Christy, Author at Gardenerd

Beware the Citrus Psyllid

A not-so-new threat to America's citrus population has recently been found in Southern California. Almost 4,000 sightings of the Asian Citrus Psyllid, including in Riverside and Mar Vista, have been reported in 2011. The damage from the Psyllid can potentially send a citrus tree to its grave.

The Citrus Psyllid can be a carrier of a bacterial disease called Huanglongbing (HBL) or Citrus Greening disease, which causes the leaves to appear yellow with green veins, and the fruit becomes misshapen. Eventually the trees die.

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Post author:Christy
Post published:November 10, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
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Radishes – Nature’s Fast Food

Need something quick to grow this fall before cold weather shuts down the garden? Try radishes. They go from seed to maturity in about 6 weeks. They sprout in around 3 days, so they're the perfect crop to grow if you have a short attention span.

Got kids? Grow radishes. They are the instant gratification vegetable. Children can plant them in small containers, watch them sprout, and harvest them before they remember that they don't like vegetables.

Cherry Belle and Easter Egg radishes, freshly ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:November 9, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:2 Comments

Do You Fuyu? Persimmons are Now in Season

The latest post from Mar Vista's Bounty Hunter is available from Patch.com. Get the lowdown on those funky orange fruits that are all over the markets these days. Find out what they are and what to do with them:

Do You Fuyu? It's Time for Persimmons
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Post author:Christy
Post published:November 8, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
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Best Part of the Pumpkin

While many would argue that pumpkin’s orange flesh is the best part, good for making pureed soups, pies, muffins, breads and more, I would argue that the best part is most often thrown away.

Post author:Christy
Post published:November 3, 2011
Post category:Blog
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Lime Theme Continues: Black Bean Soup w/ Jalapeño Lime Creme

In an effort to use up more of the gifted limes from a friend (see Watermelon Lime Sorbet), I pulled out Ann Gentry's Real Food Daily Cookbook for ideas. Flipping through the index, I found several lime-infused dishes that must be tried. The first: Black Bean Soup with Jalapeño Lime Creme.

Alicia Silverstone has kindly reproduced it on her site, The Kind Life, so ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:November 3, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
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Delicious watermelon, tangy lime, and a little sweetness.

Watermelon Lime Sorbet

The giant Crimson Sweet watermelon is taking up a lot of room in the refrigerator, so something must be done. The pile of limes on the counter, gifted to me from a friend, is also singing out a call to action. The solution? Watermelon Lime Sorbet.

It's no surprise that watermelon and lime is the perfect, orgasmic combination of flavors that bridges the seasonal change from summer to fall. Even though we are moving into flavors of earthy root vegetables and hearty stews, the refreshing sweetness of citrus and melon is a ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:November 2, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:1 Comment

Favorite Fall Heirlooms

If you are looking for something a little different for your fall garden this year, step away from hybrids and the same-old, same-old varieties that nurseries have to offer.

Post author:Christy
Post published:October 27, 2011
Post category:Blog
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Arugula: Sylvetta vs. Rocket

For so many years, arugula has been a staple in the garden. It's a fantastic addition to salads (grown right next to mustard greens and lettuces, it adds amazing texture to the garden as well), and can be cooked into pasta dishes, thrown on sandwiches or served as a garnish for Italian dishes.

This year, our regular arugula plants are getting some competition. We've always grown arugula (A.K.A. rocket salad, rocket arugula, eruca sativa), but ever since a visit to Italy where we ate an entire salad made from Wild arugula (A.K.A. ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:October 26, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:11 Comments

LA Green Festival

This weekend is the Los Angeles Green Festival, where I will be speaking on Sunday, October 30 at 2 p.m in the Sustainable Home and Garden Pavilion. Heirlooms and Open-pollinated Seeds will be the topic of the afternoon, and if you want to learn why it's so important for us to grow these gems, and save the seeds, come on down and find out.

Green Festival, the nation’s largest and most trusted green living event, ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:October 25, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
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Fall is All About Winter Squash

The latest post from Mar Vista's Bounty Hunter is live and ready for your perusal. Find great ideas for cooking and decorating with pumpkins and other beautiful fall winter squash varieties:

Celebrate Halloween and Fall with Winter Squash
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Post author:Christy
Post published:October 25, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
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