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Building a Better Bee
You won't find anyone more passionate about building a better bee than bee breeder-geneticist Susan Cobey, who holds dual appointments at the...
Queen bee insemination, perfected by bee breeder-geneticist Susan Cobey of UC Davis and Washington State University, can help aid the troubled bee industry. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bee breeder-geneticist Susan Cobey (right) with fellow researcher John Pollard of Canada at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Holiday Cactus
Did you get a holiday cactus plant this year? I noticed many in the nurseries and stores with exquisite blossoms in shades of red, pink, purple, salmon as well as other colors. They add cheerful color during a time when few other houseplants flower. Popular plants are the Thanksgiving cacti, (Schlumbergia truncate), and the Christmas cacti, (Schlumbergia x buckleyi).
The secret of good bloom is to control the temperature and light. Plants develop buds and bloom if given bright light, short days, and night temperatures between 55º F and 65º Fahrenheit during bud formation. Full sunlight is helpful during the winter months. In the summer, the bright sun can make the plants look pale and yellow.
For Christmas bloom next year, the light and temperature treatment should be started in mid-September and continue for eight weeks. Christmas cacti bloom best when somewhat pot-bound. Re-potting is necessary only about once in three years.
These plants require less water from October to March then they do from April to September when growth is active. Take care that the soil does not become waterlogged during the dark days of winter.
Be a Beekeeper, Not a Bee-Haver
If you're planning to join the ranks of backyard beekeepers in 2012, you should keep a few things in mind, says Extension apiculturist Eric...
Backyard beekeepers must provide water for their bees or they will visit a neighboring yard, where they may not be welcome. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
After Christmas Sales for Gardeners
I love Christmas with all the trimmings including the greenery. The wreaths, the trees, the Christmas cacti, the poinsettias, the rosemary topiaries, the amaryllis and paper whites, and a host of others that take center stage during this time of year that otherwise blend into the background.
While many might just disregard and discard these once January 2nd rolls around, I just can’t bring myself to do so. Always looking for a bargain, and believing that I CAN grow anything (just disregard those plastic pots in my recycle bin) I eagerly ask for folks discarded poinsettias vowing THIS YEAR I’ll be able to keep it growing until next Christmas season.
Other than pilfering these rejects from my acquaintances and friends, there are bargains to be had at your local grocery, hardware, and big box stores. Many stores, in their rush to clear out the “old”, mark items like rosemary plants and bulb kits down drastically. I’m talking 2 or 3 bucks for plants they were selling for $15 or more up until the 24th!
The rosemary is very hardy. It can be a great scent in the house and great to plant in the yard or container. http://ucanr.org/sites/ucmgnapa/files/81948.pdf.
The Paperwhites and Amaryllis that fill the shelves will bloom just in time for Valentines (so many of these are in red and white too!). http://ucanr.org/sites/ucmgnapa/files/81913.pdf.
Many stores also pull out last year’s garden supplies (pots, tools, etc.) in a hope that they won’t have to inventory and pay taxes on it.
So gardeners delight! There is something to do besides looking longingly through our seed and farm catalogs and hoping for an early spring. Get out and spot a gardener’s After-Christmas Bargain!
The 'Teddy Bear' Bee
Lots of youngsters received teddy bears as holiday gifts.But native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, emeritus professor of entomology at UC Davis,...
A male Valley carpenter bee found in the Robbin Thorp home in Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
