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Learn how to outsmart (or at least manage) ants

Placer County master gardeners host free workshop, 'Ants — Nobody Likes Them!'

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED JUN 10, 2022

The Argentine ant is among the common species seen in California. (Photo courtesy of UC Statewide IPM Project)

Ants! Practically every garden has them, but few gardeners like them – especially if these industrious insects start invading the house.

But how do you deal with ants? Find out during a free workshop hosted by the UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Placer County.

Set for 10:30 a.m. June 25, “Ants – Nobody Likes Them!” will be presented both in person at Loomis Library and via Zoom online. No advance registration is necessary to attend in person, but sign up for the Zoom presentation in advance.

“These little insects can make us crazy!” say the master gardeners. “This workshop will cover four simple techniques for managing their impact on your life. Using integrated pest management strategies, we will cover identification of the species bugging you (and) mechanical, cultural, sanitation and chemical practices to reduce their presence in your home and garden.”

Not all ants are the same and they have different tastes depending on their species. Also learn about their link to aphids; solving the ant issue can help fight aphids, too.

Loomis Library is located at 6050 Library Drive, Loomis.

Learn more and sign up for the Zoom workshop here: https://pcmg.ucanr.org/

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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3

November still offers good weather for fall planting:

* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.

* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.

* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.

* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.

* Plant garlic and onions.

* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.

* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.

* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.

* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.

* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.

* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.

* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.

* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.

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