"Thank you for your posts. I was looking for Elinor Teague's columns and found you. What a happy surprise. I wanted to ask her if there was a book to tell Fresno/Clovis gardeners what to do and when. And your column has been what I was looking for. Got my chives today. Could you write a post on what bugs are good and which ones are not, and what can be done about the bad ones? I found lots of ants in my garden; snails and grasshoppers like it too. Thanks, Donna in Clovis."
Yes, there is a book--"A Gardener's Companion for the San Joaquin Valley." I believe it costs $30; it is available at the Garden of the Sun (the Master Gardener's demonstration garden--at the Discovery Center, located at 1944 N. Winery Ave., Fresno, CA), and is also available at the University of California Cooperative Extension (1720 South Maple, Fresno, CA 93702). The Fresno Bee's weekly "Gardener Checklist" comes from that book, although Elinor's column is new each week. There is another book, "The California Master Gardener Handbook," which is used in the class to train the Master Gardeners ($35), available at both places.
Ants, snails and grasshoppers are in abundance this year. Ants are repelled by cinnamon. Ants also may be a sign of aphids, because they "farm" the aphids in exchange for honeydew. A strong stream of water will wash off and kill the aphids.
"Sluggo" is a dry meal that is sprinkled on the ground where snails are located. They eat it, crawl away and die. This product is safe to use around pets and children, and really works--I have used it for years!
Chickens like grasshoppers! If you don't have chickens, go here and scroll down to "Predators," "Barriers," and "Traps and Sprays." These are organic remedies. I have had an abundance of grasshoppers, from tiny to large, in my garden this year. There is some damage to most plants, but it doesn't seem to be detrimental, so I just let it go.
I have posted about some bugs on this blog, and have labeled them "good bugs" and "bad bugs." You can do a blog search by putting those labels in the search box at the top, left-hand side of the blog. If there are any specific bugs you are interested in, please let me know, and I will post about them!
The Master Gardeners offer classes on various gardening topics, usually for a small fee. They have a website; and a hotline (559-456-7563) where you can call and ask questions.
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