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UC Blogs
World's Best Bug Blogs
There are lots of blogs out there, but not too many people blog about bugs. Fact is, bugs bug people. Birds bug bugs. Bugs bug bugs. If you've ever...
Ladybug drying its wings after falling into a swimming pool. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Fly away, little ladybug! (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Ladybug resting on a leaf. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Becoming a Beekeeper
"How do I get started in beekeeping?" This is the time of year when scores of prospective beekeepers contact Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen of...
This photo of beekeeper Billy Synk, manager and staff research associate of the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis, appears on the cover of the February edition of the American Bee Journal. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Digging Deeper with IPM
Most of the readers of this blog are familiar with the term IPM or Integrated Pest Management. For those who are not familiar with the term it is a big picture approach to gardening and pest management that starts with the least toxic steps first. At the heart of IPM is diagnosis. I learned this, again, this week. I have a row of 4 gardenias planted in a foundation spot under my kitchen window. They have been limping along for a few years now. To my eye, they looked to be deficient in nutrients of some sort or another. So I fed them food for acid loving plants. I waited a while, feeding on a regular schedule, but they never seemed to flourish. Over the course of months I added a compost top dressing, sprayed with a foliar-feeding, tried compost tea and waited. Nothing seemed to help. Someone in the house even gave them a good pruning to see if that might help. It did not. The UC IPM website says optimum conditions for growth are “rich soils with acidic pH” and “well- drained soil.” I decided to try digging the plants up to see what sort of drainage was going on. Under the couple inches of compost I found hard compaction with plenty of rocks leftover from the construction of our house. All that food I was giving them was probably running off – it just couldn't penetrate to the roots. I fluffed up the soil with more compost, mixed in some acidic food and put the shrubs right back where they were. I am hopeful that in addressing the underlying problem the nutrient issue will right itself. It is good to be reminded to keep the big picture in mind.
Very sad gardenia! (photo by Teresa Lavell)
Learning About the Pollinators
If you want to learn more about pollinators and sustainable gardening, then you should circle March 15 on your calendar and register for the...
Honey bee foraging on flowering quince. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A Very Old/New Food to Grow
Food fads come and go. Remember TV dinners and Spam of the 50's, organics and granola of the 60's, the Atkins diet and fondues of the 70's, oat bran muffins and sushi of the 80's, Oscar Meyers Lunchables of the 90's, energy drinks and gluten-free of 2000, and omega-3s and probiotics of today? Whoops! Almost forgot chocolate covered bacon.
One of the "new" foods that has caught my interest is the wolfberry, also known as the goji berry. I buy the dried berries at the store and nibble them, add them to waffle, pancake, or muffin batters, or throw a handful into a morning smoothie. The berries have a sweet/sour, somewhat nutty flavor.
Reported to be a "super food", the goji berry is said to be an antioxidant. There are published studies reporting possible benefits in some animal studies that the goji berry is helpful against cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. The Chinese have touted the goji berry for centuries for a multitude of health benefits. Various other claims of health are many.
The goji berry plant, Lycium barbarum, is a species of boxthorn found in the Solanaceae family, and is a native of southeast Europe and Asia. L. barbarum produces a bright red-orange, raisin-size, edible berry, which ripens in late summer into early fall.
I have been buying these health-laden, relative expensive jewels for about two years now. So imagine my surprise when I saw the plant was featured in a number of recently received seed catalogs. We're sending for two plants!
The plant does well in USDA zones 6b through 9b, likes full sun and good drainage. The plant is self-fertile, and will grow to eight to ten feet tall. However, apparently it likes to be pruned to about a five foot height. There are no reports of pests or diseases and it is draught tolerant once established. Protection is recommended against strong sun during the hottest part of the day in warm climates. One plant is said to yield up to one quart of berries per season. Mmmmmm. Goji berry jam! We shall see.
2-17-14
