by Greg Alder | Feb 22, 2019 | Vegetables |
This year, I happen to be growing all of my vegetables from seed, which is a throwback to when I started vegetable gardening. In the interim, there have been years where I grew entirely from plants purchased at a nursery. During most years though, my vegetable garden...
by Greg Alder | Feb 1, 2019 | Vegetables |
My children have taught me that it is more fun to graze a garden than to harvest its produce, bring it into the house, wash it, prepare it, or cook it, or refrigerate it for later. Apologies to my wife. I used to grow snap peas for her because she likes to make stir...
by Greg Alder | Jan 18, 2019 | Vegetables |
“You know you got to give me some of those greens,” he said. “Oh, you like greens?” “Mmmmmm.” How bold. This guy had just shown up at our door to fix a problem with our internet connection, and these were his first words. Our garden is in the front yard right by where...
by Greg Alder | Dec 7, 2018 | Vegetables |
It’s raining as I write this, which brings to life right out my window all of the things I like about using wood chips as mulch around my vegetables. The chips are soaking up the rain so there’s no run off; they’re protecting the soil surface from erosion or crusting...
by Greg Alder | Nov 22, 2018 | Vegetables |
Garlic is the easiest crop to grow in a Southern California garden. Can you think of an easier one? If you use garlic in the kitchen, and you have a garden, there’s no reason not to have some growing out there through the winter. I’ll explain why garlic is so easy,...
by Greg Alder | Oct 26, 2018 | Resources, Vegetables |
The most common question we got this weekend at the “Ask a Master Gardener” table was, “What can I plant right now?” The event was the Fall Festival at Point Loma Nazarene University. Usually while asking, the person was looking at the broccoli seedlings I’d...
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 | Oct 6, 2018 | Vegetables |
Broccoli and cauliflower are a couple of my favorite vegetables to grow if only to watch my uncivilized children eat them. Aren’t kids not even supposed to like broccoli? Mine eat the heads straight off the growing plant. Planting broccoli and cauliflower in...
by Greg Alder | Jul 27, 2018 | Vegetables, Watering |
Drip irrigation supplemented by occasional overhead watering is the best way to water a vegetable garden. The best? That’s right. That’s my claim. This method gives you all of the advantages of drip irrigation while compensating for its few disadvantages. Here’s...
by Greg Alder | Jun 15, 2018 | Vegetables |
The change I’d like to see in my corner of the world is that more people grow a little of their own food. It doesn’t require a lot of space, many tools, much physical effort or time or money. A found pot, some dirt gathered off Palomar Mountain, and a couple cilantro...
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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