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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! 

Preparing the contents of the pile.

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.

 

3 tomatoes displaying yellow ring-shaped symptoms of TSWV infection.
Article

Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus

August 22nd, 2019
By Dustin W Blakey
Our dry climate on the east side works wonders to control fungal diseases. Most fungi prefer moist environments. While we still get an occasional fungal pathogen, we seem to have greater problems with insects and viruses.
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A patch of brome grasses along side a road.
Article

Beat the Cheat! (Part II)

August 19th, 2019
Beat the Cheat Part II: How to get rid of cheatgrass! Part One of the cheatgrass story informed us of its invasive weed status and how it creates a fire risk around the home. But there is hope.
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Infloresence of cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum, arcing across the image from left to right
Article

Beat the Cheat! (Part I)

August 19th, 2019
Beat the Cheat! Part I: Why cheatgrass is so very bad! Each year, my number one garden task is working to get rid of all the cheatgrass that moves in. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is an aggressive invasive species that thrives in disturbed soils.
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One of the ponds
Article

Florida's Botanical Gardens

July 12th, 2019
I recently returned from a vacation in Florida, and a highlight was our visit to the Florida Botanical Garden. It is located in Pinellas Country, near Saint Petersburg. It was approximately a 20-minute drive from Tampa. The garden is on several acres of land that is separated into two sections.
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