The Backyard Gardener

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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!

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.

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Straight Talk about Starting a Farm in the Eastern Sierra

July 16th, 2020

By Dustin W Blakey

I have been working in Cooperative Extension now for a few economic downturns, and a common response to national financial calamity is a desire to become more self-sufficient. This is a completely rational response.

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More advanced disease covering entire surface

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A Missed Diagnosis: Powdery Mildew

June 26th, 2020

I had a good patch of California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica) that had just finished flowering when I noticed the foliage on one of them was somewhat grayer in color than its neighbors. I did not think much of it at the time and put it down to being some sort of natural variant.

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Remember to label with variety and date.

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Assessing Seed Viability

May 26th, 2020

Have you ever found an old seed packet and wondered what to do with it? Seeds deteriorate as they age which can give variable results. Fortunately there is a simple way to see if seeds will germinate. You can use this easy rolled paper towel test to check for seed viability.

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