by Greg Alder | Jun 17, 2022 | Pests, Vegetables |
Over the past few summers, some of my vegetables have performed worse and worse because of damage from root knot nematodes. What are root knot nematodes? They’re microscopic worm-like creatures that live in the dirt and bore into the roots of plants and...
by Greg Alder | May 27, 2022 | Vegetables, Watering |
My friend Erik recently planted a new vegetable garden at his new house, but now he’s off traveling. So right before he left I helped him install drip irrigation that will take care of his plants while he’s gone — and beyond. Here’s what his...
by Greg Alder | Apr 1, 2022 | Vegetables |
Before doing this experiment, if you had asked me which mix to buy for starting vegetable seeds I would have recommended the most expensive you could find. You generally get what you pay for with potting and seed-starting mixes, was my view. My view has changed. The...
by Greg Alder | Mar 11, 2022 | Vegetables |
Occasionally, if I’m not producing certain vegetables in the garden, my wife buys them at the grocery store. She’ll buy some peppers in winter, for example, or cauliflower in summer. But never do we buy tomatoes. Tomatoes that aren’t home grown aren’t worth eating. If...
by Greg Alder | Jan 28, 2022 | Vegetables |
Upon reflection, if my vegetable seeds germinate fast and grow into strong seedlings, it’s because I’ve done things right in six specific areas. Here I note what to do and what not to do in these areas so that I don’t repeat mistakes, and so you never make them in the...
by Greg Alder | Dec 24, 2021 | Vegetables |
Which color is cauliflower? White. And . . . Cauliflower can also be orange, like the variety called ‘Cheddar’. ‘Cheddar’ cauliflower. ‘Cheddar’ is said to get its color from having extra beta-carotene, the same thing that makes carrots orange....
by Greg Alder | Nov 26, 2021 | Vegetables |
Because broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage plants become big once mature, they must be spaced far apart. But why waste the garden ground between them during their young days? Spacing At maturity, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage (BCC) plants can span four feet...
by Greg Alder | Oct 22, 2021 | Vegetables |
Timing. There’s not much to growing onions successfully in Southern California beyond timing. If you sow the seed or plant the plant at the right time, you’re almost guaranteed a nice bulb to eat. So many times I’ve heard people say their onions didn’t grow...
by Greg Alder | Oct 9, 2021 | Soil, Vegetables |
Can I find a mix that grows vegetable starts better than my homemade compost? For years, I’ve been growing my vegetable seedlings in compost that I make at home, but I’ve desired to discover whether another mix might work better. I want to grow the...
by Greg Alder | Sep 17, 2021 | Vegetables |
At long last, I’ve made a single-page chart that shows the best planting months for the most common vegetables! My gardening calendar carries this information with slightly more detail; my posts about what to do in the garden each month carry even more detail...
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