Handwatering vegetables
I wish that I could water all of my vegetables by hand all the time, but as my family has grown so necessarily has my vegetable garden, and I’ve decided to accept the costs and wastes of watering with sprinklers and driplines in order to save time. During a Southern...
Avocado varieties for year-round harvest
Before I had my own avocado trees, I picked fruit from the trees of others (and usually I asked first). I had learned the locations of trees of different varieties and in which season each tasted good so that I could find avocados to eat all year. Later, I asked...
Garden pizzas
Three nights each week I’m responsible for feeding our three children. My wife works long shifts at the hospital as a nurse. I often struggle to make quality meals, as the kids are young -- five, three, and one -- and after a twelve-hour day with them, they’ve...
Growing pluots in Southern California
I’ve met people who don’t like the tart skin of some plums, and I’ve met people who find apricots mushy, but I’m still waiting to meet the person who has eaten a homegrown pluot and doesn’t ask for more. Just this week I shared some from my trees with a friend who has...
More photos; fewer words
I crack up whenever I think of this comment someone made to my wife: "I really like your husband's blog, except there are so many words." Maybe not this week? Here are ten photos that capture aspects of this past summer, with captions that I've trimmed and trimmed....
Using the evapotranspiration rate to water your garden better
How often do you adjust your irrigation timer? How do you estimate how much to water your fruit trees or vegetables? The local evapotranspiration rate is a great guide in answering both of these questions. What is the evapotranspiration rate? Evapo-transpiration is a...
Tomato varieties for Southern California, 2019
It so happens that every tomato variety of the seven I’m growing this summer has done well and tastes good enough to justify planting again next year. They're all a little different, and I’d be selfish not to tell you about them. Small-fruited types Blush tomatoes....
Growing raspberries in Southern California
Most of my raspberry plants have come from friends and family who live where raspberries grow best. The Sunset Western Garden Book says that raspberries grow best in Zones 3-6 and 15-17. These Zones cover the central and northern California coast, and then western...
Welcome
I'm Greg. My goal is to help others grow some food at home, with a focus on vegetables and fruits -- especially avocados -- in Southern California. I write a new "Yard Post" every Friday. Custom engraved garden signs
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