The concentrated summer of 2023
Today is the last day of summer. It is sprinkling outside and I'm wearing a sweatshirt. This is not normal. It has been mostly cloudy for the last couple weeks. And do you remember how long it took for summer weather to begin this year? The summer season has been...
Blueberry grape variety: a profile
"Paul McLane gave the L.E. Cooke Co a grapevine he grew from his grandmother's seedling in Chico, California . . ." I'm a sucker for a vegetable or fruit variety with a background story. With Blueberry grapes, both the variety and my own vines come with stories. To...
Common garden weeds in Southern California
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...
You are what you eat eats
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 is that if we eat junk...
What to do in a Southern California Food garden in September
In September, summer turns to fall, but summer never goes willingly in Southern California. It always kicks us with one last heat wave. When I was a kid, school started right after Labor Day, and that first week back at school was always the hottest of the year. (Hot...
Growing avocado trees in containers
It's baffling out there. Advice about growing avocado trees in containers comes from every direction and often conflicts. Should you use a potting mix that includes organic materials? Which kind of pot should you use? What's the best variety for growing in a...
Eliminating ants from potted plants
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 the home to...
Kellogg’s Breakfast tomato in Southern California
Last week I was with my cousin Paul as he bought a large heirloom tomato at a farmers market and then made breakfast with it the next morning: toast with mayonnaise, hunky slices of tomato, and salt. It looked like the right thing to do. So when I got home I picked a...
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