Advice To Grow By

In the Spotlight

Calling all beneficals! You may have noticed pesky aphids on your roses in the garden... sticky residue left behind and annoying green bugs. Before attacking those aphids with an insecticide look closer. Have you seen these good guys? Lady bugs are a natural predator of aphids and other unwanted garden pests. You may have unwanted pests in your garden but chances are if you look closer and know what you are looking for the good guys have already moved in to take care of the problem. Remember when you spray the bad guys you also kill the good guys. For more info on beneficals in the garden click here.

Featured Articles

Thinning fruit is often a hard thing for any homeoner to do,who wants to pick those potentially juicy peaches off the tree before they are ready?!? As difficult as it may be it's an important task out in the garden if you want to have a healthy tree and a good harvest this summer. Fruit thinning allows remaining fruit to set at maximum size with optimum flavor, can help reduce branch breakage, and can even prevent the spread of some diseases. For more info on thinning fruit click here and visit our home orchard web-page over in the left hand column.

In Our Community

Oriental Fruit Fly Found in Stockton

On September 8, 2011, San Joaquin County Pest Detection staff captured two Oriental fruit flies in an insect trap located in North Stockton.

As a result insect traps that are specifically designed to detect Oriental fruit fly will be deployed in an 81 square mile area around the detection site by pest surveyors from the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office and CDFA. The Oriental fruit fly is known to target over 230 different fruit, vegetable and plant commodities.

Your cooperation is needed to help prevent the spread of an Oriental fruit fly infestation!
To prevent the spread of fruit flies through homegrown fruits and vegetables, residents and people moving through fruit fly eradication areas are urged not to move any fruits or vegetables from their property. Fruits and vegetables may be eaten or processed (i.e. juiced, frozen, cooked, or ground in the garbage disposal) at the property where they are picked.

What you can do to help:

Do not bring or mail fresh fruit, vegetables, plants or soil into California unless agricultural inspectors have cleared the shipment beforehand, as fruit flies and other pests can hide in a variety of produce;
Never remove fresh produce from your property when your area is under an Oriental fruit fly quarantine;
Double-bag green waste such as garden fruits and vegetables. Place the double-bagged green waste in the trash.
It is important to cooperate with any quarantine restrictions or rules that might be imposed because of an Oriental fruit fly find in your area, and allow authorized agricultural workers access to your property to inspect fruit and Oriental fruit fly traps for signs of an infestation.

For more information if you are a homeowner click here. More information can be found at the San Joaquin County Agricultural Commissioners site. If you have any questions please call 1-800-491-1899.

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Whats Growing On - Calendar of events

Event Name	Date
Fill Your Own Fruit Bowl	1/21/2012
Calling All Garden Helpers	5/19/2012
Simply Composting: Turning Yard Debris into Garden Gold	6/9/2012
Simply Composting: Turning Yard Debris Into Garden Gold	6/16/2012
The Grass Could Be Greener On Your Side	7/14/2012