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You know what, that's a great idea. I've never thought about using Kaolin dust in conjunction with the neem oil. That just may work. I'm going to try it this weekend on one tree and see how that goes. Most of the trunks are covered with a sticky foot type mixture, so not too much of an issue...

Thanks Smart Red for the reply. I may just have to use an oil spray like neem on the heavier infested trees and say good-bye to a crop from them. Any sprays that you have used in the past? The issue with oil is that since we are getting full sun everyday here right now, if I spray it's going to...

We've been having 60 degree days and 40 degree nights since January so everything here is so out of sync! Just finished planting the herb annuals and redoing some of the perennials this week. Need to get tomatoes in the ground sooner than later but just started tilling in the cover crop in...

I've been meaning to put in a graywater system for a while now (10 years now?) but the recent increase of drought conditions in California and the talk of rate hikes has encouraged me to seriously consider doing it this summer. Anyone have any tips about a kitchen sink graywater system ideally...

Hey folks- It's been a while since I've been on here! So nice to see so many new faces :) and some of the old ones too ;) The issue I'm having is that with the unusually warm and early "Spring" weather we're having here in California my citrus trees kicked into full gear in January. I typically...

I am absolutely at my wits end with the powdery mildew this year! (I tested and was positively identified as Sphaerotheca pannosa and is not downey mildew). I have tried a sodium bicarbonate and water mixture, diluted whole milk, sulfur, copper, and neem with little to no effect. I've pulled...

As others have said, for all intents and purposes its organic. True, to be certified organic an operation must go through hoops and formally apply for certification. However, if your operation sells under $5000 annually you can use the term "organic" and be ok (2002 Federal legislation), of...

There is some truth to that! Chickens produce a high nitrogen dropping that needs to be very well composted because as that nitrogen breaks down it can burn plants. Basically the manure needs to be aged before use (3 months min IMHO) You could cheat a bit by removing maybe a few inches from...

Hi Anna! Welcome to TEG! I would recommend staying away from Anna Russian since its sweet and that's not what you're looking for. On the other hand, other "Russian" varieties might be up your alley. I've been on a black tomato kick, some I'm going to recommend Black Trifele, which is the...

The biggest issue we've had in the past with Yellow Pear is disease susceptibility, they seem to have a low tolerance to most issues and even though we've tried to carry over only healthy plants to seed, the problems can come and go. Black Cherry is similar to Tula, Prince, and even Krim. I...

Yes, it was by accident. Right now it's as far north as Kern County, which is halfway up the state. It's been in the US for the past 2 seasons from what I understand. Who knows what "great" idea folks will come up with to deal with it.

I don't think flooding has been much of a concern in Coachella and Imperial. Our property in Southern Cal is in western Riverside County about an hour west of Coachella. There is a big frost warning/advisory though for the entire 4 county area (San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial, and San...

I simply can't control myself and I don't know how y'all with snow and ice do it! The growing season here ends somewhere around the end of October to early November and the rain ends all chances of anything over the Winter. The last frost date is usually around early March :P But I can't wait...

It's often you'll see me sitting on the deck with a big bowl of Yellow and Red Pear and just eating away. I have to agree with your friend, they are delicious. I'll ship you a box of ours to taste :D

I just posted some varieties on the other thread about salsa. . . Black Krim, Black from Tula, and Japanese Black Trifele. These should be ok in your area, Steve, since they are relatively early-mid season varieties.

Last week we had to drive down to the property in Southern California because we got a call that our orchard was under 3 feet of water...the county hadn't kept up the drain canal that runs behind us and it stopped up and flooded. That being said, on the drive down we noticed a lot (A LOT) of...

Personally I love to use a few of the black tomatoes. The 3 varieties below give some of the best variations on salsas that even my Latina grandmother gives compliments. Japanese Black Trifele has the best low acid, smokey, and salty flavor from the 3 but all have those attributes. They hold...

The ONLY paste tomato that we have been growing now consistently for the last 5 years is the Amish Paste. We got some seeds from Seed Savers Exchange a few years back and have been using that same stock ever since. They are one of the biggest paste tomatoes you'll get out there! No core, low...

It looks great! I keep seeing a few designs from different people using old discarded windows. We're replacing the windows next year in the house, looks like I know what they'll be going for!

Great thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I wish I was that creative to think of things like that. But at least now that I've seen it, I can build it.