Cliff Kerr talks about his pluot tree in his garden at his home in Woodbridge on Wednesday. A pluot is a mix between a plum and an apricot. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

Gardener shares planting advice, experiences

Cliff Kerr has gardening in his blood. After being raised on a dairy in Riverbank, he learned from his parents how to raise chicken and pigs and how to live off the land. He came to Lodi 34 years ago to practice dentistry, and he said he was pleased because the soil is so good in this area.

"I wish more people would realize this soil can grow anything," he said.

Because Kerr knows this, he and his wife, Ann, grow just about every fruit and vegetable imaginable in their one-acre garden.

Kerr works in his garden 10 to 15 hours a week — usually two to four hours per day. He said he enjoys it for the exercise and the opportunity it gives him to share information with others.

"I could take hours and explain it to people," he said. "(I enjoy) the thrill of sharing and teaching."

What is the biggest vegetable you have grown? How big did it get?

We always like watermelon. They get to 20-30 pounds. The size doesn't really matter; it's the taste.

How do you get the juice out of a pomegranate?

We talked to some people at University of California, Davis and they said to take a couple of 2-by-4s, cut the pomegranates in half, place them on top and squeeze out the juice. After awhile I said that was a lot of work. Now I use a hand press and I get about three to five gallons.

What kind of fertilizer do you use?

I try to keep it as natural as possible. I use compost, some Triple 15 — which I use a real minimum (of) — and some volcanic pumice.

What is the best way to get rid of weeds?

I hoe, hoe hoe. (Laughs) The rototiller is very nice. I don't use Round Up in my garden. I love hoeing. To me, the ground is like a bank. The more you put in, the more you will produce.

Should you plant differently according to the size of seed?

You do, because if the seeds are small, you plant those real shallow. When planting carrots or beets, you can lay a burlap cloth over the top and spray it everyday. When seeds start coming up, you can take the burlap off. Corn you can plant deeper. The moisture and temperature is critical.

How should you plant the actual plant, rather than the seed?

You should put the plant in a shady place for a few days and water it before you plant it in the garden.

What is the best place to get seeds, from the store or ordering from a seed company?

Some things you can't get from stores. I like Lockhart Seeds. Weigum's in Lodi is really knowledgeable. There are some melon seeds I ordered from a catalog. This year, no one had (one) particular seed.

What is the difference between raised-bed gardening and traditional gardening?

There are grow boxes. Raised beds also means furrows. Most of the time when they are flat, they don't dry off. You want to plant flat and then when they start growing, then bring them up in rows.

I have heard you are not supposed to water tomatoes too much because they won't grow and you will just get leaves. Is that true? How should you water?

Everyone overwaters. I have a friend who grows tomatoes. They look like they are never watered and he has the best tomatoes. You need to hoe because there is usually moisture underneath.

How can you protect against bugs?

One of the best things I have found is Bt. It's a bacteria mixed with water. I put it in a spray bottle and spray tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage and corn; wherever there's little worms. It's not harmful to you. You can also plant plants that don't get bugs like persimmons, black berries and raspberries.

What is your favorite recipes to use with your garden goodies?

We have two of them. One is a peach delight with fresh peaches and cream cheese. The other one we like to do is a stir fry. It came from a fancy restaurant in Stockton. The main ingredient is eggplant. That is to die for.

Contact Panorama Editor Pam Bauserman at pamelab@lodinews.com.