Our kids will thank us later

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...

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Grafting avocados

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...

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Starting vegetable seeds: Six keys to success

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...

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Satsuma vs. Kishu: Comparing two early mandarins

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...

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Avocado cukes

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...

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Posts from other yards, 2021

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...

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Cauliflower in colors

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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Four areas of a yard that are warmer in winter

Four areas of a yard that are warmer in winter

Two nights ago was chilly. There was frost on the ground in most parts of my yard, but not everywhere. Which spots had less frost – or no frost – and why? Have a look at this two-minute video I made on the frosty morning of December 16, showing four factors that...

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Welcome . . .

I'm Greg. My goal is to help you grow 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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