Your source for orchard news & information in the Sacramento Valley
Crown rot and root rot caused by Phytophthora species are diseases of great concern for walnut growers. Many people believe that irrigating with surface water puts your trees at risk of Phytophthora, and that irrigating with groundwater is the best way to prevent these diseases. However, a recent study of Phytophthora in irrigation water and orchard soils tells a different story. Continue reading
Jaime Ott, UC Extension Tehama, Shasta, Glenn, and Butte Counties This work was partially funded by the Stockton East Water District Crown rot and root rot caused by Phytophthora species are diseases of great concern for almond growers. Many people … Continue reading
Irrigation Evapotranspiration (ET) Report for Tehama, Butte and Colusa county CIMIS stations. Continue reading
Luke Milliron, UCCE Butte, Glenn, Tehama Counties Jaime Ott, UCCE Tehama, Shasta, Glenn, and Butte Counties Becky Wheeler-Dykes, UCCE Glen, Tehama, and Colusa Counties Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Farm Advisor, Colusa and Sutter/Yuba Counties Postharvest nutrition Use information from your July … Continue reading
Luke Milliron, UCCE Orchard Advisor Butte, Glenn, Tehama; Becky Wheeler-Dykes, UCCE Orchard Advisor Glenn, Tehama, Colusa; Jaime Ott, UCCE Orchard Advisor Tehama, Butte, Glenn, Shasta; Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Colusa, Sutter-Yuba Back on August 6 in Orland we had a UCCE … Continue reading
Luke Milliron, UCCE Farm Advisor, Butte, Glenn and Tehama Counties Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Farm Advisor, Colusa and Sutter/Yuba Counties Clarissa Reyes, UCCE Farm Advisor, Sutter-Yuba, Butte, Placer Harvest: Timing is Everything The period from shaking until pick up is one … Continue reading
Curt Pierce, UCCE Irrigation and Water Resource Advisor Luke Milliron, UCCE Orchard Systems Advisor With the days only just warming and (at the time of this writing) significant rain still falling in the North Sacramento Valley, few are likely to … Continue reading
Becky Wheeler-Dykes, Orchard Systems and Weed Ecology Farm Advisor, UCCE Glenn, Tehama and Colusa Counties Luke Milliron, Orchards Advisor, UCCE Butte Glenn, Tehama Counties In February 2025, Dr. Roger Baldwin gave an excellent presentation on vertebrate pest management at … Continue reading
Recent years of research by the Zwieniecki lab (the Z Lab) at UC Davis, including the Carbohydrate Observatory, have been providing exciting new insights to better explain how pistachios may be counting winter chill, when budbreak occurs, and how much pistachios will yield in a given year. Continue reading
The three most important management decisions dictating fruit size and crop size (and therefore grower returns) are 1) cropload management, 2) irrigation, and 3) nutrient management (especially potassium). Continue reading
Historically, the recommendation from UC almond experts for the ideal time to shake was as soon as 100% hull split occurred throughout the orchard, however, these considerations vary widely among varieties and locations. Potential challenges that growers should consider when timing harvest include pest and disease management, nut removal/drying time, and nut quality. Continue reading
Almond variety and rootstock selection is a quarter century investment. Evaluating the compatibility of different varieties and rootstocks together is critical to deciding whether a combination will be successful. Continue reading
Read this article for walnut orchard management tasks to keep in mind in April. Continue reading
Excessive water, caused by rain, flooding, or even overirrigation, is a challenge for orchards and can cause two very different problems: waterlogging and Phytophthora infection. Given that we had bountiful rain this winter and orchards with standing water were common, continuous monitoring and collaboration with your PCA or farm advisor will be increasingly valuable. Continue reading
Sensitivity to a lack of nitrogen will vary from orchard to orchard. We know that trees have much more nutrient storage capacity than annual crops, but how much of this can be relied upon to meet nitrogen demand, and when might it not be appropriate? Continue reading