Stanislaus

Gophers are well-known and certainly unwelcome pests in landscapes, gardens, lawns, and athletic turf. More correctly called pocket gophers, these rodents mostly remain hidden underground in tunnels and feed on plants from below, sometimes pulling whole plants into their tunnels.

General situation: We're a little bit late getting the clock started this season, but here is the first post of the 2021 thrips/TSWV risk evaluation.

Jailene Mendoza is excited to start her new job as a medical assistant in sports medicine in Palo Alto, a job she landed after completing training with JobTrain.

Citrus trees can be planted any time after the danger of frost has passed, which in our area is usually around mid-to-late March. It's a good idea to plant citrus early try to have your trees in the ground by May because a sudden hot spell may damage trees that are not well established.

When asked about my favorite spring/summer veggie the answer was easy cucumbers. This humble green, and somewhat odd-looking vegetable, has graced my table, and my garden, for as long as I can remember.

Ready to get your spring garden in the ground? Not so fast! In Stanislaus County, our weather patterns have featured rainstorms, low temperature drops, and highs in the 70's, only to repeat the rainstorms and low temperatures. These periods of sunshine remind us that spring is on the way.

Do you keep notes on how your garden performs each year to help you remember what is working well and what is not? Maybe this is your year to start. Barb Fick, Home Horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service, explains that there are many good reasons to keep a garden journal.

As many students continue online learning due to COVID-19, 4-H hands-on learning activities are keeping them excited and engaged in education.

A landscape maintenance professional once called me to discuss what effects root cutting might have on mature landscape trees. This is a very important topic, because along with other important functions, roots serve to hold a tree firmly in place.

Recently, one of our Master Gardeners wrote an article called Planning and Prepping Your Spring Garden. We hope you found these tips helpful, and would like to offer more help.