EDUCATOR TURNED GARDENER FINDS PLACE IN SUN AS ADVISER.

Byline: Victoria Giraud

Combining his career as an educator with his love of the land, Bob Allen has carved out a retirement niche as a state of California master gardener and a voice on Ventura County's help line for home gardeners.

When Bob retired from education after many years of teaching and administration - his last position was superintendent for the Ocean View School District in Oxnard - he wanted to find something to do with his time.

"You can't let retirement get to you. There are so many things we can do; we can learn and keep interested."

A love of the land was part of Bob's heritage. He was born in Auburn, Calif., and during the 1970s raised his children on a 100-acre ranch in Placerville. The master gardener program was perfect for him.

To qualify, Bob took a year of courses in such subjects as plant pathology, botany, use of pesticides and classifications of plants. Volunteers are tested on the subjects before they are allowed to give advice on the help line. Ventura County has 30 volunteers as part of the master gardener program.

"We collect data from the caller and have a number of resource materials. If we can't find the answer, we ask the farm advisers (University of California professors)," Bob said. "I've never enjoyed myself more. I make a lot of friends on the phone."

When Bob's not on the help line or researching answers, this grandfather of nine speaks to garden clubs and other groups interested in planting. He has also participated in gardening seminars, school programs and programs for emotional rehabilitation.

"We're available to speak to garden clubs, but we ask that they take a survey of questions so we can bring material to give away. We've got a tremendous amount of resources."

The help line - [phone] - is open from 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Bob said that he puts in lots of time on Mondays collecting calls from weekend questions.

Some are easier to answer than others.

A caller might ask about a tree and not have any idea what kind of tree they're asking about.

Some common plant problems of late have involved an Australian mite that attacks eucalyptus, a challenge since it has no native predators.

And there's a fungus that attacks local junipers, especially the low-growing variety, and turns them red. Bob says the only way to eliminate it is to get rid of the plant.

A persea mite from Mexico attacks avocado plants, causing the leaves to drop and the fruit to burn. "A high-pressure water hose will knock the mites off, but sometimes I advise them to cut down the tree and start over."

Trees are a common problem for homeowners.

"A man called asking what to do about a 70-foot pine tree in the front yard. He wanted to know if it was safe, but I can't tell him," Bob explained.

The tree needed to be seen first, but a tree specialist might be expensive, Bob said. Then, even if the tree were disease-free, no one could guarantee that it might not come down in the next wind storm. He ended up advising the man to get in touch with people who cut trees for firewood.

"When you give advice, you have to be reasonably sure about it, but we give the standard disclaimer," Bob said.

"A big challenge is the use of pesticides. We have to be very careful about our advice, but there are pamphlets from the University of California on what not to recommend," Bob said, and added that he will sometimes advise a trip to a local insectory. There are several such places in Ventura County where friendly insects are raised to fight plant diseases, but this kind of solution is usually expensive.

People ask about growing tomatoes, and Bob tells them to look for a tag when buying tomatoes that indicates that the plant is resistant to certain diseases. He also tells them to make sure to plant them when the weather is warm both day and night, or fruit will not develop.

Bob has always done his own experimenting with plants, spurred by his avid reading of the Farm Journal. He has grown zucchini and lettuce in pots, and potatoes in seaweed. He is experimenting with growing roses in pure adobe soil, watering them more often than usual.

His home greenhouse is "mostly an infirmary for Boston ferns, fuchsias and rubber plants. The stable environment helps. I also plant seedlings and vegetables."

Bob looks back fondly upon his 10 years in Placerville. He was the superintendent of Buckeye/Motherlode School District while managing his 100-acre ranch. Bob raised Angus cattle; his six children were involved with 4-H, and his wife entered cakes and cookies at county fair competitions. One daughter raised dairy goats, and a son raised 100 Suffolk sheep.

At one point, Bob decided to raise turkeys. After butchering them, he created special smokers and sold smoked turkeys. "The feds said you can't butcher and smoke on your own property," Bob said, and that was the end of the turkey experiment. Such regulations, he added, "wipe out mom-and-pop farms."

When the Allens decided they couldn't continue financially with the ranch, Bob accepted the Ocean View School District job and moved to Ventura.

After 10 years of living at Ventura Keys, "I yearned to get back to the soil," Bob said.

He bought one-third of an acre in the Ventura foothills when he retired, and besides raising plants of all kinds, his property is home to 25 doves, two dogs, a cat, two macaws and a canary.

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Photo After retiring as a school superintendent, Bob Allen became a California-certified master gardener. Dusty Locke/Special to the Daily News