By Jeanne-Ann Pine — I now wear two hats proudly. I have been involved with our local community radio, KRYZ for over three years and last May I graduated from the UC Master Gardeners of Mariposa. Both have been exceptional experiences. And somewhere along the way I was able to start a blend of these two interests and now they ...

By Bob Labozetta —  What can home gardeners do to help their plants — veggies, landscape plants, shrubs and trees — survive the intense summer heat? Here are some do’s and don’ts of hot weather gardening: Don’t fertilize plants or trees during the hot summer months. The purpose of fertilizers — especially those high in nitrogen — is to help ...

AHWAHNEE — Students at Wasuma Elementary School got a little dirt under their fingernails recently when they enjoyed two special event days celebrating all the goodness that goes with terra firma. For Earth Day last month, students learned about vermaculture, composting and pollination, and planted in the garden, with the help of Mariposa and Madera Master Gardeners who taught classes ...

OAKHURST — Set on a secluded, lushly landscaped 9-acre hillside, the Estate by the Elderberries is an elegant oasis of “aah,” bringing the old-world charm and classic beauty of the Provencal region of France to central California. Carina Stephens, the general manager of the world-renowned property, says the Estate is a gem “to be enjoyed by all.” “It’s surprising but ...

By Bob Labozetta —  This is the first of a three-part series about growing tomatoes in the Sierra foothills. Parts two and three on tomato care will follow in the weeks to come. Tomatoes are adversely affected by temperature extremes. When temperatures stay over 90℉ during the day and the nights remain above 70℉, non-adapted tomato blooms often fail to ...

By Brian David —  How are you at growing plants in containers? From Dixie cups to fifty gallon barrels, the size of a container and its material composition make container gardening different from nurturing plants in the earth. Clay pots are porous, for instance, and plastic pots are impermeable. A plant’s nutrients, air flow and water need special attention in ...

By Brian David —  California’s Mediterranean climate of short, wet winters and long, dry summers sustains more diverse foliage than any other of the 49 states. For California’s commercial agriculture and home gardening, however, capturing water is crucial. We channel surface runoff from watersheds, diverting water into reservoirs and dams and direct the flow and delivery of water through aqueducts ...

By Brian David —  This new year welcomes us into its vibrancy. Air, water; sand, clay and silt pulse with wiggling earthworms, dancing bacteria and exercising fungi. From the soil’s fertile womb our earth births seeds into plants and covers her modest bare ground with carpets green and brown. Three fourths of all plant roots interact in mutually beneficial relationships ...

MARIPOSA — Broadcasting from a downtown basement, KRYZ 98.5 FM Mariposa Community Radio has achieved remarkable success in a pretty short period of time, thanks to a growing number of dedicated volunteers and the support of local businesses and nonprofits who have embraced the fledgling outlet from the start. What began with an on-air countdown to midnight on Dec. 31, ...

By Brian David —  Guided by sonar, night vision and the earth’s magnetic field, the Pallid, Mexican, and California Myotis bats – flying near fifty miles an hour – eat nocturnal insects mid-air. A dining night out delivers over half a bat’s body weight in nutritious insects. Central California crops including beets, citrus, corn, cotton, pecans, peppers, rice, strawberries and ...