Category: Edibles

Start a Farmers Market in your Backyard

It’s that time of year again for growing your own backyard fruit. Let’s all set a goal that is easier to achieve, but still makes us feel great! You can grow more things here in the valley than most places the world. We get enough frost to produce delicious stone fruit, and with a little protection from cold weather, you can also grow avocados. You can start pomegranates and berries now that you can actually enjoy this year.

And not just fruit! grow veggies as well. Potatoes are the easiest, most productive root veggie to start right now, next to your fig tree.

This is the time of year where we have the widest selection of fruit trees and is also a great time to get them in the ground.

We can’t explain the difference of ­harvesting your own backyard fruit and vegetables from buying them in the store (organic or not), but you will certainly, know the difference. It’s a matter of taste. You can also sleep well at night knowing that you have complete control over the plant care products you use.

Fresh Taste

Nothing beats the taste of a sun-warm, tree-ripened fruit picked straight from the tree in your own yard. You know it’s fresh, juicy and with the right cultivation, pesticide and chemical-free which you can’t always say about store bought fruit, which is often held in cold storage for months and has been treated with who-knows-what to get that perfect market appearance!

We have a sizable inventory of fruit trees, berries, and grapes available for your backyard fruit collection. We plant all of our trees in bio-degradable pulp pots which prevent damage to the roots. This means you’ll have even more success than with traditional bare root plants.

Start a farmers market in your backyard, and don’t be shy to share with us how great your food is!

Multiple Uses of Backyard Fruit Trees

Consider using fruit trees in the yard to provide shade or block unwanted views. You don’t need a lot of space. Grow an espaliered apple or pear along your fence or wall train a grape or kiwi up over an arbor or trellis, plant a dwarf peach or apple in a container on your deck. Plant a combination multi-graft tree – it will give you a summer of fruit!

Varieties on our list are selected to be successful in our area. Also, there is a choice of two different combination Fruit Salad trees and over 20 varieties of grapes.

We just brought in a full range of Dave Wilson container-grown blueberries, pomegranates, and figs that will complement the new season bare root collection.

Here are just a few to consider:
Blueberries, we’ve selected great varieties that thrive in our climate. Choose from Sunshine Blue, South Moon, Misty, Jubilee, Jewel, O’Neal and Sharp Blue. We recommend preparing the soil with acid planting mix and locating the plants in morning sun until 1:00 for best results.

Figs and Pomegranates were born to live in our valley. These Mediterranean plants love our climate, are water-wise and thrive with very little care.

Figs: Brown Turkey, Kadota, Black Mission and Peter’s Honey.

Pomegranates: My new favorite Ambrosia is the sweetest pomegranate you’ll ever eat. Grenada, Wonderful, Eve, Eversweet & Parfianka are among our collection.

So come in and meet our expert staff. They’ll be happy to help you choose the correct varieties based on ripening times, taste and space availability. We’ll provide you with planting instructions and all the necessary items and knowledge to get you growing.

Whether you have space for a whole orchard or just a single tree – come in and see our extensive selection and soon you’ll be picking ripe fruit from your garden.

See our backyard fruit tree collection here.

 

Cherries

Plant a Cherry Tree
Fruit trees are here, including Cherries. We have a stunning selection.

Cherries fall into a couple of different groups. Gardeners grow sweet cherries for fresh eating and sour cherries for cooking. Many cherries need a complementary partner/pollenizer planted nearby, but some are fruitful and happy standing alone.

Here is a quick summary of our selection:

Bing Sweet Cherry – Sweet, crisp, dark cherry for fresh eating. Ripens in Early June. Pollenized by Black Tartarian or Rainier

Black Tartarian Sweet Cherry – Softer and earlier than bing – Sprightly Flavor. Ripens in Mid May. Interfruitful with all sweet cherries

Craig’s Crimson Sweet Cherry – Dark red to nearly black, medium to large size, wonderful spicy flavor, very firm texture. Ripens in Mid May. Self-fruitful

English Morello Sour Cherry – Late-ripening tart cherry for cooking. Ripens in Mid June. Self-fruitful

Lapins Sweet Cherry – Self-fruitful, dark red sweet cherry. Ripens in Late May. Self-fruitful

Rainier Sweet Cherry – Large, yellow with red blush. Sweet and flavorful. Ripens in Early June. Pollenized by Bing or Black Tartarian

Stella Sweet Cherry – Large, nearly black, richly flavored sweet cherry. Ripens in Early June. Self-fruitful

Utah Giant Sweet Cherry – Favorite sweet cherry in Utah. Larger, firmer, more flavorful than Bing. Ripens in Late May. Pollenized by Bing or Ranier

Royal Crimson Sweet Cherry – Bright crimson with superb flavor. Ripens in Early May. Self-fruitful

January Vegetable Guide

 

Vegetable Plant Time Plants for a family of 4 Special Notes Plant Now
Artichoke Year ’round 3 – 4 plants Permanent, perennial. Bareroot 
Asparagus January – February 30 – 40 plants Permanent, perennial. Pick up free planting guide. Bareroot 
Broccoli August – February 15 – 20 ft. row Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From starts or seeds
Brussels Sprouts August – February 15 – 20 ft. row N/A From starts or seeds
Cabbage August – February 10 – 15 plants Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From starts or seeds
Cabbage, Chinese August – February 10 – 15 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From starts or seeds
Carrots Year ’round 20 – 30 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From Seeds
Cauliflower August – February 10 – 15 plants Tie leaves up and over head to protect from frosts. From starts or seeds
Celery August – February 20 – 30 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From starts or seeds
Chard August – February 3 – 4 plants Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From starts or seeds
Chives Year ’round 1 clump Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds
Endive August – February 10 – 15 ft. row N/A From Starts or Seeds
Garlic October – January 10 – 20 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Note: plant through EARLY January for best results From Bulbs
Leeks August – February 10 ft. row N/A From Starts or Seeds
Lettuce August – February 10 – 15 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From Starts or Seeds
Mustard August – April 10 ft. row N/A From Starts or Seeds
Onions  November – March 30 – 40 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. starts
Parsley Year ’round 1 – 2 plants Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds
Peas September – January 30 – 40 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From Starts or Seeds
Potatoes January – March 50 – 100 ft. row Arriving Early January for planting through mid-March
Radishes Year ’round 4 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. Can be planted more than once/year for a continuous harvest. From Seed
Rhubarb December – February 2 – 3 plants Bare root in November – January, Canned in February – April and again in September and October. Bareroot
Spinach September – January 10 – 20 ft. row Suitable for a small garden if compact varieties are grown. From Starts or Seeds
Strawberries June – September 12+ plants Bare root in November – 6-Pack arriving in March. Bareroot after 11-12

Edible Landscape – Saving Water


You’ve just savored that juicy tomato fresh from your garden – vine ripened and still warm from the sun. A little salt is the only accompaniment it needs. And that tree ripened July peach – so juicy you had to lean over the grass to keep the drips off of your front. There is more harvest from your backyard to come: grapes, apples, figs, winter squash and . . . mercy(!) another couple of zucchinis to bake into zucchini bread.

We’ve had some record breaking heat this summer, and our usual run of the mill heat, which kept me running to the hose for in-between-the-schedule-watering. So it seems like a good time to consider a few ideas for trimming your water use for your next garden. But no worries, we will never water shame you!

Tips for Saving Water

  • What better way to use a precious resource than growing your own bountiful garden full of tasty produce?
  • Prepare your soil well with compost (Bumper Crop and G & B are two we like) and replenish yearly. Or make your own from all those fallen leaves, grass clippings, and kitchen scraps. Compost acts like a sponge to hold water.
  • Water use is mainly influenced by temperatures. Schedule plantings for the appropriate season. Cool season veggies: leafy greens, peas, broccoli, etc. grow well in the fall and spring and are less water intensive than warm season veggies.
  • Soak soil to saturate root zones and below so that a reservoir of soil water is available for the plant to draw from, eliminating the need for frequent, shallow watering.
  • Reduce tomato watering after the fruit has set and is beginning to color up.
  • Heat wilting of big leafed plants (squashes, pumpkins etc.) on hot afternoons is normal and doesn’t always mean the plant is thirsty.
  • Prune fruit trees in summer. A more compact tree uses less water.
  • Try an Earth Box. It’s a space saving growing system with a built in reservoir and soil cover and is surprisingly productive.
  • Provide a bit of afternoon shade with taller, more sun loving plants (tomatoes) planted south of those that could use a break from broiling afternoon sun (peppers, eggplant, cucumbers). Or set up your beach umbrella temporarily.
  • Mulch Mulch Mulch. Much Mulch!

Treat Mildew to Protect your Veggies

mildew-pumpkin

Squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons are all susceptible to mildew as the days of summer begin to shorten. The weeks into late summer and fall can be very productive for many veggies as the milder fall temperatures coax new leaves to grow. Many vegetables are preparing for an encore performance but Mildew is also waiting for an opportunity to take hold. Don’t let it rob productivity.
It’s normal for leaves to begin to look a bit weather worn and tattered now but productivity can continue if a disease does not set in or insects take over. Keep a watchful eye out for problems and don’t assume its time for a swan song just because your plants don’t look as prime as they did at the peak of summer. You may see fresh new leaves emerging now, with the agreeable climate, you might also see older leaves touched with mildew.

If mildew is allowed to establish it will be tough to control and will eventually send your plant to the compost pile. Keep an eye out for odd spotting, early signs of mildew, and treat quickly to hold the disease at bay. Hand picking leaves can help before a thorough spraying on both top and bottom sides of leaves. We have had good results with Bonide Copper Fungicide.

Thyme for Edible Garden Design

Nasturtium

An old shiny silver orb sitting atop a tomato cage graces our small Veggie Demonstration Garden at the nursery. Why on earth is it there? Does it reflect more light around so the plants grow better? is it a bird deflector? A fun house mirror for the squirrels? All good reasons, but no, not really. It’s just an impromptu decoration for the garden – simple, charming and eye catching. Helping to add some height to the initial short plants, it makes a nice focal point for your eyes to rest on. Do we care if the veggie garden has a focal point? Well, it is one way to bring in some thoughtful style to your yard, which can ramp up your enjoyment of it. When you are sitting out in your yard on one of our delicious summer evenings after you have just enjoyed some of your garden’s bounty, take a look around and envision some of these ideas to enhance your edible garden design for the next season:

Focal Points

Add some interest. Make it fun . . . or elegant or modern or Japanese or gnomish or whatever your personal style is. Think colorful glazed pottery, metal artwork for the fence or wall; simple painted bamboo teepees for cucumbers and beans to climb; a burbling fountain alive with glinting splashing water.

Evergreen/Deciduous

Play off deciduous and evergreen plants with each other. Wow does Sweet Bay Laurel make a beautiful hedge or tree (use the leaves fresh for seasoning!), and it pairs so nicely with other edibles which go dormant during winter months, such as blackberries, raspberries, dwarf peaches and nectarines, and even figs. Other good looking edible evergreen trees or small shrubs are Loquat, Chilean Guava (the variegated variety is uber gorgeous), Strawberry Guava and Kumquat.

Why not companion plant a row of deciduous fruit trees (apples, plums, pears, etc.) with some evergreen flowering shrubs that attract our pollinator friends? Ceanothus, rosemary, manzanita, grevillea, and alyssum are all terrific choices to help with fruit set.

Edging

Neaten up and define the borders of beds with a nice little planting of thyme. Or chives or even some of the greens like chard or colorful lettuces.

Layout

Create spaces in your planting areas as places for you to be in, instead of long static rows. If you are planning more than one raised bed for veggies, why not arrange them with space in the middle between them for a small bistro table and chairs (or that focal point). You can use gravel or flagstones for the flooring. Use a triangle plant spacing for a lusher look.

Start small or with an overhaul – Plan one or two weekend projects, or develop a whole new master plan. It’s all about increasing your enjoyment of your own little piece of the neighborhood while harvesting the freshest possible produce ripe from your own yard!

Blossom End Rot on Tomatoes

Blossom End Rot

The first tomatoes to ripen in Tri-Valley gardens are often marred by a leathery brown patch of brown known as blossom end rot. Usually, blossom end rot is caused by a calcium deficiency. Spraying Monterey Foli-Cal will quickly provide the necessary calcium to reduce or eliminate this problem. You can also reduce blossom end rot by growing a larger set of roots.

Early in the season, tomato root systems are not large enough to pull an adequate supply of calcium from to soil into the leaves to meet the production needs of the plant.  Deep infrequent watering throughout the projected root zone of the plant will help establish a large network of roots to pull in calcium, other nutrients, and water from the soil.

Deep watering provides a large reserve of water in the soil below the plant. Infrequent watering forces the roots to grow larger in search of water. Short, frequent watering can hinder this process.

Get ahead of the game by spraying the leaves now with Monterey’s Foli-Cal. Foli-Cal is designed to supplement the plant’s calcium needs with foliar feeding, reducing or eliminating the condition on tomatoes.

Apply at 14-day intervals throughout the growing season.

Prevent Worms in Cherries

Spotted Wing Drosophila or Cherry Fruitfly is affecting cherries and other soft-bodied fruits such as berries in California.  Numerous gardeners have complained about finding the little white worms in cherries just at harvest time.

These worms are the larvae of a fruit fly that has been a pest in Japan for decades but somehow made it to the US.  It has no known enemies in the US, so it has spread, unchecked, like wildfire.  This pest has turned up in raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries, but especially Cherries.

The University of California at Davis has guidelines for dealing with the past so homeowners can preserve their harvests.  For a detailed look at the problem check out the UC website: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/EXOTIC/drosophila.html.

Summarizing the approach suggested is as follows:

Good control can be achieved with a few well-timed pesticide sprayings beginning when the earliest maturing variety in the orchard is just starting to turn from green to straw-colored.

Spray trees using Spinosad or Malathion. Spinosad is Organic and has been seen to yield successful results, so it’s the preferred solution

Traps should also be set to determine if the fruit flies are present. Directions for making traps are included in links below.

It has been said that no treatment is effective unless the entire tree can be sprayed.

Helpful Links

Oregon State Extension has a nice collection of videos to help wth the control of Spotted Wing Drosophila Fly.

 

 

Edible Gardens Give Back – By Nancy McNeish

Jujube – date-like fruit with sweet apple flavor; grows well in hot areas

I had a neighbor once who said, “if I’m going to use water in my yard, I want something back from it!” Turns out, many of us want to live in a yard that feeds us and feeds our need for beautiful surroundings. And yep, it can be thrifty on water, as well.

As we welcome spring and its new planting season, let’s think outside of the box, or, well, just think outside.

As with any design endeavor, the “bones” come first. Consider those plants, the trees and shrubs, which form the structure of your yard.

In addition to beauty and utility, we want them to be easy to care for, and, best of all, edible! We have many fruit, berry or nut producers for your landscape.

When planning a new or rejuvenated landscape, here are some less well known but delicious varieties to consider. And when planted as part of a well thought out design, they are definitely front yard worthy.

Edible trees that are stand-ins for Shade or Ornamental trees:

  • Jujube – date-like fruit with sweet apple flavor; grows well in hot areas
  • Mulberry – easy to grow trees or bushes produce large red, purple or white berries
  • Olive – press the oil or pickle the fruit of these stunning Mediterranean trees. ‘Arbequina’ and ‘Arboasana’ are smaller
    Sweet Bay – dark green leaves are dried for flavorings from this handsome evergreen
  • Pineapple Guava – silvery evergreen foliage with pretty flowers and sweet-fleshed fruits in a compact tree
  • Elderberry – easy care trees or bushes with bluish berries that can be made into jams, wine and more
  • Asian Pears – sometimes called apple pears, they are crisp like an apple and sweet
  • Pistachio – healthful green nuts love hot weather and are drought resistant. Two trees required.
  • Pomegranate – beautifully ornamental and very easy to grow. Choose from mild to dark, sweet-tart varieties

Edible shrubs in lieu of strictly ornamental:

  • Rosemary – no landscape is complete without this flavorful shrub that sips water
  • Lavender – fragrant, beautiful purple flowers on sun-loving shrubs. Try silvery ‘Goodwin Creek’
  • Blueberries & Huckleberries – delicious berries for moist, afternoon shade areas. Blueberries have great fall color
  • Gooseberries – prickly stems produce plump berries
  • Currants – beautiful clusters of spring flowers give way to red berries in afternoon shade areas
  • Tea Camellias – yes, you really can grow your own tea leaves to dry and brew
  • Grapes – choose red, green or purple grapes to grace an arbor or trellis and remind us of our wine country heritageA healthy plant is a beautiful plant!

Your Edible Landscape – By Nancy McNeish

This year Alden Lane features a monthly look at growing edible plants in your home landscape, beginning with fruit trees.

My neighbor’s tree has large, dark green, leathery leaves which are deeply lobed. It is a smallish tree, more like a dense, full bush, and graces the walkway up to the front door. Best of all are the rich black fruits with a sweet strawberry-colored interior which ripen twice a year and are eagerly collected by another neighbor. It is a ‘Black Mission’ fig, a tree cultivated in California since the Spanish settled here.

Mission Fig is but one of many varieties of attractive, productive, edible plants suitable for growing in your front yard. Following my neighbor’s lead, I now have a ‘Violette de Bordeaux’ fig growing in my front yard. It produced its first fruits the autumn after I planted it.

I also have a glossy-leaved navel orange, a multi-graft pluot, and a dwarf peach/nectarine growing among my other front yard landscape plants. And why not? My south and west exposures are ideal, and the fruit trees are just as attractive as more traditional landscape plants. Sweet homegrown fruits are the reward.

Mid to late January is the ideal time to select and plant your favorite fruit tree from our abundant selection. Roots establish more quickly in winter moist soils, and new green shoots will quickly follow. Alden Lane’s “Fruit Picks” for ­delicious and beautiful deciduous (leafless in winter) fruit trees:

Apple – Columnar ‘Northpole’ and ‘Scarlet Sentinel’ are strikingly handsome accents for small spaces.
Cherry – Frothy late white flowers yield early fruits. Try all around champ ‘Lapins’.
Peach – Cute as a bug dwarf ‘Garden Sun’ or ‘Pix Zee’ forms lush, tropical looking bushes.
Pear – Choose disease resistant ‘Harrow Delight’ or ‘Warren’ for clouds of white spring blossoms and heavenly flavor
Persimmon – Easy to grow with showy fruits which light up the autumn landscape. Enjoy the large fruits of ‘Giant Fuyu’
Plum – Gorgeous ‘Weeping Santa Rosa’ combines flowing fountain form and classic, rich, dark fruits
Pluot – Kick the sweet up a notch with ‘Flavor King’, a naturally smaller tree or ‘Splash’, with very sweet orange-colored fruit

See our Backyard Orchard Page