Harvesting Your Tomatoes
Harvesting tomatoes requires a gentle hand to remove the fruit without damaging the plant or unripe fruits that may be closely associated with the one you are picking. In addition, you must know how to pick tomatoes at the right stage of maturity. Tomatoes will ripen naturally off the vine once they have reached the stage of maturity known as "hard green," but a tomato is considered to be mature only when it has reached the "breaker stage" of development. The breaker stage is indicated by the appearance of any pink or red color on the fruit. At this point, all the chemical actions associated with ripening will proceed identically either on or off the plant, so the tomato that is picked at this point will be indistinguishable from one that has ripened fully on the vine. If a tomato has been picked prior to full ripeness it should be stored at normal room temperatures of about 65-75°C until ripe.

A Clean Sweep
Summer continues its fiery grip. The hot, dry winds scorch our trees and shrubs. The bright, fresh green foliage of spring has turned to the dull and browning leaves of summer. This is the time to freshen our gardens. Spray off those dusty leaves to remove the accumulation of dust. Plants will be able to grow better with improved vigor due to the unobstructed sun and increased oxygen now available to the leaves. For an added boost, use a hose-end sprayer containing 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 4 parts water and give all of your plants a good soaking from top to bottom. This will add additional oxygen to your precious plants as well as clean the leaves and remove many pests.

WEST NILE IN THE LANDSCAPE
	The West Nile Virus is showing signs of life in the community, it seems so strange to find Crows dead in the street, victims of the virus. A bird so seemingly cunning and adaptable can't escape this disease carried by mosquitos. There have been a couple of people affected by the Virus in LA County and they were able to fight off the virus. The local LA County Health Department is no longer picking up dead birds, however they are recording locations.
To report dead birds or report areas that may be harboring mosquitos please contact the Los Angeles County of Health Services: 1-877-747-2243 or click on the link below:
http://lapublichealth.org/acd/VectorWestNile.htm Other useful information can be found at: http://westnile.ca.gov/
Insecticides can be directed against either the immature or adult stage of the mosquito life cycle. Chemicals used by mosquito control agencies must comply with state and federal requirements. Public health pesticide applicators and operators in most states are required to be licensed or certified by the appropriate state agencies. Come in for a large selection of mosquito dunks and granules that will kill larvae in standing water in ponds or bird baths. These dunks are safe to use with fish or other wildlife. Understand mosquitos can breed in broken pots or bottle caps, anything that holds water. Accuracy of application is important because missing even a relatively small area can cause the emergence of a large mosquito brood resulting in the need for broad-scale adulticiding. We sell a few products that can be applied in the garden. When dealing with West Nile virus, prevention is your best bet. Fighting mosquito bites reduces your risk of getting this disease, along with others that mosquitoes can carry. Take the commonsense steps below to reduce your risk: Avoid bites and illness; Clean out the mosquitoes from the places where you work and play; help your community control the disease. Something to remember: The chance that any one person is going to become ill from a single mosquito bite remains low. The risk of severe illness and death is highest for people over 50 years old, although people of all ages can become ill.

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Wild and Wooly

A new pest has once again graced our region. The Wooly White Fly and it has arrived with a vengeance. It seems to affect only citrus at this time, with a particular affinity for lemons and oranges. Most people first notice this pest as they stand under their precious citrus and notice a profuse shower of sticky honeydew. As you look up into the tree, you will notice great masses of white cottony looking insects. They will be glistening with large amounts of honeydew just ready to fall on your head, car, or whatever else lies beneath. To control this new pest, you must be persistent. The cottony shield, as well as the large amount of honeydew, effectively protects these insects from contact with insecticides. Most people have found sprays containing cyfluthrin concentrate, to be effective when sprayed 3 times at 10-day to 2-week intervals. Be aware, while the insects will die, it will take some time for the cottony looking masses to disappear. You can help the process by squirting water on the trees with a high pressure nozzle to wash away the mess. Come on in and we'll be happy to show you how to control this problem.