January in Jacques’ Food Garden
"Be Your Own Farmer," reads the sticker on the back of Jacques' truck. And he lives it. And his family reaps the rewards. As do I. I've never visited Jacques' place without him taking me on a tour and sharing samples of whatever is ripe. What's more, even as some of...
How I prepare my vegetable beds for planting
A handful of years ago, I wrote a post about my routine of not tilling, fluffing, loosening the dirt in my vegetable beds ("Don't dig your garden"). I still don't turn over the dirt or incorporate compost or manure into my vegetable beds after 11 years of growing in...
Mistakes staking and tying avocado trees
Strong Santa Ana winds blew through my yard yesterday, which revealed whether my young avocado trees had proper support. I shot video for you: A few related posts: "How to plant and stake avocado trees" "Training young avocado trees" Thanks for...
Young avocado trees cannot handle competition
In June of 2023, I planted a GEM avocado tree. It was a good-looking tree, on top and bottom. The leaves showed healthy new growth and the roots were abundant and with new white tips. I planted in the best way I knew, a way in which I’d planted many trees before that...
2025 Scion Exchanges (of the California Rare Fruit Growers)
Is this the year that you learn to graft? Would you like to grow a new variety of fig, peach, dragon fruit, avocado, plum, mulberry, or cherry? Then these events are for you. Winter is the season for the California Rare Fruit Growers "scion exchanges," where growers...
What to do in a Southern California garden in January
Here it is: our deep winter. In January, we might see frost on our lettuce, and we can enjoy a fire in the fireplace. Appreciate it before it's warm again for the rest of the year. Have your deciduous fruit trees lost all of their leaves? Enjoy that look while it...
How dry, this fall?
Each evening I record weather numbers and observations, along with what I’ve planted and how my vegetables and fruit trees are performing. I’ve done this for ten years straight (off and on for twenty). Occasionally, it feels like a waste of time, but at moments like...
Want kids to eat vegetables? Grow them
Over the years I’ve noticed a phenomenon that I have to share because I hear some parents talk of their kids not wanting to eat vegetables. One thing that I guarantee will increase their consumption is allowing them to graze. Grow what you want them to eat, and then...
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