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Garden Q & A – Page 4

Drought-resistant Lawn Substitute for People and Dogs

Question from Candace and Cyrus: We recently got rid of our entire fescue lawn and replaced it ( or tried to ) with UC Verde, a new form of buffalo grass specially engineered for the climate of the southwest. Unfortunately, because we are within a half mile of the coast, we received insufficient sunshine for […]

Coconut Queen Palm

Question: Do you know of a palm called the Coconut Queen Palm? Answer from Pat: Coconut queen palm is a common name, and like all common names, could be for more than one thing and thus easy to confuse. This is why Carl Linnaeus invented botanical names. For example there is a coconut with a […]

Potting Soil or Potting Mix?

Question from Fred: We are a bit confused about what to plant our Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes in. I have a 10 gallon container and need to know whether to use potting soil or potting mix and whether the brand is important. Also, if I use potting soil what kind of fertilizer (or tomato food) […]

Drought tolerants for patio

Question from Tracey: I would like to find out if there are some drought tolerant /native plants that will do well in pots on a patio. The patio is south facing and gets a lot of sun. I’m in the South Pasadena/ Highland Park area of Southern California. Answer from Pat: A few native plants […]

Invasive roots

Q. How can we prevent roots from shrubs from invading our sick looking fruit trees? A. Invasive roots are a serious problem in California, especially in old gardens. The best solution is to install a root barrier. The method is to dig a two or three-foot deep ditch and install a commercial root barrier vertically […]

Mandarine Oranges/Southern California

Gardening Question from Sari: What kinds of soils would you recommend for growing MANDARINE ORANGES near the beach in Southern California?  Are there any  special additives you would suggest?  We’re having a leaf curl problem. Answer from Pat: Citrus trees are not fussy about soils but they do like well-drained soil. Soils near the beach […]

Potatoes and Brown Spots

Question to Pat: Potatoes have the brown spots starting. Sprayed with worm tea this week. Don’t like the idea of copper spray…. holding off. Blight is really a problem and this is a brand new bed with organic soil from El Corzone. Thx so very much for any information. Got totally side tracked again in […]

Princess Plants (Tibouchina heteromalla and Tibouchina urvilleana.)

Question from Shannon: I have two sickly Princess Plants (Tibouchina heteromalla) that I planted about 3 months ago. I had had one at the beach (in Playa del Rey CA) that was as big as a house, hearty, and virtually care-free. The ones in question are planted further inland, in Culver City, where the air […]

Terr-O-Vite vs Organic Fertilizers

Question from Dave: Your book recommends the use of Terr-O-Vite for so many things. I live in Thousand Oaks and can’t seem to find it. I don’t even see it on the internet. Can you recommend a source to buy it, or can you recommend a suitable available replacement? Answer from Pat: Terr-O-Vite is not […]

Lime, Peach, Nectarine, and Apricot Trees for Mild Climates

Question from Rachel: Pat, your book has been a lifesaver!  But I have a specific question to ask, and I can’t find an answer anywhere. I live in zone 10, Long Beach, CA.  I have a sunny backyard that has 2 citrus trees: a lemon tree that became wonderfully productive once I did a major […]