Cara Cara navel orange tree: a profile
Cara Caras are tasting like candy here in mid-February. They’re like a pink Jolly Rancher – even though they’re an “orange.” I hear of people harvesting Cara Caras around Christmas, and the entry for Cara Cara navel orange in the University of California at...
Our kids will thank us later
My dad never made me learn plumbing, but I’m making my kids learn to grow their own food. Growing fruits and vegetables is one of the few skills I have, and I would be neglectful if I didn’t pass it on to my three children. I watched my dad repair plumbing equipment...
Grafting avocados
The skill of grafting empowers you. Being able to graft gives you options. Nursery doesn’t have a Sharwil tree for sale? If you can get your hands on a Sharwil scion, then you can make your own. Just moved into a house with a big avocado tree that makes inferior...
Starting vegetable seeds: Six keys to success
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...
Satsuma vs. Kishu: Comparing two early mandarins
Choosing a mandarin tree to plant can be overwhelming because of the abundance of varieties available to us in California. One way to narrow the possibilities is to consider seasonality. Among the types of mandarins that ripen earliest, I grow two that I like and that...
Avocado cukes
What's that little pickle hanging on my avocado tree? That's not a pickle; that's a cuke: an avocado fruit that developed without a seed inside. It's growing on a type of avocado tree called Ettinger, and here is what a normal Ettinger avocado looks like: The cuke and...
Posts from other yards, 2021
I revel in visiting other yards and farms, where I learn so much. This past year I got around a bit, and below are a few of the remarkable things I saw and lessons I took away, presented in chronological order. January 4, 2021. How far north can lemon trees grow...
Cauliflower in colors
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. And you can grow...
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