The Real Dirt

We Californians understand the concept of summer dormancy: Those hills aren't brown, they're beautifully golden! We know that the cycle of seasons plays out a bit more dramatically across our hot, dry countryside than in locales where the landscape might stay predictably green throughout the summer.

A great choice for the home orchard is the Pluot, a plum-apricot hybrid. Pluots (pronounced plew-otts) are like plums in flavor and texture, but are sweeter and less acidic. Many pluot varieties are actually sweeter than either parent. Pluots vary in color.

Are you interested in becoming a Master Gardener? The UC Master Gardeners of Butte County will begin training a new class in mid-January 2024. Graduates of the 17-week course will join the current roster of 100 volunteers involved in a multitude of local gardening projects.

It's peak season for fruits and vegetables from now through September: peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, peaches, apricots, plums, berries the list goes on and on.

Whiteflies are small, white-winged, low flying insects that flit erratically when disturbed. Ten species are common in California. Whiteflies feed on many crops, weeds, ornamentals, shrubs and trees, including citrus. As one host plant dries up or is harvested, they move on to another host.