Signs your avocado tree is healthy . . . or not
May is usually an easy time of year for an avocado tree in Southern California. Therefore, signs of ill health now should be taken seriously and, if possible, remedied before the potential stress of heat or drought during summer arrives. In my yard this May I have...
Avocado talk and tasting at San Diego CRFG, Wednesday, May 27
If you're in the neighborhood, join me and the San Diego chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers to talk about and taste avocados on Wednesday, May 27. See here for location and details. My presentation aims to help you grow the world's best avocados in your own...
Harvesting first honey
"Harvesting honey completes a circle in your yard," said Jacques, as he was guiding me through the process of taking honey from my hive of bees which he had helped me install three years prior. He explained: You grow these plants that flower (strawberries, tomatillos,...
Supporting The Yard Posts
My goal with The Yard Posts is to help others grow food at home, with a focus on vegetables and fruits -- especially avocados -- in Southern California. How do I do this? I write short articles – “posts” – each Friday, and I augment each post with photos and sometimes...
Timely posts for May 8
Friends have been asking about these topics: 1. How will you support your tomatoes this season? I use cages for some, and I use stakes and string for others. Check out this post: "Comparing tomato supports: cage vs. stake-and-string" 2. Your avocado tree has just...
One-handed gopher trapping
Feel free to call me an old man who refuses to use new technology, but when my tried-and-true Cinch trap works this well, can you blame me? https://youtu.be/Gty6ojnVieg Here is my post about trapping gophers and using the Cinch Trap.
Look, Mom. I made a citrus tree from scratch!
It all started when I identified my neighbor's citrus tree as rootstock. The fruit was unpleasantly sour and very seedy, nothing you would ever eat. The leaves were in groups of three. I looked at the base of the trunk and could see where the intended top of the tree...
Avocado rootstocks: What do they matter?
Rootstocks are mysterious. They do their work hidden, underground. Yet, their influence on the trees above ground is real and measurable. For example, some rootstocks have demonstrated that they can induce the tops to make more than twice as much fruit compared to...









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