by Greg Alder | Mar 27, 2020 | Citrus |
“If I only had one citrus tree to live on for my entire life, this is it,” said our guide through the collection of about 1,000 varieties of citrus selected from around the world. That’s quite a claim. But, coming from Ottillia “Toots” Bier, we would be wise to...
by Greg Alder | Mar 13, 2020 | Fruit |
I planted this pluot tree for my grandma a few weeks ago and made sure to paint its trunk to protect it from the sun; I hadn’t so protected a pluot tree that I planted for my mom eight years ago and look what happened. Pluot tree with sunburned trunk. I’ve seen a lot...
by Greg Alder | Feb 21, 2020 | Avocados |
I was speaking with an avocado farmer from South Africa, and he asked me about my favorite avocados to eat. That’s hard to answer, I started. But I told him that recently I’d had some Kahalu’u and Jan Boyce avocados that were very good. I turned it back to him,...
by Greg Alder | Jan 31, 2020 | Fruit |
There are excellent documents, videos, and books that can help you successfully graft deciduous fruit trees in the winter in Southern California. Directing you toward those is the main aim of this post. Secondarily, I’ll note a few of my own preferences and tips....
by Greg Alder | Jan 24, 2020 | Citrus |
I spotted this sign in a Starbucks the other day, featuring a coffee that is claimed to have Meyer lemon in its flavor profile, and I wondered how that would make Frank Meyer feel. Initially, he might shake his head because he clearly requested that no plant be named...
by Greg Alder | Jan 10, 2020 | Citrus |
My orange tree above looks fine, right? That’s what I thought until I crouched down and noticed this little devil: That branch growing from the base of the trunk — that’s the little devil. It’s not a branch of my orange tree; it’s rootstock. Citrus trees are usually...
by Greg Alder | Jan 3, 2020 | Fruit, Pests |
“Here’s a minimum spray program for mixed fruit tree plantings: In December or January, or after pruning, apply a dormant spray such as oil and lime sulfur to apples, pears, peaches, plums — all fruits except those noted below — for control of scale...
by Greg Alder | Dec 13, 2019 | Citrus |
It’s December, my oranges aren’t sweet yet, but they’re splitting. Oh no! Happens every fall, actually. Just as the cool nights start to turn the rinds from green to orange, and just as the first rains arrive, navel oranges begin to split. My orange tree...
by Greg Alder | Dec 6, 2019 | Avocados |
Below is my Bacon avocado tree, which is older than me. I don’t know who planted it, and it’s on public property. Okay, so this isn’t officially my Bacon avocado tree, but it feels like that sometimes because I’ve been picking its fruit and paying attention to...
by Greg Alder | Nov 1, 2019 | Avocados |
Is it a disease? Is it a beetle boring into the tree? It looks scary when your avocado branches have volcanoes or streaks of white powder on them. What is that white stuff? It is the dried sap. When a branch is injured in some way, the sap runs just like your blood...
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. 
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