-maintenance landscaping through use of native California plants. Fall is the time to plant California native perennials, shrubs and trees.  It is the time of the year when the soil is still warm and winter rains are just around the corner.  The winter is a prime time for the roots of newly...
]]> Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:14:43 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=5922&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=5922 What jobs should I be doing in my garden in October? Tish KeelySanta MargaritaOctober is one of the most pleasant months in the garden.  The temperature is generally mild, the soil is still warm, there are treasures to harvest, and winter rains are, hopefully, on the way.This is a perfect time for a thorough garden cleanup.  Clean out beds regardless of whether you plan to have a winter garden.  Dig, divide and replant crowded perennials, cut yellowed asparagus to the ground, remove dead and...
]]> Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:51:50 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=5921&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=5921 THE COOL SEASON VEGETABLE GARDEN PLANNING YOUR GARDEN -- Choose a site Full Sun Close to the house Level, or terraced Water source close Size appropriate to what you plan to grow and how much time you have --Decide what you want to grow How much time do you have to devote to the garden? Start from seed or transplants?  Plants started from seed in the ground take longer to produce a crop than transplants, but large seeds and root crops should all be directly sown in the garden. ...
]]> Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:52:47 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=5799&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=5799 Worm composting is slow, but it's great for your plants~ It's worth it! Vermiculture by Jim Borland, Master GardenerQ – I've heard it's possible to get good compost from worm manure. Is this true?Curtis Reinhardt, Shell BeachA – Yes, you can let worms eat your kitchen scraps and convert it into fertilizer.  It's called vermiculture which is a fancy name for worm composting.  You need only a few things to get started: a worm bin, newspaper bedding, kitchen scraps and, of course, your little red...
]]> Fri, 16 Sep 2011 09:36:46 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=5784&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=5784 Turf’s up By Ann Dozier Q:  At the end of summer are you unhappy about the amount of work and water your lawn requires?  Or, are you wondering what will fill your vegetable bed when the squash vines are ripped out? A:  No, we’re not recommending that you tear up your lawn and plant vegetables, although that might be a solution for problem lawns. Instead, come to the Master Gardener Advice to Grow by presentation Saturday, September 17, to get some answers to both questions. The session will...
]]> Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:17:57 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=5634&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=5634 Tomato Extravaganza By Ann Dozier It’s high summer and how are your tomatoes doing?  Wish you’d known which varieties give best results locally? Did you plant the best tasting varieties? Come, taste and find out.  At their annual Tomato Extravaganza, Master Gardeners are celebrating the luscious red (or maybe striped or purple) tomato, queen of summer’s bounty.  Saturday, August 20, all things tomato will be the focus at the Seven Sisters demonstration garden at View Larger Map">2156 Sierra...
]]> Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:02:31 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=5423&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=5423 Written By Jim Borland, Master Gardener Have you ever wondered about the life process of your plants?  Plants are living organisms that, unlike animals, produce their own food (via photosynthesis) and also regenerate certain lost organs and tissues. Here is a brief look at the various parts of a plant's structure.Roots - have the primary function to take up water and nutrients from the soil, store excess food materials, and anchor the plant.Stems and Shoots - the above ground portion of the...
]]> Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:25:22 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=5411&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=5411 July Advice to Grow ByBy Ann Dozier Are you tired of climbing ladders to reach the crop on your fruit trees? How can you keep backyard fruit trees at an easy to care for height? How should you shape young trees? Summer pruning is an easy and convenient method of controlling the growth of backyard fruit trees.  Some advocates of this kind of pruning recommend keeping fruit trees at a height of around 12 feet which allows for ease of care and harvesting.  Pruning of rampant spring growth also...
]]> Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:56:57 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=5280&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=5280 Brad Lancaster, author of Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, was our keynote speaker at the Sustainable Landscaping Symposium on April 9th.  Our day focused on changing how we use and waste valuable drinking water, ways to use greywater safely, how to conserve and save the rainwater because it's free and we are losing it down the gutter!  We also focused on conserving energy by planting shade trees and trees and shrubs as windbreaks in the right location and using California Native...
]]> Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:06:32 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=4674&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=4674 For those of you who attended the April Advice to Grow By Workshop about Rodents.. Click on the underlined titles below to find more information about: GophersGround SquirrelsVoles/Meadow MouseMoles Clivia Photo by Lee Oliphant April Gardens Poised to Take OffBy Lee Oliphant Q. I’ve been cleaning and weeding my garden. What are some other essential tasks to be performed in gardens in April? Linda Dunn, Cambria A. April is prime planting month around the county. It’s not too late to plant...
]]> Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:57:26 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=4671&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=4671 Grass bug, Arhyssus sp.  (Photo by Rodney Cooper, USDA-ARS, Shafter) The following information is from Dr. Surendra Dara, UCCE Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Several specimens of grass bugs have been brought to our office in the recent weeks.  These are of varying sizes (about 7-12 mm), but identified by the CDFA systematist, Rosser Garrison as Arhyssus sp.  They belong to the family Rhopalidae (Order Hemiptera), members of which are commonly known as scentless plant bugs. They...
]]> Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:30:02 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=4432&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=4432 On March 19, 2011, Mark Gaskell, UCCE Farm Advisor, led  a blueberry workshop at the UCCE Auditorium, our back up location on a rainy day for the Garden of the Seven Sisters. Photo by Brenda Dawson, UC Davis Here are some helpful links to more information about growing blueberries: Mark Gaskell has all of his information for small farm blueberry production  here. If that link didn't work, his page can always be found at:  http://cesantabarbara.ucdavis.edu Check out the UC ANR general...
]]> Mon, 21 Mar 2011 08:56:58 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=4426&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=4426 March Garden Chores By Maggie King, Master Gardener Photo by Jennifer Stevens. A blanket of Baby Blue Eyes covers a field as far as the eye can see on Highway 58. There's one yellow Tidy-Tip peeking out. Q:  I’ve neglected my garden all winter, but I’m ready to start working outside again.  What jobs should I do right now? Norinne Cruzat, Atascadero A:  For many on the Central Coast, March marks the official beginning of the gardening year.  Most of the county has experienced its last...
]]> Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:05:13 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=4272&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=4272 February Gardens Ready for ActionBy Lee Oliphant Q. I’m ready to begin gardening again. What are some tasks I can do in February? Robin Wayne, Cambria A. The curtain goes up in gardens around the county. Our temperate climate makes for a long growing season and hopefully you are ready for action. Before you jump into planting in February, check out the publication at http://ucanr.org/blogs/slomggarden/blogfiles/3250.pdf for frost dates and other temperature data. The publication was prepared...
]]> Wed, 02 Feb 2011 14:51:15 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=4169&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=4169 Join the Master Gardeners every 3rd Saturday for the "Advice To Grow By" Workshops. Saturday, January 15, 2011 10am- noon Planting and Pruning Bare Root Fruit Trees 2156 Sierra Way, San Luis Obispo Please park in the adjacent parking lot. The first half of the workshop will take place in the auditorium (maximum occupancy 68).  The second half of the workshop will be a demonstration in the orchard.  Please wear appropriate shoes for walking on sloping, uneven and mulched...
]]> Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:37:24 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=4033&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=4033 As many of you know, the UC Master Gardeners in San Luis Obispo County try to reach every single school in our county to act as a mentor to teachers, parents and school garden volunteers.  If you know of any schools who need help finding curriculum, building a garden or just getting started, they are more than welcome to contact us!  Email us at mgsanluisobispo@ucdavis.edu or call us at 805-781-5939. Below is the latest press release from the County Health Department and UC Cooperative...
]]> Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:41:01 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=3845&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=3845