Stephen Albert
Stephen Albert is the author of The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide. He grows vegetables and fruits in the Sonoma Valley of California. He has had gardens in California, Iowa, Florida and Massachusetts. Steve is a master gardener for the University of California where he has taught garden and landscape design for nearly two decades.
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in Fruits
How to Plant, Grow, Prune, and Harvest a Mulberry Tree
Mulberries look like blackberries, but they grow on a tree, not a bush. Mulberries are not difficult to grow once established. There are three kinds of mulberry trees: black, red, and white. Black mulberry fruit is large, 1 to 2 inches long, and juicy; they have an intense sweet-tart flavor. The tartness of black mulberry […] More
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in Fruits
How to Plant, Grow, Prune, and Harvest Elderberry
Elderberry grows in home gardens. Elderberry is a large shrub or small tree that bears large clusters of small white or cream-colored flowers in late spring; these are followed by clusters of small, smooth, round black or blue-black berries in late summer. There are 200 species of elderberry growing around the world; some are edible […] More
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How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Arugula — Rocket
Arugula–which is also known as rocket, garden rocket, and roquette–is a dense, low-growing plant with long, smooth, bright green leaves. Arugula is a cool-weather leafy crop. Leaves can be harvested about six weeks after plants and the plants will continue to produce succulent leaves until warm weather comes and white or yellow flowers appear. Arugula […] More
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in Herbs
How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Rosemary
You can learn how to grow rosemary in a few minutes. Rosemary is commonly used in the kitchen as a flavoring. The spicy, aromatic leaves can be used fresh or dried in many dishes flavoring beef, veal, pork, lamb, stuffings, soups, sauces, and salad dressings. Rosemary is a woody, evergreen perennial herb that can be […] More
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in Fruits
How to Plant, Grow, Prune and Harvest an Apricot Tree
The apricot is a delectable, sweet fruit. It is the first fruit tree to bloom in spring and the earliest to harvest in summer. Apricots like moderately cold winters but not late freezes. They like warm summers, but not too hot, and low humidity—very dry weather is good. Apricots are the sweetest when ripened on […] More
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in Herbs
How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Oregano
Oregano is a strong-flavored herb sometimes called wild marjoram (it is closely related to sweet marjoram). Oregano leaves are used fresh or dried to flavor many cooked foods including tomatoes, sauces, salad dressings, and marinades for grilled meats. The flavor of oregano is pungent, spicy, and sometimes bitter. Oregano is often used in Spanish and […] More
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in Fruits
How to Plant, Grow, Prune, and Harvest Kiwifruit
Kiwifruits are easy to grow. They grow in clusters like grapes. Each is about the size of an egg or smaller. They have firm flesh like a melon and flavor that is a blend of melon, banana, lime, and strawberry. There are several kiwifruit varieties, some for growing in warm winter regions, some for growing […] More
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in Fruits
How to Plant, Grow, Prune, and Harvest Olives
Olives grow best where summers are long, hot, and humidity is low. They are easy to grow and care for. There are dozens of olive varieties, the fruit varying slightly in size, shape, and flavor. Olives are too bitter to eat raw. They are either cured for table serving or pressed for cooking oil. The […] More
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How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Parsley
Learn how to grow parsley in minutes. Parsley is a biennial herb usually grown as an annual. There are two types of parsley: curly leaf parsley has finely divided, ruffled leaves and grows from 8 to 12 inches tall; flat-leaf parsley has flat, bright, green leaves that resemble a celery stalk and grows 18 to […] More
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in Fruits
How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Pineapples
Grow pineapples in tropical or near-tropical gardens. Pineapples can grow indoors if it is warm and there is plenty of light. The pineapple plant is short and stout. It grows 2 ½ to 5 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide at maturity. It has strap-like leaves that are serrated with needle tips. The […] More
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in Fruits, How to Grow
How to Plant, Grow, Prune, and Harvest Figs
Figs are one of the sweetest fruits. Figs can be purple, green, yellow, or white-skinned depending on the variety. The flesh can range from gold to deep red. When ripe the moist flesh is intensely sweet and the skin is edible. Figs are easy to grow and mostly trouble-free. They grow best where winters are […] More
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in Fruits
How to Plant, Grow, Prune, and Harvest Papaya
Grow papaya in tropical and subtropical regions. Papaya is an evergreen tree that grows 8 to 30 feet tall depending on the variety. Papayas are native to Mexico and northern South America. In the United States, they are grown in Florida, Texas, Southern California and Hawaii. There are two types of papaya: Hawaiian or “yellow […] More