Sweet ‘Cocktail’ Grapefruit

“The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful plant to its culture.”  These words of Thomas Jefferson are precious to me since I have long felt that I can provide no more...

The Pluot Revolution

“I was visiting my parents in Modesto and we picked up some delicious pluots at a local fruit stand. Since my Santa Rosa plum has rarely bloomed or produced fruit, I was interested in replacing it wi...

Fall Planting of Deciduous Trees

When it comes to deciduous shrubs and trees, fall and winter are the seasons they get serious about root growth.  In places like Southern California, where the ground never freezes, roots never stop ...

Euphorbia Trees and Growing Cherimoyas

At one time or another, most of us have probably seen one of those television shows that highlight valuable works of art, antiques, or odd ball memorabilia that were found quite by chance in someone’...

Bananas, Grapefruits, and Oak Tree Beetles

“I have banana trees that bloom and produce fruit of the ‘Ice Cream’ (also known as ‘Blue Java’) variety. I have heard that I should trim the flower off after a single cluster of bananas has formed o...