by Greg Alder | Dec 1, 2017 | Avocados, Watering |
One of the many signs of the fall season in Southern California is the browning of avocado leaves that is also called “tip burn” because the browning starts at the leaf tips. The photo above shows leaves on one of my Hass avocado trees in late fall. Why do they look...
by Greg Alder | Oct 27, 2017 | Fruit |
We buy a fruit tree — a Pinkerton avocado, a Cara Cara navel orange, a Flavor King pluot — and we think the tag tells us what we’re getting, but it tells only half the story. Almost every fruit tree you buy has been grafted. In other words, almost...
by Greg Alder | Sep 30, 2017 | Avocados, Fruit |
Avocados are California. They are our heritage fruit. My great great grandfather grew a huge seedling avocado tree at his house near Los Angeles. When my mother was a child, she climbed in her neighbor’s Fuerte avocado tree. I have planted avocado trees...
by Greg Alder | Sep 22, 2017 | Fruit |
We don’t normally shop at Whole Foods Market, but once each year I make a visit in order to buy these California-grown mangos. Last year, I bought some in October; this year I decided I’d stop by in September just to check and . . . I bought these three....
by Greg Alder | Sep 1, 2017 | Fruit, Misc |
Chuck Ingels is one of the main authors and technical editors of The Home Orchard, the best book available on growing deciduous fruit and nut trees for home gardeners in California, and at last week’s Master Gardener conference in Long Beach I attended a presentation...
by Greg Alder | Aug 3, 2017 | Fruit |
This one is embarrassing. I should know better. In fact, I do know better. It’s just that from afar this small branch of Burgundy plum didn’t look like it had an overwhelming amount of fruit on it. Only once I looked closely did I see that the branch had...
by Greg Alder | Jul 7, 2017 | Avocados, Fruit |
Believe it or not, avocado bark is like our skin and gets sunburned. If left unprotected, a branch that is exposed, especially to the south or west sun, will burn. The branch in the photo above is on a young Pinkerton avocado tree that grew out a long limb which...
by Greg Alder | Jun 22, 2017 | Avocados, Fruit |
There are tiny cults surrounding a few types of avocados here in Southern California, home of the now-worldwide avocado industry. Fuerte Some people remain forever fans of the original commercial avocado variety, Fuerte. It has a cool (or should I say, strong) story...
by Greg Alder | Apr 17, 2017 | Citrus, Fruit |
My impression is that most of us think that, as a general rule, all fruit trees need to be pruned. It’s simply not true, especially regarding citrus. In contrast to this mistaken notion I’d say that, as a general rule, citrus should not be pruned. I can...
by Greg Alder | Mar 22, 2017 | Avocados, Fruit |
Kids grow fast, as do avocado trees — especially when planted over a power-packed placenta. Oddly, prior to looking through the retrospective below, I had felt rushed for both of them to hit some developmental marks even faster. As of today, Cass can legibly...
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