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A Gardening Blog for the East Side

The climate of the Eastern Sierra is very different from most of California and so gardening here is different, too! 

Preparing the contents of the pile.

In this blog we examine some of the quirks of gardening on the East Side, and cover horticultural issues that are important locally. Note that if you're visiting our site from the outside our little corner of California, you may find this information may not apply to your area.

Articles are written by local UC Master Gardener volunteers or the local Farm Advisor. 

 
And a website...

The Inyo-Mono Master Gardeners also have a website with local gardening and soil information. Visit it to learn more about our program and gardening.

 

An upside-down purslane plant on the ground.
Article

Advanced Hoeing?

July 5th, 2023
By Dustin W Blakey
I control most of my garden weeds by hoeing and pulling. This morning I was doing a quick once-over with the hoe before work when I was inspired by the abundance of purslane present in the garden to write a quick post on hoeing.
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Codling Moth Larvae
Article

Joan vs. The Codling Moth

June 22nd, 2023
In 2013 I declared war against the codling moth. Why? I have two beautiful apple trees and by July 80% to 90% of the apples are riddled with nasty, little worms. Know Your Enemy: The codling moth life cycle is pretty basic. Moths emerge mid spring, fly into apple, pear, walnut trees.
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Hoes and a Hand Weeder
Article

Hoes: An Under-utilized Tool

April 27th, 2023
Following our many atmospheric rivers this wet winter of 2023, and with the advent of warmer days, weeds are now germinating in record numbers and with record speed.
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A Failed Mulberry Branch
Article

After the Storm: Repairing the Damage

March 11th, 2023
As the snow melts and waters recede from our recent series of storms most gardeners are looking at a rather sorry landscape with browned plants, torn tree limbs, collapsed shrub branches, and sodden perennials.
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Wash Veges for Ratatouille
Article

Ratatouille: A Summer Story

October 10th, 2022
A summer garden in the hot Owens Valley can produce oodles of Tomatoes, Eggplant, Peppers, Zucchini, Garlic, and Onions. Ratatouille is a classic French Provenal stew made from these exact fresh vegetables.
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