By David Goldstein On Saturday, from 9 a.m. to noon, Ventura County Coastal Cleanup Day will bring trash-gathering volunteers to more than 20 sites as part of the 38th annual International Coastal Cleanup Day on Sept. 17. The local effort targets beaches as well as inland sites from Fillmore to Simi Valley. Last year in…
By David Goldstein Special to The Acorn “Avocados grow better with chips.” That was the humorous, informal title of a study launched 25 years ago called “Use of Yard Trimmings and Compost on Citrus and Avocado.” The findings gleaned by researchers have taken on new relevance today as farmers and gardeners look for ways to…
By David Goldstein Special to the Acorn Due to watering restrictions, many residents are planning changes to their landscapes. Besides drought-tolerant plants, fire resistance should be considered. Nearly any plant becomes tinder when dead, so if your thirsty landscape cannot survive the reduced watering schedules, remove them before they die. You might also consider ridding…
by David Goldstein Come take a walk on the wild side if you are tired of paring back your home’s landscaping in response to watering restrictions and fire dangers, and you just want to plant big, beautiful expanses you can visit in years to come. On the wild side of the urban/wildland interface, conservationists are…
EYE ON THE ENVIRONMENT | BATTLE OF THE WATER CONSERVATION AND WASTE REDUCTION METHODS by David Goldstein Most methods of reducing waste and conserving water complement each other, but sometimes, there can be only one. WOODY MULCH VS. FINE COMPOST AS A TOP DRESSING Mulch is a material applied to the garden surface, and compost…
By David Goldstein “Keep it clean in bed,” urges an advertising campaign by a major retail chain of mattress stores, trying to coax consumers into buying a new mattress at least every eight years. The television ad features a comically scowling actor dressed in a dust mite costume and another actor feigning disgust at the…
July 17, 2022 By David Goldstein As local gardeners and farmers look for ways to keep their fruit trees alive while meeting water conservation goals, they can consider the water savings gained by applying organic mulch, as documented in an influential 1999 University of California study. The study’s findings and recommendations have gained relevance today…
July 9, 2022 By David Goldstein It’s fairly clear by now that Americans living in arid regions have not adequately planned for water shortages. In the current drought, local governments and water purveyors in the local region have responded with a new set of measures, including restrictions on outdoor watering. In areas with the hottest…
July 6, 2022 by David Goldstein Last week, on a nationally televised show, news-based comedian John Oliver criticized a local response to drought. Oliver’s diatribe, viewed on YouTube over 2,760,000 times as of last Tuesday, called study of a suggestion to tow an “iceberg in a diaper” to Ventura County “monumentally stupid” and an example…
EYE ON THE ENVIRONMENT | JULY 4 BARBECUES: GAS VERSUS CHARCOAL June 29th, 2022 by David Goldstein As you prepare to celebrate Independence Day with Fourth of July barbecues, consider the example of Ali Ghasemi, the executive officer at the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District. “I have two gas barbecues,” he told me. “One…