by Greg Alder | Oct 19, 2018 | Fruit, Vegetables |
Melon vines take up too much garden space. This past summer, we grew all of ours away from the vegetable beds. I planted them under fruit trees where they had room to roam. In the photo above, a Sweet Crimson watermelon is growing “under” a young Hellen avocado tree....
by Greg Alder | Sep 14, 2018 | Avocados |
If buying from a grocery store . . . Buy avocados from California The first thing I look for is where the avocado was grown, and if it’s not from California I almost never buy it. We get imports from Mexico, Chile, Peru, and a few other countries. None of these...
by Greg Alder | Sep 7, 2018 | Fruit, Soil |
Almost any mulch under a fruit tree is better than no mulch, but there are many ways in which wood chips are the best of mulches. Wood chips are what comes out of a chipper machine when a tree trimmer puts branches through it. Wood chips are bits of leaves, twigs,...
by Greg Alder | Jul 20, 2018 | Avocados |
Looking to plant the common Hass variety of avocado in your yard? Looking for the less common Reed? Searching for where to buy a rarely grown avocado variety like Nabal, GEM, or Jan Boyce? Let me try to connect you with the grower or seller of the avocado variety of...
by Greg Alder | Jul 6, 2018 | Berries and Vines |
Five summers ago, we moved into a house that is fronted by 250 feet of blank chain link fence. I saw a grape canvas. And I started planting. Now in 2018 I see that my vision had been a good one. We’ve got 13 vines growing and a few dozen feet of fence left...
by Greg Alder | Jun 22, 2018 | Avocados, Watering |
I’ve always wished there were a simple formula that could tell us how much and how often to water an avocado tree. Alas, the variables are too numerous: weather is ever-changing, different soils have different water-holding capacities, frequencies are partially...
by Greg Alder | Jun 8, 2018 | Avocados, Pests |
If your avocado leaves are getting holey this spring, you are due for a night hunt. Every May and June, I find myself going out after dark and finding the same culprit: June bugs. Here’s what I do: Grab a flashlight or better yet, a headlamp. Bring along a cup...
by Greg Alder | May 25, 2018 | Fruit, Soil, Watering |
When some people visit my yard or see photos of my trees, they spot a violation of the rules: Aren’t you supposed to keep mulch away from the trunks of your trees? (That’s my rule-breaking lime tree in the photo above.) It’s true, there’s no real benefit...
by Greg Alder | May 4, 2018 | Avocados |
Even though I’ve planted many avocado trees, I was nervous putting in this little Jan Boyce, or JB for short (pictured on left). It is a particularly fine-tasting variety that I’d been trying to get my hands on for years. But I needn’t be too nervous. I’ve...
by Greg Alder | Apr 27, 2018 | Fruit, Weather |
Are your deciduous fruit trees acting funny this spring too? Frightfully funny? Look at a couple of my trees today compared to this time last year, and then let’s explore why they’re behaving this way. Finally, is there anything to do about it? Bloom is a full month...
Recent comments