by Greg Alder | Jan 27, 2023 | Misc |
For several years, I have recorded which flowers I see bees feeding on in my yard and elsewhere in Southern California, as well as the dates I see them. For example, this month I noted that there are many bees visiting the flowers of my bolted greens (above). Below is...
by Greg Alder | Jan 22, 2023 | Misc |
(Click here to go directly to the Support Options page) 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 –...
by Greg Alder | Dec 9, 2022 | Misc |
The new calendar is ready! 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 personal experience and shows...
by Greg Alder | Dec 2, 2022 | Misc |
I’m aware of four ways that people use to remove Bermuda grass. As far as my experience goes, only two are highly effective though. I’ll share my experiences, moving from the most effective methods to the least. Glyphosate Poisoning Bermuda grass with an...
by Greg Alder | Nov 25, 2022 | Misc |
A couple more days and it’s March, in which starts spring. But before we move on, I’ve pulled three lessons from the past winter. 1. Consequences of 28 degrees The coldest night of this 2021-2022 winter in Southern California just passed, on February 23-24. My yard’s...
by Greg Alder | Sep 30, 2022 | Misc |
I was in Robert Kourik’s neck of the woods this summer, and at that time I happened to be reading his newest book, “Sustainable Food Gardens.” While camping along the Russian River up in Sonoma County, I considered how different his part of...
by Greg Alder | Sep 23, 2022 | Misc |
Sometimes gardening feels like a leisure activity, but sometimes it feels like work: weeds, aphids, gophers, heat waves. At which times I think, Why not just buy all my food at the grocery store? It’s so convenient. You show up any day and choose from all sorts of...
by Greg Alder | Sep 9, 2022 | Misc |
Chance had a problem and a rough idea of the solution. Grasses were taking over his family’s vegetable garden, especially the pathways. Meanwhile, he was raising rabbits for meat. Rabbits eat grass but they also eat vegetable plants so he needed to...
by Greg Alder | Aug 5, 2022 | Misc |
Since I was a kid, my extended family has gathered for a week every summer to camp at the beach in Carpinteria. Just below Santa Barbara, Carpinteria is on the north end of Southern California, at least the way I draw the lines. I think of Southern California as being...
by Greg Alder | Jul 1, 2022 | Misc |
Last night my wife and kids were out of town so I did what any husband and father might do with an evening alone. I put on my headlamp and gardened in the darkness. I planted tomatoes and tomatillos, and then I sowed a row of corn, and then I scouted around for...
Recent comments, questions, and answers