by Greg Alder | Nov 10, 2023 | Misc |
First I planted a Granny Smith apple. Second I planted a Sharwil avocado. Then I planted another Sharwil avocado. Finally I planted a Flavor Grenade pluot in this spot, but it too died. It was then that I realized it was not me killing these trees, it was this...
by Greg Alder | Oct 21, 2023 | Misc |
My goal with The Yard Posts 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 – “posts” – each Friday, and I augment each post with photos and...
by Greg Alder | Sep 8, 2023 | Misc |
The off-season rain of Hurricane Hilary on August 20 gave a rare opportunity for both warm-season and cool-season weeds to germinate at the same time. I thought I would take advantage by photographing the young seedlings as they came up. I chose to post here only the...
by Greg Alder | Sep 1, 2023 | Misc |
Whenever I feed my chickens or fertilize my vegetables and fruit trees I hear the phrase, “You are what you eat eats.” “You are what you eat” is a phrase we all know, and it means that our bodies consist of whatever we put into them. The lesson...
by Greg Alder | Aug 18, 2023 | Misc |
When ants have made a full-time home in the rootball of one of my potted plants, I use a cheap, non-toxic substance to get rid of them. It’s called water. I’ll explain how I go about this using the example of one of my coffee plants, which last week became...
by Greg Alder | Jul 28, 2023 | Misc |
They keep sprouting up, these Yard Posts, like coffee beans growing into seedlings. Here I have them all listed and categorized. Each title is a link. And every time I write a new post, I add it to this list so consider it up to date. Thank you for your support so...
by Greg Alder | Jul 21, 2023 | Misc |
A few years ago I built a nesting block for native bees. I was hoping to increase their numbers by giving them an attractive nesting site so that I could in turn receive their pollination of my vegetables and fruit trees. I additionally planted flowers. My efforts...
by Greg Alder | Jul 1, 2023 | Misc |
A decade ago, at the end of June 2013, my pregnant wife and I began moving into our house. We bought this place in Ramona using every penny we had. It seemed to offer almost everything we wanted: plenty of indoor space for us to fill with a family; and an acre of...
by Greg Alder | Jun 16, 2023 | Misc |
Nick and Anna-Marie told me they had planted a white sage in their backyard, and the plant’s tag said it was a “compact” version but it had grown over five feet tall and wide. I looked out their back door to see the plant. There it was: A robust white sage with flower...
by Greg Alder | Jun 1, 2023 | Misc |
The new calendar is ready! See the order page here. What is this calendar? It helps Southern California food gardeners by listing for each month which vegetables to plant, how to care for different kinds of fruit trees, and guidance on watering. It’s based on my...
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