Davis Garden Show

I thought miniature fruit trees were compact plants, smaller than dwarf, that I can grow in my small backyard, but all I can find in local nurseries are dwarf varieties. What are miniature trees and where can I find them?

Thanks!
Nitin
San Ramon, CA

Don and Lois,

Hi! Thank you Don for answering my fish water question. That brought up more questions about fish water. If the medication is the all natural type such as Betta Fix and Betta Remedy, could these harm plants? Betta Remedy is blue and stains things it comes in contact with blue, which sometimes does not come off of what it stained. Could this turn plants blue and would that be harmful or like those science fair experiments with plants and food dyes, cause the plants to look really interesting? By the way, we are moving to a new home with an actual backyard. This yard has a need of spruceing up. Eric and I are looking forward to this challenge. My current plants will be a real help in doing this. We are happy to have two balconies with our current home, but really look forward to having a backyard. My young daughter will enjoy playing in it. She has been wanting a backyard and now we will have one. Here's to new gardening challenges in a new year!

-Robin

Hi Don and Lois, thanks so much for the ever timely and informative show!
I have a question for Lois. Lois I'm hoping you could spend a couple of
minutes and highlight for me the Best birds to have in your vegetable garden
and the Worst birds to have in your vegetable garden and why. Maybe you could
help define Gleaners and Salliers too, and wheather all of the birds in these
groups are beneficial?
Thanks ever so much,
Your Faithful Listener in Central Calif., (San Luis Obispo)
Lori

Don and Lois,

Hi! First I would like to let you know that my donation for the bake sale at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden's Fall Plant Sale is a receipe that I remembered from when I was in fourth grade. I do not remember what it is called, so under Eric's advice, I call it a dessert. They are made with eggroll wrappers, so I renamed them Fried Chinese Butterfly Desserts. Eggroll wrappers are cut in half, each half is slit in the middle, then one part is folded through the slit to look sort of like a butterfly, they are fried, and then coated in sugar. They are very tasty. Your other listeners and yourselves are welcome to make these. My young daughter was helpful in the makeing of these desserts. We used an entire package of eggroll wrappers. As for my question, our ficus has several branches shriveling up. It is well watered (the soil rarely dries out), potted in a ceramic pot near two windows (one is next to it and is West faceing, while the other is near the other window and is North faceing with a few trees near it), and this ficus is very tall at about seven feet including the pot. The leaves on the shriveled branches are dry yet green and the bark is somewhat loose feeling. I tried checking for borers, but I can not see any suspious holes. What is happening to our ficus?

-Robin in Southern California

Don and Lois,

Hi! I am back! I have something to add to your notices at the begining of your show. I know that Southern California is kind of far for most of your listeners, but on the off chance some might be visiting down here or know people who live here, I thought I would mention the following. Rancho Santa Botanic Garden will be having their Annual Fall Plant Sale on November 5 and 6 of this year. Members are allowed in at 8am and until 11am on Saturday. After which the general public is welcome. Their will be a bake sale both days. I am contributing this year to it. Eric, myself, and my daughter will be attending. I am listening to your most recent podcast as I type this and I am enjoying it as always.

-Robin in Southern California