Plant Pathogens – Pasteurize? Sterilize? Sanitize? Boil Everything!
March 26, 2019
Recently, I was watching someone rinse a plastic polyethylene plant-potting container in a bleach solution for reuse. I was pretty sure that pot needed to be thoroughly rinsed of organic matter prior to the bleach rinse.
The…
Get To The Root Of The Matter
February 4, 2019
Last week Sue helped us plan the vegetables for the year. We were thinking of what to plant near the far north olla and we got out our photos of plant root lengths from the summer.
The olla best serves a plant with a deeper…
What’s in the Air is Fair
January 12, 2019
Is it risky to eat food grown next to the Freeway? Orchard visitors sometimes ask this question. It is an especially interesting question to me, an Environmental Protection Agency retiree and air quality specialist.
The…
Fall Fruit Tree Follow-up
November 30, 2018
Fall is a fine time to do investigative work in the orchard and plan for winter or spring pest management.
Confirming that our Harrow Delight pear problem was Pear Trellis Rust (Gymnosporangium sabinae) was an excellent…
It’s A Game Of Mistakes
October 20, 2018
Why didn't soccer coaches ever have anything positive to say at halftime? Because they had just watched 45 minutes of errors. Even the pros only complete 57% of their passes in the final third of the field. I often feel this…
Guarding the Grapes
September 23, 2018
The predictable announcement was, "Yum!" from anyone who tasted our Interlaken table grapes. One taster cocked her head and let her eyes drift upward, savoring the sweet with a little tart sensation.
We were thankful…
Tulle – A Cool Tool
September 3, 2018
Stretching the parameters of our climate is part of gardening. We add row covers or netting to keep out a pest or alter sunlight transmission. But it's not that simple is it? These tools can affect soil and air temperature,…
In Praise of the Power of Pollinators
August 5, 2018
Gardening is hard work. It is rewarding, but the task is never over. That’s why we should always remember to give thanks to all the help we get at the orchard. Our wonderful volunteers help keep us going. But our hardest…
Water Conservation in 2018 – Is It Working?
August 2, 2018
Please visit us this Saturday, 10-noon, for a tour of our new watering system. We will have signage throughout the orchard and we will be anxious to get your ideas about how we can manage water even more efficiently.
Our…