The Fuerte avocado tree: a profile

The Fuerte avocado tree: a profile

I was speaking with an avocado farmer from South Africa, and he asked me about my favorite avocados to eat. That’s hard to answer, I started. But I told him that recently I’d had some Kahalu’u and Jan Boyce avocados that were very good. I turned it back to him,...

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Growing fruits and vegetables for kids

Growing fruits and vegetables for kids

First I grew fruits and vegetables for myself. Then I grew for my wife (Happy Valentine's Day!). Now my plantings are largely directed toward feeding our three children -- and the kids don’t like to eat the same stuff we do. Let me share what I’ve found our kids -- as...

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Growing cilantro in Southern California

Growing cilantro in Southern California

Cilantro is my favorite feral plant in the yard. It pops up in pathways, under fruit trees, over by the fence. And I do still plant some in my garden beds. Yearly routine I haven’t bought cilantro seed or plants for years because I’ve got a routine that keeps the...

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Beware of rootstock suckers on citrus trees

Beware of rootstock suckers on citrus trees

My orange tree above looks fine, right? That’s what I thought until I crouched down and noticed this little devil: That branch growing from the base of the trunk — that’s the little devil. It’s not a branch of my orange tree; it’s rootstock. Citrus trees are usually...

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Dormant spray deciduous fruit trees?

Dormant spray deciduous fruit trees?

“Here’s a minimum spray program for mixed fruit tree plantings: In December or January, or after pruning, apply a dormant spray such as oil and lime sulfur to apples, pears, peaches, plums -- all fruits except those noted below -- for control of scale insects and...

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Talk to you in 2020

Talk to you in 2020

Taking a week away from writing a Yard Post to end 2019, but here are a few photos anyway. Above, the cauliflower is coming along well with very few aphids this season. Below, installed a weather station in the yard the other day, which immediately recorded a couple...

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Taking notes on your garden

Taking notes on your garden

I make a million mistakes in my garden. I love experimenting out there. My only goal is to not make the same mistakes over and over again, and my gardening notes help with that. I want to share mainly the three types of notes about my garden that I’ve found most...

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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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