Windbreaks and Screens in Desert Landscapes

Q. I was hoping to put up nice strong wind and sun block on the west and south west corner of our front yard, approximately 20 feet each way.  Could you give us some suggestions? I've talked to the neighbor on that side and we were thinking probably some kind of large bush.

Raywood Ash Showing Signs of Dying Back

They seemed to be fine after our week of 117F weather.

Come Join the Discussion on Desert Horticulture

 A number of my readers also catch my responses and pictures on my online blog called Xtremehorticulture of the Desert. This allows me to post pictures of problems as well as pictures I have accumulated over the past 30 years.

            Blogs primarily focus on one person's contributions and don't allow for much discussion to occur. For this reason, I started a horticulture discussion group on Yahoo. The Yahoo discussion group called Desert Horticulture allows you to join the group and post questions or contribute to the answers to questions that are posted.

            Please come and join us in these horticultural discussions. If you can't find it, send me an e-mail and I will help connect you.

Join Desert Horticulture Discussion Group

Fescue Lawn Invasion by Bermuda or?

Q. I have a small fescue lawn that is being taken over by what appears to be Bermudagrass or some type of large blade thick dense grass that is much greener and thicker than the fescue grass. What can I use in our climate to kill the invading grass without killing my fescue?

Getting Rid of Tomato Diseases in Containers

Q. I grow tomatoes in boxes I have built. I know one is supposed to plant tomatoes in a different place every year and I don't want to just throw away the dirt in these boxes. I don't have many places to put this dirt so my question is, “Can I put this dirt in my compost bins?”  

Leaf Drop on Trumpet Creeper Can Be Due to Many Things

Q. We planted three "creepers" this spring and all but one is thriving.  As you can see from the photo the leaves are being stripped.  I've checked at different times of day for bugs but all I can see are a few ants. Any suggestions?

Nectarine Fruit Scarring Due to Thrips Damage

Q. My nectarine fruits have this corky appearance on the outside on their skin. They do this every year. I don't apply any pesticides. I sent you a picture. Why does this occur?