Calendar of Events

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Protecting Bee Habitat

Is Your Morning Coffee in Danger of Extinction? Our morning coffee, tea, chocolate, fruits, vegetables, asparagus, broccoli, apples and alfalfa need pollinators to survive. One in three bites of the food we eat requires pollination. We can help save the bees by careful management of their habitat.
Plant a bee garden with different flowers including some flat and tubular flowers. Plant so that you have flowers early spring to fall. Plant flowering trees. Make a bee bath by using a small dish with rocks, twigs and water.
Consider carefully your pesticide and herbicide use (especially neonicotinoids which are particularly deadly to bees). Leave a sunny spot of bare soil for native bees. Build a bee hotel. Let a portion of your lawn go back to its roots, clover and dandelions are favorites for bees. Consider replacing grass with  flowers. Limit fall cleanup by leaving leaves and not cutting back herbaceous perennials.
Working together we can improve bee habitat in the Treasure Valley.
Learn more about other pollinators during Pollinator Week is June 22nd to 28th.

Sunday, June 14, 2020

It's an Aphid Invasion!

Are you noticing an aphid invasion in your garden?


Aphids cause deformed and curled new leaves, buds, and flowers.  They can also carry viral diseases and some species cause galls. 



These soft-bodied, small round insects like to suck plant juices around the growing tips and tender tissues of plants.  


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All aphids secrete honeydew, and this is sometimes the first symptom noticed. The honeydew attracts ants who feed on it.  You can find more information about these pesky, and destructive, garden pests at the University of Kentucky’s fact page.


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To manage aphid populations and their nuisance of destruction, soapy water (use specially formulated insecticidal soaps) sponged or sprayed onto leaves works well. Natural solutions can be predators like lady beetles and flower fly larvae. For additional information on biological, cultural, and chemical control options, check out the University of California or Colorado State University fact sheets on aphids.



Sunday, June 7, 2020

Voles, friend or nuisance?

Voles are small rodents that measure 4-8 inches long and range in color from brown to gray.  In Alaska we had northern red-backed voles which are also found in Canada, Scandinavia, and northern Russia. They are sometimes referred to as Meadow Mice and their Latin name is Microtus pennsylvanicus.  “Microtus” translates to “small ear”.  They are pudgy with blunt faces, small eyes and ears, short legs and a short tail.  Vole numbers fluctuate from year to year and their populations can increase rapidly.  They can breed anytime of the year, but they typically breed in the Spring.  They are extremely prolific.  Female voles mature in 35 to 40 days, have 5 to 10 litters a year with 3 to 6 young per litter.
A rodent standing on a dry grass field

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If you have turf, fruit trees, a home garden, grow crops commercially, and generally care about your landscape, you should be alert for the presence of voles.  They are herbivorous and feed on grasses, bulbs, tubers, tree bark, and tree roots.  They are active year-round, day and night.  A sure sign of voles “occupying an area” is their runways that connect numerous shallow borrows.  They don’t like to be seen and make their nest underground in dense vegetation and grasses and under snow in the winter.
A close up of some grass

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It is best to mitigate vole population by use of a number of “management methods”.  One of the easiest ways to do this is to make your area less inviting.  You can do this by removing weeds, heavy mulch and dense vegetative cover.  This removes food sources, cover from predators, and makes it more challenging for them to connect trails.  This is generally referred to as “habitat modification”.  
You can also try fencing areas and adding approximately 12” of small mesh size (1/4” or smaller) to the bottom of the fencing  However, you would also need to bury the fence below the ground for 6-10” as voles tunnel.  
Protect young trees from girdling (removing the bark near the base) by using cylinders of metal, plastic, or hardware cloth and surrounding the trunk.  However, you also need to allow for tree growth and, again, remember to bury the cylinder below ground.  
If the voles have not “totally taken over the area” trapping can be effective.  A simple mouse trap baited with peanut butter has been successful.  Do not handle a caught vole w/o gloves as they do carry infectious pathogens and/or parasites.  Also, be sure to keep small children and pets out of the areas where you have traps set.
Finally, if you have a large area to eradicate and trapping will not be effective, there are two toxicants, zinc phosphide and anti-coagulants that are considered lethal control.  Please note, these are not recommended for residential areas.
Additionally, zinc phosphide is toxic to ground-feeding birds. Read labels carefully and contact your County Extension Office for further assistance!
Bottom line, voles are generally pest.  However, ask a predator such as a coyote, fox, snake, owl or hawk and they would say they are beneficial! 
An owl perched on a tree branch

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Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Succulent Gardens - Indoors and Out!

What is it about succulents?  They are easy to grow indoors and outdoors, drought resistant, and there are so many varieties!

Plan your garden before you go shopping.  There are many online resources, videos, and book resources to help you get started. Essential Succulents: The Beginner's Guide by Ken Self is a great read!

Design options are unlimited.  Think about color, size and scale, shape, texture, and context.  There are wreaths, containers, and even wall gardens.  Look for plants with good color and shape, no dead leaves, and free of insects.  Zone 6 succulents include, among others, Hardy Ice Plant, Pig’s Ear, Cape Blanco Stonecrop, and Houseleek.  Others can be planted or arranged in pots in your design and then moved indoors in the colder months.  When moving them indoors, avoid extreme changes in temperature.

Now DIY planting can begin.  Be gentle because the roots are fragile, and don’t

plant them too deep.   Use soil that drains well.  Outdoors you may need to add succulent soil, pumice, vermiculite or sand to your existing soil.  Keep watering to a minimum, once per week or less, to avoid root rot. Here's a few more tips and a reference sheet:

  • Over-watered plants start to droop and indentations are left in the leaves when touched. 
  • Succulents like the sun, but some can get sunburned so plan for those plants too. 
  • Maintenance includes cleaning up the dead leaves, watching for bugs, and pulling weeds. 
  • Fertilization can be done on a monthly basis during the growing period.  Follow the label instructions. 
  • Propagation is done with a stem cutting and best done in the spring after the dormant period. 

Enjoy growing the many 
varieties of succulents both
indoors and outdoors.

The creativity and fun are endless!