Gardening Archives - Page 2 of 4

Fall Garden Planning with Gardenerd

Planning out your garden each season is more than just fun - it gives you the chance to plant new varieties and experiment each year. What are you going to grow this fall?

In warm winter climates, fall gardens thrive. In cooler climates, you can still plant a fall garden with protection. Using cold frames, insulated floating row cover, and greenhouses, you can grow cool weather crops all winter long. Here's what to grow:

Root crops, broccoli (Italian broccoli shown left), kohlrabi, peas, chard and ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:August 25, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:5 Comments

Growing Watermelons and Melons

I've never had much luck growing watermelons in our coastal climate. The plants usually succumb to powdery mildew before they really get going and the result is little melons or no fruit at all. This year I tried something different and have seen great results. Apparently, it's all about timing.

Watermelons like hot weather to mature, in fact according to the University of Ohio, they need daytime temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees, and nighttime temperatures between 65 and 70 degrees. (While we're at it, soil pH is preferred between 6.0 ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:August 24, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:3 Comments

Black Coco Beans – An Heirloom Surprise

The Three Sisters garden is a Native American planting technique that consists of beans, corn and squash. The corn is planted first, and when it reaches 2 feet tall, pole beans are planted around the corn. The beans use the corn as a trellis to climb. Then squash (usually pumpkins) are planted around the base of the corn and beans to provide shade so the sun won't dry out the soil. It's been done for centuries... let's see how I can screw it up.

The corn part went well. It's the beans that ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:August 17, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:2 Comments

Tomato Tasting Party – Everybody Wins!

We have a tradition with a longtime friend in which we gather together, bringing our best tomatoes each season, to share in the bounty of the summer harvest. We slice them with care and taste each variety to determine our favorites. There is olive oil and salt, a little basil, and very good bread on hand. Each time we've done a tasting we have come away with a new favorite. This year was no exception.

We gathered in the garden with our contributions and began with show and tell. My husband and ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:August 17, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:2 Comments

Culver City Garden Show Review

This past Saturday I wandered through the 58th Annual Culver City Garden Show. I had never been there before, and what a fun time it was. Gardenerds abounded with booths selling plants and plant-related items. Master Gardeners were present to answer gardening questions. The California Native Plant Society was on hand to talk about native plants and plant care. But my favorite part, of course, was the vegetable and fruit display.

There were contests for the best fruits and most obscure vegetables. This table below featured ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:August 10, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:1 Comment

Help Out a Community Garden

Ocean View Farms is my second home, where I've been growing food for 13 years. Now it's time to give back, so I'm helping them win a grant from DeLoach Community Gardens. You can help too - just read and vote:

Ocean View Farms Needs Your Vote
...

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 7, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:0 Comments

Like a Moth to the Apple

A new question came in to Ask Gardenerd this week:

"Hi, My mom has a very good fuji apple tree, but we lose a lot of apples to worms. Is there a natural, organic, non-Monsanto something that would help deter pests? Thank you, -Michael"

I'm so glad that you are seeking an alternative method to prevent this problem! It's so easy to grab a bottle off the shelf and start spraying. Let's see what we can do to get you on the road to apple tree salvation. ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 6, 2011
Post category:Sage Advice
Post comments:0 Comments

Beneficial Flowers Build Your Ecosystem

One of the first things I talk about in my lectures about organic gardening is the importance of creating an eco-system around the garden. After all, a garden is much more than just a planter bed. It's everything around it as well.

Beneficial flowers attract beneficial insects, which do a number of jobs for you in the garden. They can pollinate, they can eat other bugs, and they can also be food for birds. Let's explore some of the easy flowers you can grow in your garden to attract beneficial insects: ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:June 28, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:6 Comments

Growing Lemon Cucumbers

They may look like lemons, but they taste just like cucumbers. That's because they are cucumbers - lemon cucumbers. These little unusual beauties are one of my favorite heirlooms to grow, and in recent years, we're starting to see them become more popular - to the point that the plants are being sold at nurseries. Oh lemon cuc, you've made it to the big time!

I have to admit, my first few years trying to grow lemon cucumbers, or any cucumber at all, were disastrous. The coastal weather would stunt the growth, then powdery ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:June 28, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:13 Comments

Dream Garden Grows Up

I stopped by the Dream Center garden in downtown Los Angeles yesterday to see how things are growing in and I was delighted to see what has transpired since my last visit. It's all grown up!

Not only did the flagstone and decomposed granite get installed in the pathway, but the mulch had arrived (free from the City) and it was all in place.

Pathway complete, plants growing in. Happiness is a thriving garden!

Some of the tomatoes even had fruit set already: ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 18, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:0 Comments