Sunrise from inside an orange tree
What to Do with 500 Gallons of Rainwater?
Looks like the rain's over. April is around the corner, and if we get anything more it's likely to be only showers. Still, I'm starting the dry season -- the season of irrigation -- with a full tank of 500 gallons of collected rain. Now the question is who should be...
Do avocado trees need a lot of water?
I heard a Master Gardener say she was hesitant to recommend that people plant avocado trees in their Southern California yards because avocados need a lot of water. Sounds sensible at first. We should be careful about our water use. But let's think further. Unless...
My Soil, in Depth
For a year and a half, I've been experiencing the soil in this yard -- digging in it, crumbling it in hand to check the moisture level, watching rain infiltrate -- but only just now have I discovered what experts in soil, soil scientists, have to say about it....
Collecting Rain from Roofs
I started caring about rain while I was livingĀ in Ts'oeneng, where everyone farmed without irrigation as well as got their drinking water from springs and wells. Rain provided food and drink in a very direct way. I also started collecting rain from roofs while living...
Cass and the Placenta Tree Turn One
It was exactly one year ago that our first child was born. When we brought Cass home from the hospital we also carried with us his placenta, and in the light rain that had started falling I dug a hole, placed the placenta along with the amniotic sac and umbilical cord...
Propagating grapes with cuttings
Last winter, my friend Frank cut some pieces off his grapevines and gave them to me. I stuck them in the ground and they grew into new grapevines. Could it be that easy? This winter, I cut some pieces off those new grapevines and stuck them in the ground. They're now...
The Economics of Homegrown Broccoli
I've long assumed that it is more expensive to grow vegetables at home compared to buying from the grocery store. I do it for other reasons, I tell myself. I feel rich having food growing around the house, I like getting my hands in the dirt, it's fun to send friends...
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