When and how to prune citrus trees
My impression is that most of us think that, as a general rule, all fruit trees need to be pruned. It's simply not true, especially regarding citrus. In contrast to this mistaken notion I'd say that, as a general rule, citrus should not be pruned. I can think of only...
What to do in a Southern California garden in April
In April, my gardening mind is busy, as I suspect is yours. Mostly, I think about three topics. The first is fruit set -- flowers becoming fruit on the trees. The above photo is the fruit set on my Blenheim apricot today; this tree is an over-achiever, year after...
What is the best time of day to water your plants?
Looks like the irrigation season is upon us. My yard hasn't been rained on in over a month now. As you start to water your plants for maximum yield and efficiency you might wonder, as I often have, what time of day is best: morning, afternoon, evening, middle of the...
My boy and his placenta tree turn three
Kids grow fast, as do avocado trees -- especially when planted over a power-packed placenta. Oddly, prior to looking through the retrospective below, I had felt rushed for both of them to hit some developmental marks even faster. As of today, Cass can legibly write...
Where to plant a vegetable garden
It's nearly spring, the time of year when many people think of planting a vegetable garden. If this will be your first one, or if you've moved into a new house, or if your past vegetable gardens struggled, here are what I consider the two most important factors...
Oh, the mistakes I’ve made: Planting vegetables at the wrong time
I love hummus, so when I saw a garbanzo bean plant at the nursery last April I bought it. Rookie mistake. Just because you see a plant at the nursery doesn't mean that now is a good time to buy and plant it. Different vegetable plants prefer to grow in different...
Whose flower is this?
You have eaten a part of this plant a million times, and you've almost certainly grown it in your vegetable garden, but you may have never let it live long enough to blossom. Poof. I'll post the answer in the comments section in a couple days.
How long until an avocado tree fruits?
I just planted the avocado tree in the photo above, on February 10, 2017. It's a Hass from a five-gallon container. How long can I expect to wait for an avocado tree like this to bear fruit? Short answer: three to four years. I get such an expectation from the fact...
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