Early spring vegetable garden in Southern California: timings of sowings and plantings
Early spring is a time of transition in the Southern California vegetable garden when cool-season crops are still growing and being harvested but warm-season crops are being sown and planted as well. This video shows what my vegetable garden looks like here in early...
Ceanothus, wild lilac: the blue bushes on the hills
Take a drive out of town here in early spring and you can’t miss the blue bushes glowing on the California hillsides. There’s nothing else like them. What are they? Ceanothus some people call them, or wild lilac they’re called by others, and some refer to them as...
Which kind of citrus tree do I have?
Because there is a citrus tree in almost every yard in California, we often inherit one when we move into a new house. Which kind is it? What if there's no one around to tell you? Here I describe how I approached figuring out the identities of a couple mystery citrus...
I planted tomatoes too early
Plants grow according to the weather, not according to the calendar. Plants grow according to the weather, not according to the calendar. Plants grow according to the weather, not according to the calendar. Here are my excuses: It was mid-March, a planting time that...
Online presentation: Growing avocados – FAQs and Your Qs
The evening was recorded and posted on the Orange County CRFG YouTube channel. You can watch it there or watch it here. Consider subscribing to the OC CRFG channel, as they have many excellent videos. And consider becoming a member of the California Rare Fruit Growers...
Can you start vegetable seeds in compost?
I’ve been starting my vegetable seeds in homemade compost for many years so when I hear someone say that this can’t be done, or shouldn’t be tried, I wonder about their reasons for saying so. In addition to hearing individual gardeners recommend against starting...
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...
Protecting vegetables and fruit trees from rabbits
With hope, I planted 24 seedlings of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and brussels sprouts on an October day. By mid-November only two hadn’t been eaten down to the ground by rabbits. This was my first fall in a new house and gardening in a new location, and I hadn’t...
Welcome . . .
I’m Greg. My goal is to help others grow food at home, with a focus on vegetables and fruits — especially avocados — in Southern California.
I write a new “Yard Post” every Friday.
Avocado Calendar 2021
Gardening Calendar 2021
List of all Yard Posts
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