- (Focus Area) Yard & Garden
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Look closely at a patch of California golden poppies and you may see a sweat bee (genus Halictus) collecting gold pollen. The pollen basket is on the hind legs but you'll see "gold" also dusting the head and abdomen.
Native bee, commonly known as "halictid bee." Native plant. In fact, the California golden poppy, Eschscholzia californica, is the state flower.
And the rumor that it's "protected" and you'll get arrested if you pick a poppy along a roadside is inaccurate.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife sets the record straight on its website: "It is often believed that there are laws prohibiting the cutting or damaging of the California poppy because it is the state flower. While there is no law protecting the California poppy specifically, California Penal Code Section 384a(opens in new tab) requires written landowner permission to remove and sell plant material from land that a person does not own, and removing or damaging plants from property that a person does not own without permission may constitute trespass and/or petty theft. However, these laws do not prevent the collection of California poppies on private land by the landowner. California poppies are a beautiful and easy-to-grow addition to your garden, and although you may choose to pick them from your property, they last much longer in the ground!"
Want to learn more about native bees? California has some 1600 species of wild or non-managed bees. Be sure to read California Bees & Blooms: A Guide for Gardeners and Naturalists. It's the work of University of California authors, all with UC Berkeley connections: Gordon Frankie, now professor emeritus, UC Berkeley; Robbin Thorp (1933-2019), UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor who received his doctorate in entomology from UC Berkeley; photographer Rollin Coville, who holds a doctorate in entomology from UC Berkeley, and Barbara Ertter, curator at the UC Berkeley-based University Herbarium and Jepson Herbarium.
The Bohart Museum of Entomology is hosting an open house on bees, both wild and managed, from 1 to 4 p.m., Sunday, May 19 in Room 1124, Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane. It's free and family free.
- Author: Lauren Fordyce
Check out our webinars planned for summer 2024:
June 20, 2024 - Flea Control & Diseases: Starting from Scratch
Fleas are small but mighty insects that are important medical and veterinary pests. They can vector pathogens and parasites, and their bites cause discomfort and irritation. In this webinar you'll learn how to keep yourself and pets safe from fleas and flea-borne diseases.
July 18, 2024 - Common Wood Decay Fungi in Landscape Trees of California
Trees are a valuable part of our landscapes. However, older trees can harbor wood decay fungi, which can be associated with an increased risk of tree failure or branch breakage. In this webinar, urban forestry expert Igor Lacan will discuss some wood decay fungi that are commonly seen on trees in urban landscapes in California, the effect(s) of fungi on the tree, and related considerations in tree management.
August 15, 2024 - Back to School Pests
With students heading back to school, now is a good time to talk about pests in schools and childcare centers. In this webinar, Karey Windbiel-Rojas will talk about head lice, bed bugs, rats, cockroaches, and more. We will also cover the use of disinfectant wipes and pesticide safety.
September 19, 2024 - Improving Professional Ant Control Services
In California, the Argentine ant is among the most common nuisance ant species treated by pest management professionals and the general public. In this webinar, you will learn how the university researchers and pest management companies are working together to improve pest ant management in urban residential settings.
Webinar topics for October and November will be announced mid-summer.
To view recordings of our past webinars, visit the YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo3rG4iqv4gGC9sa9Tdl_WfCV4BNMHraI
/span>/span>- Author: Christine Casey
A previous blog covered the steps to take before starting a bee garden. Now it's time to talk about the plants and how to take care of them.
Plant selection depends on many factors, including personal preference, climate, soil type, irrigation frequency, and plant availability. There are numerous bee plant lists available, some of questionable reliability (1). I recommend using a plant list from a reputable source like a university or cooperative extension website. Use national lists based on USDA planting zones carefully. USDA zones are based on average low temperature and place areas with vastly different rainfall and humidity in the same zone. For example, southern Florida and central California are in the same USDA zone; clearly Florida plants won't grow in dry California and visa-versa.
In California, a good starting point is the Haven's list of low-water bee plants shown below.
Once plants have been selected, it's time to place them for planting. Some gardeners like to plant from a plan like this one, while other prefer to 'wing it'. Plant numbers in this diagram refer to numbers on a planting list. I like to come up with a base plan and then alter it by moving plants around to their final position.
Dig a hole that's slightly wider than the root ball. If you're planting at time when it hasn't rained for at least a week, I suggest filling the hole with water and letting it drain before placing the plant. Refill the hole with the native soil after planting. Tamp down the soil, water, and mulch. The low-water plants widely used in California gardens should be planted slightly higher than the ground level to ensure good drainage. Water needs in a new garden will vary with the plants, site, soil, and weather. A general rule is to water daily the first 7 to 10 days, every other day for the next 7 to 10 days, and then weekly the rest of the summer.
It's also important to leave some bare soil for ground nesting bees. It doesn't have to be a large area; leaving a mulch-free area along a foundation, as shown here, is fine.
High insect diversity in the wild is seen at the edges where two different habitats meet, such as a forest and a meadow. Recreate this in your garden by placing your bee garden to run along the front of a shrub border. Grouping plants of the same species together also makes bee foraging more efficient. For more ideas about bee garden design drawn from research, see this previous post.
Bee garden maintenance comes down to one word: pruning. It's essential to deadhead as frequently as possible to ensure constant new flower growth. And in the winter, do hard pruning of semi-woody shrubs like sages: at the Haven we remove about 2/3 of the plant's growth. This stimulates lots of new shoots, which flower more than older wood.
References
1. Garbuzov, M. and F. Ratnieks. 2014. Listmania: The strengths and weaknesses of lists of garden plants to help pollinators. Bioscience 64: 1019-1026.
2. Majewska, A. and S. Altizer. 2018. Planting gardens to support insect pollinators. Conservation Biology 34(1): 15-25. PDF of this paper is here.
- Author: Christine Casey
I've spoken with countless gardeners over the years who wish to start their own bee haven. That's great -- the bees need all the help we can give them. But the most misunderstood part of the process is how much preparation needs to take place before a single plant goes in the ground.
As the Haven winds down, I'd like to share some tips on preparing to install your own bee garden.
Many gardeners are removing a turf lawn to create their bee haven. It's important to take the time to do this correctly so your garden doesn't revert to a weedy mess. UC IPM has great information about turf removal, including how to identify your turf species (knowing your species helps with removal) and how to remove existing turf.
If you are opposed to using herbicides to kill your lawn, solarization can also be used. For most lawns it will take longer and be less effective. That is definitely the case for bermudagrass lawns that are common in California. Figure 1 summarizes the pros and cons of various turf removal methods. For more own bermudagrass lawn, I used a combination of herbicides, sheet mulching, and hand removal.
Finally, weed barrier fabric is never recommended. It prevents ground-nesting bees from accessing the soil, traps weed seeds that grow through the fabric and become impossible to remove, and breaks down over time to leach microplastics into the ground.
Whatever methods you use, patience is key. Plan on at least one year of preparation before planting.
It's also essential to know your soil type and its physical characteristics. Jar tests and drainage tests provide important information about how your soil will hold water. In California, the UC Davis Soil Web has detailed soil maps; these may be less accurate if you are in a new development where there has been recent soil disturbance or addition of new topsoil.
Finally, watch the pattern of sun and shade in your garden for a year before planting. Many winter-blooming 'full sun' plants will do fine under deciduous trees as they are in full sun when flower buds are forming. In the hotter part of California, some 'full sun' plants may need shade in afternoon.
The final task while you're in the process of killing your lawn is to learn about and choose plants for your garden. Garden tours are a great way to start this process....you'll see what grows in your area and have the chance to speak to other gardeners. These are often sponsored by municipal water authorities. Botanic gardens and independent garden centers with knowledgeable staff are other great resources.
The UC Master Gardener program has trained volunteers throughout the state to provide research-based gardening information. They are a fantastic resource and hold educational programs like this one for the public. Finally, garden clubs and the California Native Plant Society hold tours, plant sales, and educational events.
- Author: Lauren Fordyce
May is here and with all the fluctuations in our weather lately, there is a lot going on in the landscape! Follow these general tips for the month of May to prevent pests. To see more tips specific to your region, visit the Seasonal Landscape IPM Checklist on the UC IPM website.
- Look for the invasive Asian citrus psyllid on new citrus growth. If not known to occur in your area, report findings to your local county agricultural commissioner.
- Prune winter-flowering shrubs like camellia before next year's flower buds form.
- Check plants for leaf stippling or webbing from spider mites. Irrigate adequately, mist leaf undersides daily, reduce dustiness, or spray horticultural oil to manage them.
- Monitor for grape diseases like powdery mildew, Eutypa dieback, Phomopsis cane and leaf spot, and others. Prune, remove, or treat as appropriate.
- Cover fruit trees with netting to exclude birds and other vertebrate pests.
- Watch for yellowjackets and other wasps building nests in undesirable locations. Knock down newly started nests and use lure or water traps to control populations.
- Fertilize caneberries, citrus, deciduous fruit trees, palms, and heavily-flowering shrubs with a slow-release product if not done in March or April.
- Monitor stone fruit trees for pests such as aphids, borers, brown rot, caterpillars, powdery mildew, and scale insects.
- Manage ants. Plants infested with honeydew producing insects like aphids, whiteflies, and mealybugs may attract ants who take that honeydew back to the nest to feed the colony. Manage ants around landscape and building foundations using insecticide baits and trunk barriers.
Don't see your county on the checklist or want to provide feedback? Let us know!
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