Get Free Mosquitofish

Photo: Mosquito Fish (Gambusia affinis) by Arizona Aquatics Garden

The dreaded mosquitos are back!  With the rising rates of foreclosures, more swimming pools, spas and ornamental ponds are being neglected, providing mosquitos the perfect breeding ground.  Did you know that mosquitos only need a few tablespoons of water to complete a life cycle?  An unmaintained swimming pool or spa is an ideal source for more than 1 million mosquitos that may go on to become infected with West Nile virus, and infect people within a 5 mile radius!

In order to control the mosquito population, Gambusia affinis a.k.a. "mosquito fish" have been introduced to these isolated stagnant bodies of water.  Mosquitofish are live bearing freshwater minnows related to guppies.  Adult mosquitofish measure 1 to 2 inches in length, and can eat 500 mosquito larvae a day!  They also eat wind-blown organic debris at the surface of the water.

To get free mosquitofish, check with your local Mosquito and Vector Control Associations.
Contra Costa County's Mosquito and Vector Control District are giving away free mosquitofish to its residents.  They are available for pickup at the District's office located at 155 Mason Circle, Concord, CA Monday through Friday (except Holidays).

Contra Costa residents can also report neglected swimming pools here.

If you cannot get free mosquito fish in your area, you can purchase them online at Arizona Aquatics Garden.

Important: Please do NOT release any live mosquitofish in open waters.  It is against the law to do so, and may disrupt the ecological balance in natural habitats.

More on Expensive Corn

As mentioned in my recent blog post 5 Priority Planting Tips To Maximize Your Grocery Bill Savings, the price of corn is rising.  In a span of six months (from July 2010 to January 2011) the price of corn has nearly doubled, and the price of corn is expected to continue to rise.  

Here are some more interesting facts: 

• "The U.S. is the world's largest producer of field corn, at 13 billion bushels a year [but] sweet corn, the kind we eat on the cob, is less than 1% of total corn grown."  USA Today.   
• "24% of the U.S. corn crop is now mandated to go to ethanol."  USA Today.

To learn about the factors that are contributing to the rising cost of corn, read this USA Today article. 

Spring is Officially Here!

Vernal Equinox will occur today around 11:21 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) today or 4:21 p.m. were I live, which marks the first day of Spring!  So happy planting everyone!

Supermoon 2011

Tonight's full moon will be a supermoon.  A supermoon is a new or full moon that happens to be closest to Earth in its orbit.  It will be the biggest full moon in 18 years!  The supermoon is supposed to arrive at its closest point to Earth in 2011 on Saturday, March 19 at 3 PM Eastern Time.  Full Article

Weed Dating in Vermont

I came across this article on "weed dating," and I had to pass it on.  

  

What is weed dating?  It is basically speed dating with a practical purpose.  "Weed dating takes place on farms among rows of sprouting produce. Participants weed a row with a potential romantic interest, then move on to another row and another partner. At the end of the day, some people might have cultivated a mutual interest — and no matter, the field is freshly weeded."  The down side is that participants are charged $10 just for the "privilege" of weeding and meeting new people.    

Click Here for the Full Story .

I don't know if "weed dating" will gain popularity in other states, but you can still potentially make new connections and avoid paying a fee by volunteering for an organization or cause that you are interested in.  You may even get additional benefits for volunteering your time.  For example, volunteers for the University of California of Berkeley Botanical Gardens who volunteer at least 30 hours of their time can get free parking, shop discounts, and more.  

Point Reyes Light House

Hi everyone!  I know I have not posted in a while.  I have been extremely busy with relatives and helping with weddings, bachelorette parties, and baby showers!  I have been taking mental notes of some new gardening topics I think are worth blogging about, but in the mean time, I wanted to share a few photos of my trip to Point Reyes Light House.  If you have not visited Point Reyes National Seashore (California) you should.  This place is absolutely beautiful and full of life and pleasant surprises.  If that is not tempting enough consider this---"a recent study by the University of Wisconsin found that only one spending category out of nine was actually shown to make us truly happy, and that category was leisure."  Ray Martin, a financial advisor, says "money spent on experiences such as a trip, versus material items, such as a car or a dining room set, will contribute more to your overall happiness."  I whole heartedly agree.
 

Photo 1: View of the coast from the path to the Light House.

Photo 2: I love how some plants can thrive just about anywhere.  

Photo 3:  Only one of the many views of the coast line.  We spotted several whales here!

Photo 4: Do you see the lizard here?

Photo 5:  Point Reyes Light House 

Photo 6:  302 steps back to the trail.  It is really not that bad at all, and there are a couple of rest stops along the way.   

Killer Tree Branches

I don't think anyone expects to die from a falling branch especially when you are at a major park like Central Park, NY.  Sadly, falling tree branches have already claimed two lives at Central Park this year.  So if you happen to visit Central Park anytime soon, keep a look out for falling branches.

Full Story

Going Native Garden Tour 2010

Registration for Going Native Garden Tour 2010 is open. This is a free tour of native gardens in Santa Clara Valley & Peninsula and San Francisco Bay Area. It will be held on Sunday, April 18, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Registration will close on Sun, April 18, 2010, 3:00pm or when the tour reaches capacity, whichever comes first. The tour materials will be available on Sun, April 4, 2010, 9:01pm. To register click here or visit their site at http://www.goingnativegardentour.org/.

Less Lead In Obama Garden

Earlier tests revealed that the Obama Vegetable Garden contained lead levels of 93 parts per million (p.p.m.). According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, lead-concentration in soil is not hazardous until it reaches 400 p.p.m. Nevertheless, President Obama had work done to the garden to further reduce lead-concentration levels.

The soil was amended with lime, green sand, crab meal and compost made by the National Park Service. The pH was also adjusted between 6.5 and 7 because lead is unavailable to plants when the pH level is in that range. The lead-concentration level is now 14 p.p.m, which means the soil is now comparable to soil in places where there are no automobiles!

Full Story

Mourning Dove's New Home

My friend discovered three new roommates on his balcony. A mourning dove laid two eggs in one of his planters.

Tomato Seedling Sale Tomorrow (Saturday, April 12)

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to remind those of you in the area that Bountiful Garden is having their tomato seedling sale tomorrow!

Saturday, April 12th, 2008 starting at 8:00 a.m
at 21901 Columbus Avenue, Cupertino, CA.

• All plants come in large one-gallon pots. They have a great selection of heirloom tomatoes. Click here to see what kinds of tomatoes they have.
  
• 100% Organic, no pesticides, herbicide, fungicides.
• Each plant is $5.00, and that money will go directly to disaster relief! "[E]very penny of the money that is given to [them] by people at [their] vegetable stands goes directly to disaster relief. This means that all of the costs in operating the organization must come from other forms of fund raising (tomato seedling sales, donations, sponsors)." To learn more about Bountiful Garden, click here.

Going Native Garden Tour 2008

Sign-up now to take a free tour of native California gardens in Santa Clara Valley, the Peninsula, and San Francisco Bay Area. Make sure you confirm your registration by clicking on the email they send you within 3 days of registering.

The tour will take place on Sunday, April 20, 2008 from 10am to 4pm.

To take a sneak peek at some of the gardens included in this year's tour visit http://www.goingnativegardentour.org/gardens/gardenindex08.php.

Frequently Asked Questions

Source: http://www.goingnativegardentour.org/

Worms in my Pots

One of the worms I found today

I was pleasantly surprised to find a couple of worms hanging around my plants today. I hope they work their way into my pots and decide to stay.

Benefits of Having Worms in Your Garden:

• Worms eat decomposing organic materials and/or raw dirt, and produce "worm castings." Worm castings is another term for worm manure or worm excrement. The castings are dark and granular like soil, and are rich in nutrients that are easily digested by plants.
• Worms help aerate the soil.
• Worms improve drainage.