Got Mulch?
Putting down a layer of mulch (that being anything organic – leaves, wood chips, etc.) at least 3 inches thick will trap moisture in the soil and help keep it there.
Saving Kale Seeds
Most gardeners are lucky if their kale plants last through the summer. We've been blessed with a Lacinato kale that has been growing for over a year and a half. It's a magic plant; it survived cut worms, it resisted powdery mildew, and it never, ever got aphids. We're definitely saving seeds from this plant.
Now over 10 feet tall, and listing to one side, the time has come to pull the plant (before it decapitates someone when it falls). ...
Save Our Citrus
The deadly disease the Citrus Psylid carries, Huanglongbing (HLB), continues to be a threat in California. This week's tip of the week tells you how you can help!
Mid-Summer Garden Check-in
Every once in a while, you just need pretty pictures to look at. With hot weather descending upon us, the garden is really taking off (oh-so-happy peppers and melons!), so we're happy to oblige with some shots of the Gardenerd Test Garden in mid-summer.
Enjoy!
Black Cherry tomatoes beginning to turn colors
Ancho/Poblano peppers finally flowering in hot weather
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Growing Armenian Cucumbers
The ever-versatile cucumber isn't held in high esteem here at Gardenerd (much like bell peppers, its flavor takes over everything it touches), but we've come to love them--and grow them--for the express purpose of making spa water or pickles, or perhaps they find their way into a nori roll or Tadzhik. Over the years we've grown several heirloom varieties, but our ...
Strawberry Cobbler – Gluten-Free Version
Strawberries are in season and the garden is dripping with them. We took the opportunity to use the harvest to make a delicious cobbler that was easy to assemble in under 10 minutes.
The recipe comes from Vegetarian Times magazine, and use non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening in order to make it vegan. We used butter instead, since I had it on hand.
Strawberry harvest
Harvesting Edamame
In spring, we experimented with planting edamame (soybeans) and, despite having to re-seed 3 times (with only 7 out of 20 seeds surviving in the end), the plants have yielded excellent results. Today we began harvesting the plump pods.
We've grown edamame from seedlings once before, but never from seed. Trial, and plenty of error, lead us to discover that soaking the seeds before planting is a bad idea when it comes to Sayamusume soybeans. We did inoculate ...
As American as Apple Pie: Ideas for Your 4th of July
The latest Mar Vista's Bounty Hunter article is posted on Patch.com. Discover this great local source for delicious pies made from family-farmed ingredients:
Celebrate the Fourth of July with Marcie's Pies
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Zucchini Everywhere
Gardenerd provides three great recipes to celebrate this summer squash, including Zucchini Cobbler, Zucchini Fritters, and Garden Fresh Lasagna.
Potato Pest Control
Colorado potato beetle can destroy all your hard work in no time by eating away the leaves, leaving just skeleton stems. There are several approaches you can take to mananage them.