Keeping a corner wild
“We think we heard footsteps.” “And a coyote!” My kids had run back to the house from the wild corner of the yard. It’s at the top of the hill, out of sight, and just jungly enough such that a six-year-old, a five-year-old, and a three-year-old can get spooked. Our...
Winter opportunities in the food garden
Take it easy if you want. No pressure. But also be aware of seasonal opportunities that only occur once a year. Here are some things you can do in the food garden in the winter -- that is January, February, and March. VEGETABLES Sow and plant beets, brassicas (earlier...
The Holiday avocado tree: a profile
Holiday sounds too good to be true: a dwarf avocado tree that makes large fruit which taste excellent. But it is true . . . kind of. I planted the Holiday in the photo above four years ago because in that spot I wanted a green screen of privacy year-round that was...
January gardening: Oregon vs Southern California
Even if we get frost in Southern California it is quickly melted as the sun rises, unlike the above frost on a friend's lawn in Corvallis, Oregon. For most gardeners in this area, January is a month of dormancy, a time to plan and prepare for spring. One way to...
Ettinger avocado: a profile
Enjoy this five-minute video I made about the Ettinger variety of avocado, including its eating qualities compared to other varieties, plus a bit about its origin in Israel and its status in California today. https://youtu.be/_zDGethqTwQ My experience with growing...
How tall can dinosaur kale get?
I planted this kale in December 2017, at about the same time that my daughter was born. The photo above was taken in February 2020, when both the kale and my daughter had recently turned two. At that age, my daughter could already run and climb rocks, but the dinosaur...
Saving the Parent Washington Navel orange tree
We were on the corner of Arlington and Magnolia in Riverside, looking at some citrus trees surrounded by a wrought-iron fence. It was 2012, I was with a group of Master Gardener trainees, and our guide started telling us the story of one of the trees. The tree was, at...
How to tell if an avocado is ripe
More times than I'd like to admit, I've cut open avocados too early or let them ripen on the counter too long. My wife loves to make fun of me for this. I'm particularly prone to doing it with varieties that take forever to ripen, like Pinkerton, or with varieties...
Avocado Calendar 2021
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