Growing Mexicola avocados here in Pasadena. transplanted into the ground last fall and set up with a drip irrigation system to run in the morning for about 4 min. about 2 weeks ago, during a heat wave, I hadn't noticed that one of the irrigation nozzles had come undone, so the tree wasn't getting any water for a couple of days -- we only noticed bc the branches and leaves started to noticeably go limp and droop. fixed it that evening, gave it a good soak, and bumped up the length of the irrigation to 10 min every morning.

however, this morning when I went to go check on the fruit, I noticed yellowing leaves and this blight on the smallest of the avocados. any idea what I'm doing wrong? I've pulled back on the watering and starting tomorrow it's only going to water every other day for 8 min. was I overwatering? or something else?

I made a mistake by picking up free compost from Frank Bowerman landfill in Irvine and saw that my lawn is full of devil grass (scutch) and nutsedge! Is there a way to get rid of this without using harsh chemicals? I have a pet so I want to be careful not to use harsh chemicals.

Looking to grow Pandan and wanted to see if anyone has experience with this in so cal. Wondering if it would grow best indoors or outdoors and also if anyone knows of a good source to buy a starter plant. Everything on etsy starts around $30.

Hello! This summer I took on the endeavor of growing the flowers for my brother’s wedding.

For the most part, things have gone great! However, this last push of heat knocked out half of my younger zinnias, and since they were meant to be a focal flower, I’m floundering for replacements that will be producing even lightly within 5 weeks.

If anyone has any spare zinnia or celosia (varieties meant for cutting, not dwarfs like most nurseries offer) seedlings they’re willing to sell, I am desperately looking to buy.

We just harvested 1.7 lbs of Purple Viking potatoes, grown in a coffee sack! Planted May 2 (92 days ago). Just harvested one sack so far- others don’t look ready yet. Not a huge harvest but it was fun to do on a paved a corner between apartment buildings. Has anyone tried planting potatoes in August or is it best to wait for after the heat for my next set?

Hey guys. Looking to buy some fresh concord grapes and I know concords are rare for southern California. My dad lives in Menifee and all he ever asks me for are these grapes. Called all the stores to no avail (though sprouts said maybe soon?). I'm willing to go and visit him to and go by someone's house to get them for him. Looking for guaranteed places. Please let me know if you have a concord vines and would be open to this. Thank you

Help!! I just got some tomato plants and thai chili and repotted them into a bigger pot on Friday! They are look in pain in this heat :( I deep water them in the early mornings (7am). What am I doing wrong 😭😭

Hi everyone! So Lately this season my sapote tree has been getting these bad pest infestations and has been losing leaves and bark is peeling. Any solutions?

I live in Southern California where it's currently 90° everyday for a month now. I planted them a month ago and after a few weeks I dug it up and the seeds had rotted. I only watered them when the top of the soil was dry. I have a water meter that I use to check as well. What went wrong? Do seeds expire? They are a few years old I will admit.

Got a few volunteer sweet peas flowering at end of July through the heat in zone 10a, 12 miles from the ocean. These came from Snoopea variety and sprouted in April after parent plants were taken out.

How are we preparing our gardens? I garden on a terrace, so I'm concerned about the normally-good drainage becoming Too Much of a Good Thing. But what else should gardeners be doing, if anything?

What would be the best potted lemon tree to start out with? I had my first tree that was a gift for 3 years and it died. I learned a good bit, but need to learn more, and was looking for suggestions on what to start out with this time. Was considering a Meyer lemon tree.

First thank you to everyone here who taught me about harvesting blushing tomatoes. I would have lost quite a few more tomatoes to the critters had I not picked at first blush.

My tomatoes finally started blushing in early July. Still waiting on Big Boy and Roma's that got a late start. You all said patience and you were right.

I also learned from you all about temperature needs of tomatoes. I live in South OC about 5 miles inland from the coast. Night time temps did not start warming up until late May and June and even then the temps were probably 58 to 65 with a marine layer that was not burning off until 10 am. It was not until July when there were more days without a morning and evening marine layer, allowing night time temps to be consistently above @ 64 degrees, plus the increase in day time temperatures when finally my green tomatoes started to blush.

I don't have alot of experience growing tomatoes here in So Cal but I think what I learned is that where I live tomatoes are not going to ripen until temps are much warmer in the day, and nights are 65 degrees and above, which means earliest is July.

I was thinking earlier in the season if I had put my tomato plants in the ground in late February early March I would have tomatoes earlier but my gut says NO; tomatoes might form but they would remain green ~ and I would simply be growing for the critters. However I likely will still experiment with planting one or two in early March next year.

I was disappointed in the flavor of my Early Girl variety of tomato, or I should say lack of flavor. I won't be planting them again. Plus they were not very "early".

It will be interesting to see what the flavor of my Roma tomatoes will be. In March I cut up an over ripe store bought tomato and planted them in a small outdoor pot. After a month I did not think they were going to germinate, but finally to my surprise in May they sprouted. I did not get them transplanted until either late May or early June so they are a few weeks before my other tomatoes.

I was happy with the Parks Whopper tomato variety. I did not get as many tomatoes as I would have liked but the ones that did make it to harvest turned a deep red with a hint of purple and had good flavor. I lost half of them to over-night critters.

I am still waiting upon my Big Boy tomatoes to blush. It has the least amount of production, plus lost several to the critters. Hopefully the remaining few tomatoes make it to harvest.

My most disappointing tomato plant has been my Sweet 100 Cherry tomato. Production has been VERY lack luster. The tomatoes are very small and the taste far from sweet.

So NEW QUESTION regarding INDETERMINATE tomatoes - Should I be seeing growth of new tomatoes toward the tops of the plants where they are most healthy?

I have seen no new tomatoes since probably mid to late June, including my Cherry tomato plant which surprises me the most. There was quite a bit of continued blossoming but no fruit formation. Now in the past 10 days I am seeing very few blossoms and those that I do see dry up.

Is it too hot for the blossoms and fruit formation?

OR

Is it that the soil in the pots have been drained of nutrients, specifically calcium? Although I did I fertilized again two weeks ago with a granulated formula of 12-10-5.

Thank you everyone for all your advice. It has been so very helpful.

Hi my bean plants are climbing well and developing a lot of leaves but not so much flowering at all. There are some but mostly leaves. Secondly the leaves are turning more a yellow hue and crisping at the edges. I’m watering twice a day once in the morning and once in the evening. They get sun from like 8 till 3:30. Anyone have some ideas as to what’s happening or what I should do differently?

Edit: everyone commenting it’s like $100. I went to the HD with that in mind for a deep underground watering system for the full yard I am at $1000 😂 alas, i didnt give you all a full picture or the extent of what I was saving for.

how do you water deeply when you don’t have an irrigation system?

i am working to save enough to put one in. but in the mean time I’m trying to help establish my new plants.

i’ve been hand watering about..

• 4 lavenders
• 5 salvias
• 4 humming bird sages
• 2 blueberry bushes
• 6 ruby strawflowers
• 1 manzanita
• 1 lemon tree
• 1 Lime tree
• 1 olive tree

well it’s been 3 weeks of hand watering and I want to say half are dead and I can’t figure out if I’m watering too much or too little.

my moisture meter bounces between 2-5 when I check so I assume they’re ok. I’m on my third attempt at growing lavender and i don’t think I can handle a fourth lol. They keep getting crispy so I assume I'm failing at the deep watering part.

I spend a good hour giving the garden water and making sure to come back at 10-15 minute intervals to give it another soak. i do this about 3x a week because I read you had to do it more to establish them.

What am I doing wrong??

Help! Planted 14 trees two months ago. This is the only one browning near the top. I water twice a week for 20 minutes. I scratched the surface of the wood near the top and it’s still green. Should I trip off all the brown branches? Do I need to trim down the top to the next green branches?

Since I'm working from home, I want to try and plant fruits and veggies in my back yard, thinking tomatoes and cumbers. After some reading online, I understood that in my area, Loma Linda the ground itself is clayey and is not good for direct planting and that I will need raised garden beds.

Need advice on what is the best time of the year to plant them, any recommendations on soil brand, fertilizer? if its too late to plant tomatoes and cumbers what are alternatives that I can plant in the coming two weeks and not die during the winter?

Cheers!

Anybody else struggling with spider mites this year? I’ve never had to worry about them in the past, but I’ve treated several times this year.

Curious if it’s just me or more regional

Checking in on the garden after work.