The Avocado is a Shy Fruit
The first time you taste an avocado, it does nothing for you. You really do not know what to make of it. It’s not sweet or tart. It’s more gooey than creamy. There may even be somethi...
Category Archives: Fruit Trees
How to Keep Ants & Squirrels out of your Orange Tree
Question: I have ants crawling up into my orange tree and also squirrels climbing the tree. How do I deter these pests? -Nanci Zellman, Sherman Oaks Answer: Ants climb a tree not because of anything ...
Nutgrass, Gardenias & Plum Trees
Q: Some friends of mine had a beautiful lawn here in the San Fernando Valley, but they have nutgrass growing in it. I had never heard of it, but everyone on their street has it. Can you recommend som...
Hydrangeas Grow Well Under Walnut Trees
Less than a century ago, thousands of acres of walnut orchards thrived in what would become the Los Angeles megalopolis. Today you can find the remnants of these orchards in equally spaced walnut tre...
Fruit Tree Pollination
Q: I have newly planted fruit trees: two avocados, one plum, one nectarine, one fig, three various citrus. I have been told that in order for them to bear fruit I must have two of each variety. Do th...
Edible Forest Garden
Imagine waking up in the morning, opening your front door and stepping out into an edible forest. Surrounding your home – and the homes of your neighbors – would be one continuous network...
From Magnolias to Cherimoyas
Q: I want an evergreen tree without a wandering root system that produces shade but is clean since there is a pool to consider. I have been considering an Exoniensis magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora va...
Plum, Apple, & Thornless Boysenberry
I have been privileged to harvest Santa Rosa plums, grown in my own backyard, for more than 25 years. My first Santa Rosa tree produced fruit for 20 years and then stopped, so I replaced it with anot...
Clone Your Favorite Fruit Trees
If you enjoy the fruit that you harvest from your orange, avocado and apple trees, you can make more trees just like them, either to plant in your own yard or to give away as gifts. And it won’t cost...
With Liberty and Loquats for All
Imagine a weed that grows 20 feet tall and produces more than 50 pounds of edible fruit. The fruit is yellow-orange with the texture of an apricot. Its taste is sweet to tart, depending on the tree. ...
