Plant Guides
In-depth care guides for specific plants — from tropical aroids to outdoor perennials.
plant-guidesCan You Eat Olives Straight Off the Tree?
No — a raw olive is inedibly bitter, not unripe. Oleuropein makes the fruit unpalatable until curing breaks it down. Here is the California harvest calendar, the squeeze tests for ripeness, and the four curing methods — with UC's safety rules for lye, spoilage, and canning.
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plant-guidesHow Do You Care for a Home Greenhouse Year-Round?
A home greenhouse is a solar trap that overheats by day and chills by night — care is a daily rhythm of morning venting and watering, midday heat escape, and a thermostat-triggered heater plus water-barrel thermal mass at night. Here's which types suit a home, which heater to buy, what can live inside year-round, and why herbs are the perfect first crop.
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plant-guidesWhy Are Marigolds the Flower of Day of the Dead?
Marigolds are Día de los Muertos' flower because, per tradition, their blazing color and strong scent guide returning souls home along a path of petals. Here's the spirit-guide story, the Nahuatl name, and how California gardeners can grow cempasúchil for next year's ofrenda.
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plant-guidesWhen Will the Corpse Flower Bloom at UC Santa Cruz?
UC Santa Cruz's corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum) is expected to bloom within days of Halloween 2026 — only its second bloom since 2012. The smelly spectacle lasts about 24 hours, so check the Arboretum's official page before driving over.
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plant-guidesHow to Grow Lemons at Home for Homemade Lemonade
Yes, you can grow lemons at home — a grafted Meyer lemon in a pot needs 6+ hours of sun, deep water when dry, and citrus food spring to fall. Here's the full path from blossom to a real glass of homemade lemonade.
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plant-guidesIs a Pumpkin a Berry? The Botany Behind Your Jack-O’-Lantern
A pumpkin is a pepo: a berry with a hard rind. Learn why your jack-o'-lantern qualifies and how giant pumpkins became record-breaking fruits.
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plant-guidesWhy Is My Arabian Jasmine Not Blooming?
Arabian jasmine has leaves but no flowers? Check light, watering, pruning, feeding, and bud damage with a practical guide for Jasminum sambac.
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