FresnoBee.com: Home & Garden

Teague: Water rules for trees in summer

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:38:50 PDT

We're facing another drought year and during the next five dry months, home gardeners will need to make tough decisions about how to allocate water for their plants. It's already too hot to put in transplants of summer annuals and vegetables or install new landscaping -- wait until cooler temperatures arrive in fall to plant. Then cross your fingers that we have a long, wet winter. Instead, identify plants that have the most value. This summer, focus your efforts on watering them efficiently using water-conservation techniques. Read comments

Teague: Native plants can help depleted bee population

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:44:54 PDT

A recent EPA report on the continuing decline of the bee population lists several probable causes. One of the suspected reasons may be the lack of a diversified diet for the bees. A fairly obvious problem may be that when hives of bees are trucked into large orchards in early spring to pollinate fruit and nut trees, the bees bring the pollen back to the hives where that one type of pollen becomes the major food source over the next several months. Urban areas with few pollen-producing plantings and suburban landscapes with limited, similar, repetitive plant choices in every yard would further restrict the bees' diet. Read comments

Teague: Identifying those pesky pests

Fri, 10 May 2013 18:02:17 PDT

The first step in treating for pest insects in your garden should be to identify the insect. Why risk wasting money and misuse of chemicals if the treatment won't work because it isn't the right one? Read comments

Teague: Spring pruning a simple task

Fri, 03 May 2013 17:57:38 PDT

There are many spring-blooming plants and trees that should be pruned after flowering has finished in spring. Winter pruning of deciduous trees and bushes during dormancy can be a major chore, but spring pruning or shaping is fairly simple. And when pruning is done well for a few years, little or no pruning may be needed for spring-bloomers in the future. Read comments

Teague: Garden of the Sun open free today

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:47:54 PDT

There are seven home gardens featured on today's (Saturday, April 27) Fresno County Master Gardeners' spring garden tour. Our demonstration garden, the Garden of the Sun, is also on the tour and entrance is free today. (Tickets for the home garden tour are $30 today). Read comments