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Pauline Kuklis, Master Gardeners of Placer County From The Curious Gardener, Fall 2010Are you looking for a showy California Native that will bring interest to your landscape all year round?If so, be sure to check out the beautiful Western Redbud (Cercis occidentalis). Each year they are one…
By Laurie Meyerpeter, Master Gardeners of Placer County Q: I just bought a Japanese maple from a nursery. The nursery said it is a sun-tolerant variety but when I planted it in my yard last July, in an area where it receives full sun, it got severely burned. Why?A: Japanese maples are very…
By Trish Grenfell, Master Gardeners of Placer County Q: Our Blue Oak trees on the perimeter of our property are losing much of their leaves. I know they are deciduous trees but their leaves normally don’t drop until the fall. Do you know what could be the cause? I fear it is Sudden Oak Death.A:…
Nearly everyone, from well-meaning beginners to experienced outdoor gardeners, has struggled at one time or another with a houseplant that seemed determined to die. Understanding the four basic needs of all houseplants can not only give you the knowledge you need to care for these plants, but also help you…
Article and photos by Nicole Harrison, Master Gardeners of Placer County From The Curious Gardener, Spring 2022 How we prepare for fire can mean the difference between dead trees and trees that are resilient to fire. In an evaluation of a fire damaged tree, there are a few key things to consider…
From Forestland Steward, Winter 2007 newsletter, courtesy of California Forest Stewardship Program From The Curious Gardener, Summer 2007Trees die even in healthy forests; it’s part of the cycle of life. But if you notice large numbers of previously healthy trees with brown needles or other signs of disease…
Article and photos by Nicole Harrison, UC Master Gardener of Placer County From The Curious Gardener, Winter 2022 To a large degree trees are just biological organisms that progress through a predetermined life cycle, like us. They sprout and grow (infancy) and then enter a vigorous growth phase …
By Nicole Harrison, UC Master Gardener of Placer County From The Curious Gardener, Spring 2023 After the extreme weather of January, anyone with trees still standing probably felt lucky. The unfortunate truth is that many of the failures were likely predictable by a qualified consulting arborist…
Why are conifers dying?Across the state, but in the Sierra Nevada in particular, unprecedented numbers of trees have died on both public and private land. Many trees stressed from the four-year drought and overcrowding have succumbed to bark beetles. Aerial detection surveys done in 2016 showed that 102…
