A beautiful day dawned at the Rare Fruit Orchard on March 9th. With the ground finally dry enough for visitors, we saw families of all ages strolling up the service road.
Our three pomegranate trees by the edge of the orchard received some much-needed attention. Alex and Hampton performed a heavy pruning, removing suckers and inner branches to encourage healthy growth.
Daisy, Hampton, and Jay were loading the trimmings onto a cart:
We have a rigorous kumquat tree, but known for its low fruit quality, is undergoing a transformation! Last year, Jay topped the tree, and now it's ready for grafting with a few high-quality varieties:
With some trees showing signs of dehydration from last year, we'll need to conduct a survey of the sprinkler heads soon to ensure proper irrigation throughout the orchard.
Southern California's recent rains have triggered a spectacular boom of fungi, unseen in over a decade. Fungi enthusiasts across the region are reporting rare sightings in both species and quantities, and our garden is no exception! Colleen signed a contender for a possible record-breaking Jack-o-Lantern mushroom – its diameter measures over a foot!
