Citrus Leaf Miners

Question from Dave: Thank you very much for writing your books – I read and refer to them every week. I’m trying to shift from conventional to organic gardening. All of my citrus trees have citrus leaf miner – some worse than others....

Pre-Compost or Trench Composting

Question from Sharon: I’m here on the central coast of CA and we have citrus trees, pomegranate, and fig in our yard. No official compost pile yet, but what about grinding up citrus rinds and fava bean pods, etc. with the lawn mower, and burying...

Fertilizing Trees

Question from Michelle: A year or two ago I switched from conventional to organic gardening. Occasionally I find some old synthetic fertilizer in my garden shed that I have not yet used up. That is why yesterday I fed all my citrus trees with a commercial...

Fruit Trees

Question from Kevin: I need info on why my citrus trees are struggling so much. Again, I have 4 year old dwarf citrus trees, 2 meyer lemon, 2 kid glove tangerines, 1 george washington and 1 satsumie tangerine. I took your advise and moved my mulch...

Soils that Shed Water

Question from Barbara: I recently read in one of your updates that you too have (or had) hydrophobic soil – the kind that water runs right off of.  How do you solve this problem? If I actively mix water into the top layer of soil by stirring...

Blood Meal and Citrus Trees

Question from Kevin: I would like to know how much blood meal I should put under my citrus trees, even the ones that are flowering? Answer from Pat: It sounds to me as if you have been killing your trees with kindness—I mean the ones that are not doing...

Broccoli question

Question from Christine: I planted this Broccoli di Cicco (heirloom) from seed in February and it’s growing in a 16″ deep planter box in south Carlsbad 5 miles from the ocean. A few weeks ago I noticed this purplish blemish on the main trunk...

How to Create a Hot Compost Pile

Question: I have a compost pile and nothing I do heats it up. What could be the matter with it? Answer From Pat: If you have already read and are following the instructions on compost in my book (pages 97 to 99 and other references in index. Also the...

Speaking from experience, not from hear-say

Pat, everything I read from you reminds me of an old Choctaw neighbor I had many years ago. Before he passed out of this world he taught me how to grow a garden using chicken manure and marine fish/shellfish scraps, and how to kill fire ants with household...

Horse Manure Compost

Question from Dave: I have a very reliable and steady source of horse manure (1 quarter horse, 1 draft horse and 1 shetland pony) and an equally reliable source of pine needles. Using the old compost addage “something green and something brown”...

Fruit Tree Nutrients

Question from Tom: I have planted many varieties of citrus and stone fruits in my yard within the last year. They are all low chill selections and should do well in the Rancho Bernardo area of San Diego where I live. I am comfortable with pruning and...

Chipped Eucalyptus Wood and Leaves from Tree Trimmers

Contrary to public opinion, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using the contents of tree-trimmers chippers as mulch, even if the source is eucalyptus. All wood eventually rots and becomes part of the soil. Eucalyptus chippings make an excellent and...

Sand and Clay

Question from Irene: I have had a huge perennial garden for ten years. It was clay.It was once beautiful, had garden parties. Every year, in the spring, I incorporated the bags of tube sand from winter into my soil,(pleasantly happy with myself for “enriching...

Eucalyptus as Mulch

Question from Vince: I hope I have half as much energy when I’m your age. You asked if my UT articles are available online. I checkedsignonsandiego.com and a couple of other searches but could not find them in any organized fashion. I’ll talk to...