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UC Gardening Blogs
California Dogface Butterfly Steals the Show
The California dogface butterfly stole the show at the Bohart Museum of...
Bohart Museum graduate student and researcher Socrates Letana tosses paper butterflies to the net holders, as Professor Fran Keller (background) of Folsom Lake College staffs the California butterfly table. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
It's a catch! UC Davis undergraduate student Lasya Nalia, majoring in environmental horticulture, nets a paper butterfly tossed by Professor Fran Keller of Folsom Lake College, a Bohart Museum scientist and UC Davis doctoral alumna. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Postdoctoral researcher and arachnologist James Starrett (foreground) and doctoral student and dragonfly expert Christofer Brothers (background) talk to visitors about the insect specimens. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Professor Fran Keller of Folsom Lake College poses with a California dogface butterfly face banner. She is a UC Davis doctoral alumna and a Bohart Museum scientist. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Is the Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle Bad?
The multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis, has a bad reputation. There is a common myth...
Tomato Diary April 20-Notes to Self
Starting from seed can open the door to more variety, but it helps to keep notes.
1) Don't start too early! Holding seedlings under poor conditions while waiting for ideal weather results in weak, spindly plants. I want my seedlings to be “comfortable” in an airy environment with days of 65-70, and nights of 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit, and under lights 16 hours a day. I grow too many seedlings to use windows for light. Many instructions revolve around freeze dates, but it is nighttime temps around 55 that are most important for setting out tomato plants in my garden. Most years I start in mid-March.
2) Containers should be the right size, and easy to move. I start with the smallest containers to make good use of space and try many varieties, but tomatoes grow quickly, and after true leaves develop, they need to be “potted up” to larger containers.
3) Don't start too late! I want even the late varieties to be outside and ready to flower before days stay above 90 degrees. I usually aim to get them all planted around May 1st.
4) Don't forget about hardening off! Tomato seedlings like to grow in comfort, but you will need to slow growth by “hardening” them to withstand changes in environmental conditions. I “harden off” by gradually exposing them to cooler daytime temperatures; I try for two weeks, starting with 45-50 degrees F for two hours in a shady spot protected from wind.
5) Don't grow so many! I love all the colors, shapes, sizes, and leaves of so many varieties, but most seeds will germinate and survive, and each plant needs five months of care and can produce 10-15 pounds or more!
A Special Day for UC Davis Distinguished Professor Walter Leal
Today (April 30) was a special day for entomologist Walter...
UC Davis distinguished professor Walter Leal today (April 30, 2024) was named a member of the National Academy of Sciences. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Gomphrena
Gomphrena is a super fun addition to the garden. It is in the Amaranthaceae family and is commonly know as globe amaranth. It comes in pink, purple, orange, red and white. It is native to Central and South America. It likes well-drained soil, and does best in full sun, where once established is a drought tolerant plant and deer resistant. It is a prolific bloomer and attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds and will bloom from summer well into fall. It is considered an annual, but I have had mine in pots for years and grow three different varieties. It's flowers resemble a clover, but with dried bracts in the various colors. It does great as a cut flower or you can use them in dried arrangements. The first one I got was from Annie's Annuals, the 'Fireworks' variety is a bright purple airy and grows 2' x 3'. I fell in love with it's beauty and started growing more colors. I have used this a lot in my floral arrangements and find I love the red one the best!
photos by Heather Hamilton
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