Under the Solano Sun

This has been a trying time between COVID lockdown and the mercurial weather. I find myself having to struggle to even get into my garden regularly.

NOTE: UCCE Master Gardeners do not recommend eating any herb unless it's 100% identified by a professional. For safety's sake, please do not eat any herb, plant, etc. from your yard until you've identified it.

You know how it goes when you own a home. Eventually, things wear out and need to be replaced. Last summer, during the horrendous heat, the air conditioner totally went kaput. In the process of replacing the HVAC we decided to bite the bullet and get a solar system as well.

As summer begins to wind down, hot peppers are ripening in the garden. Some gardeners will want them to be hotter, and others prefer less heat. Are there things you can do to shift their rating on the Scoville Heat Units (SHU) scale? Maybe, but there are a lot of myths as well.

Ash is raining down on us and our gardens. Have you checked your outdoor plants lately to see just how much ash is coating the leaves? Ash can sometimes be beneficial in small amounts contributing trace elements to plants, but a slightly thicker layer can interfere with photosynthesis.