Rivenrock Gardens Cactus Blog... go to www.rivenrock.com for edible cactus » Gardening

wild mushroom presentation in San Luis Obispo

John Dicus — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:49:56 +0000

San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden presents a wild mushroom presentation by Dennis Sheridan on Saturday, February 11 from 1pm to 2pm. Join local photographer and mycologist Dennis Sheridan for a discussion on commonly seen mushrooms in our area, the role of mushrooms as decomposers, and the beneficial mycorrhizal fungi relationships mushrooms have with plants. [...]

very sweet onions

John Dicus — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:33:33 +0000

Just out of the garden..... yum, very sweet onions. [...]

summertime is….

John Dicus — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 15:26:58 +0000

summertime is the fun time.... but it's not as good at bringing harvest to you as fall is.... and I think life is the same... your summertime is the fun time, fall brings the harvest... but your wintertime will ask you if you planted well, and harvested fully enough to last through winter. [...]

heart-shaped clam fossils

John Dicus — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 16:59:38 +0000

clamshell fossils in rock

These are some clamshell fossils in sedimentary rock…. They are unusually displayed due to the odd direction of erosion which is exposing the bi-valve instead of the clamshell face… I found this rock in an old streambed in the California desert… I was on foot and had to carry it about 6 miles… it only weighs about ten pounds… but walking through shifting sand, mile after mile, it seemed heavier.

Our front yard

Here it is in our front yard…. behind the comfrey…..

Our front yard

This is not an imported mulch, but is [...]

Malibu Cactus

John Dicus — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:23:06 +0000

Since we didn't have to worry about shipping costs, we were able to give them extra large cuttings. They were really impressed with the cactus, and very enthusiastic... they asked if I'd be willing to come by and look them over on occasion.... yes..... anything to get me to Malibu! [...]

how to grow tobacco

John Dicus — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 04:28:56 +0000

Tobacco seeds are tiny. Here are some on my finger. Sow them into decent but very fine soil in a pot.. water it well, and after it has drained, press the soil down to make it very flat... make sure it has settled well, and the excess water drained... so let it sit for an hour or even overnight.... dip your finger into the seed pack and get some seeds on your finger [...]

How to grow organic lettuce

John Dicus — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 06:20:38 +0000

I like to start with a single small pot. This allows me to use the least amount of space under the lights... for the first week or so, they will take hardly any space.. . fill the pot to near the rim and press it down, add water, letting the entire soil-mix get a good amount of water. When it is fairly well saturated, let it drain for a time, then press the mix down with your fingers.. firming it to remove all air pockets. [...]

soil test 95

John Dicus — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 16:53:41 +0000

Here's a sample of one of the soil tests we've had done on our soil. It's from years ago, but is a good one as it has the notes I put in while determining what to do to improve the soil health for plants. [...]

compost/mulch newsletter

John Dicus — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:48:15 +0000

Geri Miller is a Master Gardener in the Los Angeles area. She installs and helps people with their home gardens, and visits schools and restaurants to install gardens. She started a group called HomeGrown Edible Landscapes. She also has a monthly online newsletter with great links to various gardening information. This is her monthly message for march 2011... it deals with maintaining and increasing soil health through composting and mulching. [...]

Living fence from cactus

John Dicus — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 22:52:49 +0000

Cactus is well suited for this use.... there are many species of cactus that have a cylindrical appearance and spines.. others growth a thick hedge of spiny leaves that reach high and wide. We don't sell too many really spiny cactus... most of our cactus is selected to be fairly low spine. Still some of our Opuntia cactus could be placed two feet apart from one another in a line... that mass of leaves alone would serve as quite a fence. [...]