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Adult convergent lady beetles congregating on a log.
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Releasing Ladybugs in the Garden

April 23, 2025
Lady beetles (known more commonly as ladybugs) are often sold in nurseries and garden centers to control aphids. But will releasing them actually solve your pest problem, and if so, how can you release them correctly? There are about 200 species of lady beetles in California, varying in color, size, and…
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 Field bindweed, a noxious weed in California has distinctive leaves and white flowers. Jeanette Alosi
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What Makes a Weed a Weed?

April 21, 2025
For many of us, gardening involves a constant battle with weeds. Basically, a weed is nothing more than a plant growing where it is not wanted, the classic example being dandelions in the lawn. But as the old saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” and there are many “weeds” that are, in…
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Brown mouse with a white underside.
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Hantavirus: What to Know

April 21, 2025
By Niamh M Quinn, Roger A Baldwin
Hantavirus has been in the news a lot lately. Betsy Arakawa, wife of the late actor Gene Hackman, recently passed away in New Mexico due to the disease and California has already seen 3 hantavirus-related deaths this year. In this article we share information to help you understand hantavirus and what you…
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Los beneficios de los lardines de lluvia
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Jardines de Lluvia: Una Solución Sostenible para la Gestión de Aguas Pluviales

April 18, 2025
By Daniel Gonzalez, Esther N Lofton, Erik C Porse
Los jardines de lluvia son depresiones del terreno transformadas, diseñadas para almacenar e infiltrar el escurrimiento pluvial proveniente de superficies impermeables cercanas dentro de entornos urbanos. Disponibles en una variedad de formas y tamaños, los jardines de lluvia representan una solución…
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Amador Compost Learning Center

A new Community Compost Site opens in June 2025 at Mother Lode Land Trust’s C and C Ranch. This is a collaborative effort by the Land Trust, University of California Master Gardeners, Amador Waste Management and Recycling Department, and is supported by a generous grant from CalRecycle. This partnership was…
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Bermuda buttercup infesting a bed of landscaped plants.
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Spring is in the Air, and Oxalis is Everywhere

April 17, 2025
By Lindsey Hack
Bermuda buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae), also called buttercup oxalis or sourgrass, might be a familiar sight in winter and spring, particularly to those who live in coastal regions or the Sacramento Valley. Some people enjoy seeing this plant’s cheerful yellow flowers pop up in their spring gardens, but for…
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Tree Scorch and Dieback Guide

April 15, 2025
By Ryan Daugherty, Inyo-Mono Master Gardener Volunteer This guide explores the common causes of leaf scorch and branch dieback in trees, emphasizing that these symptoms are usually signs of stress rather than specific diseases. It presents a diagnostic framework rooted in understanding resource flow…
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Los beneficios de la gestión de aguas pluviales en el Sur de California
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La Gestión de Aguas Pluviales en el Sur de California

April 10, 2025
By Daniel Gonzalez, Esther N Lofton, Erik C Porse
 La gestión de aguas pluviales se refiere al control sistemático de la cantidad y calidad del agua de escorrentía generada por superficies impermeables, áreas urbanas y paisajes durante y después de eventos de precipitación. Incluye una variedad de prácticas y estrategias destinadas a capturar, tratar y…
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The green benefits of rain gardens
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Rain Gardens: A Sustainable Solution for Stormwater Management

April 10, 2025
By Daniel Gonzalez, Esther N Lofton, Erik C Porse
Rain gardens are transformed land depressions designed for storing and infiltrating stormwater runoff flowing from nearby impervious surfaces throughout urban environments. Coming in a variety of shapes and sizes, rain gardens offer a community friendly approach to generating several environmental benefits,…
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