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What fruit tree grows well in an area with variable sunlight in San Jose, CA?

I live in San Jose, CA and have a 6 feet wide by 40 feet long strip of land running from SE to NW. At the SE end it is flanked by an established oak tree which would delay the morning sun to the first 15 feet of the strip until 11am during summer…
ligia
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Garden in Desert Soil

We are in a position to move onto a large city lot of about 0.75 acre. I like the idea of having a large lot for economic and quality of life reasons but I see an opportunity to set up a sizable garden that can yield fresh food (further enhancing…
acpilot
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What's wrong with planting a tree deeper than the root flare, or mulching higher?

People tell you that when you plant a tree, you should plant the root flare level with the soil line. And when mulching, that you shouldn't pile the mulch up over the root flare. What harm can be caused by doing these practices? Tree (Norway…
J. Musser
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Topping (ungrafting?) an ornamental weeping cherry

We have an ornamental weeping cherry tree that we'd like to remove -- we wanted a bigger tree. But first, we were wondering if we were to just top it (cut the tree below the graft), if we could end up with a viable (and bigger) cherry tree. Maybe…
rrauenza
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What features should I look for in a fertilizer spreader?

I have been asked to purchase a fertilizer spreader for someone as a holiday gift. I'm completely lost as to what features are worth extra money and what features are not. The recipient has an approximately 10,000 square foot lawn and about half…
justkt
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How long does a Norway spruce tree live after being cut down?

We cut down one from our land every year for Christmas. This year I want to get it a bit earlier than usual (like this weekend), but we're not sure if it will be dead and horrible before Christmas or not. How long before Christmas can I cut it that…
victoriah
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Can I simultaneously kill off grass and sow wildflower seed?

I'm planing on establishing a fairly large area - 1000 sq ft - as a sort of wildflower meadow. The area is currently lawn with pretty good quality soil. I live in Asheville, NC zone 6. Here is my question: I have established wildflower meadows…
Tyler K.
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What is this compost ingredient that looks like light colored pellets and crushes easily?

I and my colleague faced an unexpected problem during the mixing of a new compost ingredient today. We found an unexpected and unknown material left by a previous farm intern. We recognize the ingredient by the type of bag holding it, but apparently…
y chung
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Building a DIY greenhouse - where to start?

I'd like to build an inexpensive, removable greenhouse over the back deck. The deck is approximately 20' x 8'. I'd like to build it for easy disassembly and storage in the summer. I've never seen anyone attempt to cover their deck with a removable…
Micah
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What is the right type of rake for oak leaves, twigs, acorns on a Zoysia lawn?

I haven't had a lawn to speak of in my current home, but am having it sodded with Empire Zoysia in the next couple of weeks. I'll need to clean up oak leaves, twigs and acorns in the front yard on an ongoing basis. Paul Tukey's Organic Lawn Care…
Jay
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Good winter vegetables in hardiness zone 8B?

It's late November now, and I'm contemplating what would be good vegetables to plant in the next couple weeks. I understand that most things planted now won't be harvestable until spring. I'm in Santa Rosa, California, where we do get frost, but…
freiheit
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What's wrong with this fig?

I have a fig tree in a pot in my balcony. Recently it has lost a couple of leaves and they all display the same features: yellowish color on the front side of the leaf, and tiny small white dots on the reverse. Some of the leafs in the tree are…
ariera
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Why is dumping kitchen waste (like peels of a potato) in a potted plant a bad idea?

I've heard that dumping kitchen waste, like rinds of potatoes, cucumbers, gourds, onions, etc. is a bad idea. Why it is a bad idea? And if I dig that type of kitchen waste an inch or so in the soil and then cover up with soil any better? Apart from…
4-K
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Do opuntia (prickly pear) cacti readily form hybrids in the wild?

I suspect the answer is yes, because they are the most diverse group of cacti. The reason I ask is that we actually have four varieties/species and I'm having a lot of trouble identifying them! The better cacti books that I can find typically only…
winwaed
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What light cycle should I use to grow herbs indoors?

I would like to have a small container herb garden indoors this winter, but I want to make sure my herbs do not try to flower. Currently, it's a couple of different basil plants and some rosemary, but we may add some others before it's all said…
baka
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