Soil Expert Talks at Horticultural Society

The public is invited to hear soil expert John Adams’s presentation of the “Last Orange Grove of Rialto,” the topic for the Redlands Horticultural and Improvement Society’s general meeting at the Church of the Nazarene on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. John Adams, PhD, owner of Adams Acres in Rialto, will be discussing his grove, the activities there, and different kinds of soil. Adams has lived his entire life in Rialto and is a third generation orange grower. His grandfather planted the original grove in 1907, of which 10 acres still remain today. The grove is the oldest and only orange grove left in Rialto. Adams has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in botany, a PhD in soil science, and is the Rialto Historical Society’s historian. He has a business license for a fruit stand. During the past couple of years, in the open spots in the grove and its margins, Adams has planted over 100 different varieties of new fruit trees. He gives tours of his grove and has written several books - one of which is the History of Rialto. The Church of the Nazarene is east of the Redlands Mall, at 1307 E. Citrus Avenue at Grove Street. Attendees may enter through the assembly hall entrance doors. Door prizes, refreshments and an opportunity to meet the guest speaker are a bonus to the monthly meetings.