Free UC webinar on 'Natural Enemies & Beneficial Bugs'
An adult lady beetle considers the dining offerings on an aphid-infested chard plant. Immature lady beetles are even more voracious eaters of aphids than the adults are.
Kathy Morrison
A free lunchtime webinar on "Natural Enemies & Beneficial Bugs" is this month's online offering from the University of California's Statewide Integrated Pest Management Urban/Community program.
The session will be conducted on Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, July 20. It also will be recorded and made available on YouTube at a later date.
Eric Middleton, area IPM adviser for San Diego County, will lead the presentation, which will cover natural enemies in the insect world. He will discuss how these beneficial bugs -- which prey on or parasitize insect pests -- can help gardeners protect their gardens without pesticides.
Register here for the webinar.
Past sessions have covered topics such as pantry pests, aphids, squirrels, bed bugs and termites. For links to view them, see the full list here. To learn more about the webinar series, including upcoming topics, visit this website.
The main UC IPM website contains a wealth of information on pests of all kinds. Check it out at https://ipm.ucanr.edu/
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For week of Oct. 1:
Make the most of this cooler weather. Get to work on your fall garden:
* October is the best month to plant trees, shrubs and perennials. Plants become established – sending down deep, strong roots – faster in warm soil.
* Divide and replant perennials. Add a little well-aged compost and bone meal to the planting hole, but hold off on other fertilizers until spring. Keep the transplants well-watered (but not wet) for the first month as they become settled.
* Now is the time to plant seeds for many flowers directly into the garden, including cornflower, nasturtium, nigella, poppy, portulaca, sweet pea and stock.
* Plant seeds for radishes, bok choy, mustard, spinach and peas.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Set out cool-weather bedding plants, including calendula, pansy, snapdragon, primrose and viola.
* Reseed and feed the lawn. Work on bare spots.
* Dig up corms and tubers of gladioli, dahlias and tuberous begonias after the foliage dies. Clean and store in a cool, dry place.
* Treat azaleas, gardenias and camellias with chelated iron if leaves are yellowing between the veins.
* Clean up the summer vegetable garden and compost disease-free foliage.
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