Highway 99
A few weeks ago, on our way back down from a friend's wedding in Oregon, we decided to take our rented RV on Highway 99 rather than the faster Interstate 5. I should say that I decided to take Highway 99. From Red Bluff in the north to Bakersfield in the...
Dealing with root knot nematodes in a vegetable garden
Over the past few summers, some of my vegetables have performed worse and worse because of damage from root knot nematodes. What are root knot nematodes? They're microscopic worm-like creatures that live in the dirt and bore into the roots of plants and interfere...
Managing alternate bearing in avocado trees
Would you rather have 50 avocados from a tree every year or 100 avocados every other year? By nature, individual avocado trees do not bear the same amount of fruit every year, year after year. Their crop load fluctuates, and it fluctuates for many reasons. I know of...
Captain Bucklew’s California mango trees
Captain L. L. Bucklew began planting mango trees in Encinitas, San Diego County, before World War II. By 1956, he was up to 172 trees. Bucklew’s grove was the first commercial planting of mangos in California, and today, fourteen of these historic trees are still...
Installing drip irrigation for a vegetable garden
My friend Erik recently planted a new vegetable garden at his new house, but now he's off traveling. So right before he left I helped him install drip irrigation that will take care of his plants while he's gone -- and beyond. Here's what his garden looked like before...
Supporting The Yard Posts
(Click here to go directly to the Support Options page) As the tagline says, my goal with this website 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...
How avocado trees flower
Bloom season is the most exciting for me when it comes to avocados. First, I look at the buds on the branches of trees to try to predict how many will become flowers. Then I observe the bees and flies visiting the flowers. Are there enough? Are the flowers getting...
Growing cucumbers in Southern California
Even on a hot summer day, I can go into the yard and pick a cucumber and bite into it and feel cooled and refreshed. How does that work? There’s no other vegetable quite like a cuke. I need to have them in my garden. Here’s how I go about accomplishing that. Varieties...
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