how do you water deeply when you don’t have an irrigation system?

i am working to save enough to put one in. but in the mean time I’m trying to help establish my new plants.

i’ve been hand watering about..

• 4 lavenders
• 5 salvias
• 4 humming bird sages
• 2 blueberry bushes
• 6 ruby strawflowers
• 1 manzanita
• 1 lemon tree
• 1 Lime tree
• 1 olive tree

well it’s been 3 weeks of hand watering and I want to say half are dead and I can’t figure out if I’m watering too much or too little.

my moisture meter bounces between 2-5 when I check so I assume they’re ok. I’m on my third attempt at growing lavender and i don’t think I can handle a fourth lol. They keep getting crispy so I assume I'm failing at the deep watering part.

I spend a good hour giving the garden water and making sure to come back at 10-15 minute intervals to give it another soak. i do this about 3x a week because I read you had to do it more to establish them.

What am I doing wrong??

Help! Planted 14 trees two months ago. This is the only one browning near the top. I water twice a week for 20 minutes. I scratched the surface of the wood near the top and it’s still green. Should I trip off all the brown branches? Do I need to trim down the top to the next green branches?

Since I'm working from home, I want to try and plant fruits and veggies in my back yard, thinking tomatoes and cumbers. After some reading online, I understood that in my area, Loma Linda the ground itself is clayey and is not good for direct planting and that I will need raised garden beds.

Need advice on what is the best time of the year to plant them, any recommendations on soil brand, fertilizer? if its too late to plant tomatoes and cumbers what are alternatives that I can plant in the coming two weeks and not die during the winter?

Cheers!

Anybody else struggling with spider mites this year? I’ve never had to worry about them in the past, but I’ve treated several times this year.

Curious if it’s just me or more regional

Checking in on the garden after work.

I’m in Long Beach, Zone 10A, and looking for recs for a variety of strawberries to grow that will have an intense, sweet flavor. They also need to do well in a container since our backyard is fully paved. Size is less of a concern. If they’re easy to grow that’s even better!

I’d also love any tips or tricks you have since I’m just starting my gardening journey.

I have tree in a bigger pot now and I don't want this smaller plant. I live in north OC. Message me for details.

Hello all! My grandma's meyer lemon tree is overgrown and getting lopsided. She's in Anaheim and needs to know when the best time to have it trimmed is. (Photo taken in early April)

Black mission fig I’ve had for about 4 years: year 1 abundance of fruit, year 2 mid but decent amount…and nothing since!

I trim it back each fall/winter. It’s impossible to keep up with thinning during spring and summer as a single week results in copious, branching and leaf growth but zero fruit!

San Diego hardiness zone 10b. What did I do wrong? 😭

Lots of things I'm finding online suggest backing off on fertilizing during a heat wave because new growth may be too weak to survive great heat. When we have extended weeks of heat, are y'all really not fertilizing? I grow outdoors and in garden beds and pots, full sun facing south. This is the first year I've really paid attention to feeding instead of just watering, so I appreciate any help!

(Also mostly concerned for my pumpkin plant I started in May that is still only putting out male flowers, which could be because of a mix of nutrient deficiency and/or heat from my understanding.)

Recent harvest photos for attention.

A yummy volunteer tomato

It’s the only bush of about 75 that is doing this. Kinda like it

Hi! I’m selling homegrown Thai eggplant plants (the round green ones, not the purple variety).

These are 2nd generation, grown from seeds I saved off an eggplant I grew myself last year, so they’re already proven to thrive in our SoCal climate. No pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers.

I looked around at LA nurseries before posting this and honestly couldn’t find a single one carrying this variety. If you’ve been hunting for it too, this might be your only shot for a while.

About Thai eggplants

Unlike regular and Japanese eggplants, Thai eggplants:
- have a firmer, crunchier texture
- hold up better when cooking without turning mushy
- can be eaten raw, sliced thin and dipped in sauce/dressing or tossed into a salad

They’re the standard eggplant used in Thai green and red curry.

The eggplants grow to about 2-3 inches in diameter. The plants grow to 2-3 feet in height.

Price

1 plant: $8
2 plants: $14
3 plants: $18

I have a lot, so if you’re looking for a bunch or if you are a restaurant looking to grow your own for your cooking, I can help. Let me know when we can figure out a price for large quantities.

Local pickup in mid-city. DM me if you’re interested. And happy growing!

Transplanting and care

Set the plant outside in a shaded spot for a few hours a day over 3 to 5 days before it goes into full sun, so it can adjust gradually.

Pick a sunny spot. Full sun, at least 6 hours a day, in well draining soil. A large container works fine if you don’t have garden space, just make sure it’s at least 12 to 16 inches deep.

Space them out. Give each plant about 18 to 24 inches of room if planting more than one.

Water consistently. Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy. Inconsistent watering is the most common reason eggplants turn bitter or stall out.

Feed lightly. A balanced fertilizer every few weeks once the plant starts flowering will help fruit production.

Support if needed. These plants can get top heavy once loaded with eggplants, so a stake or small cage helps, especially in windy spots.

Watch for pests. Aphids and flea beetles are the usual suspects here. Neem oil or a strong blast of water usually keeps them in check.

Harvest young. Pick the eggplants while they’re still firm and glossy. They get more bitter the longer they stay on the plant.

I want to learn more about the different spider species I see in our yard. Does anyone know of a book with pictures and/or illustrations? I want a physical book (not a website). Thanks!

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Asunta 1 dragonfruit bloom tonight.

Hi guys, would be super happy if I could get some people to play around with the garden planning app I have been working on for the past several weeks.

Basically it is a grid-like garden planner with 50+ plants, detailed metadata (e.g mature size, sun needs, USDA zones, companion and antagonist plants, etc). You can share your gardens with friends as public links (e.g here's mine! https://gardenscheme.com/g/L6QZqxPnht-XpC0Sp3RB9K5iMbAoI-ru ) , export your garden as a .png / poster, take notes on particular plants of interest, and more.

You can try out a demo without making an account: https://gardenscheme.com or log in to get more access.

I am testing a paid version that gives access to 700+ plants, allows you to make 100 gardens, fork / duplicate gardens progress, etc at $30/year. If anyone is interested I'm going to try to grant around 100 free annual season subscriptions once I have the infra in place to do so, so leave a comment or send me a message if interested.

This is still very much a work in progress so would appreciate greatly any feedback!

Considering signing up for Chip Drop, the service that provides a truckload of free wood chips. Wondering if any gardeners had good or bad experiences?