The Stanislaus Sprout

Winter is the time of year when many people prune their deciduous fruit trees.

Have you ever seen a tree that looks like it got a bad haircut? Or was just plain unattractive? Chances are this tree was pruned incorrectly using a practice called topping.

Many gardeners are interested in knowing how winter temperatures affect garden pests. The hope is that following a cold wintersuch as this yearfewer pests will survive to plague the garden. Unfortunately, both insect pests and plant diseases have ways of surviving our harshest winters.

You may have heard about the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), a tiny insect that spreads a disease called Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening. Infected citrus tree fruits remain green and do not ripen, and the fruit tastes bitter. Diseased trees decline and eventually die. There is no cure.

Welcome to our blog! We are excited to announce the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Master Gardener Program is starting in Stanislaus County.