🤍⚪ !!Google Reviews!! ⚪🤍

An email I received. One reason to be careful trusting what you see......

......from 

USDA Approves First State and Tribal Hemp Production Plans

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the first set of approved plans submitted by states and Indian tribes for the domestic production of hemp under the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program. The plans were submitted by the states of Louisiana, New Jersey, and Ohio, and the Flandreau Santee Sioux, Santa Rosa Cahuilla, and La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indian Tribes.

USDA continues to receive and review plans from states and Indian tribes and maintains a list of all on our website, along with approved plans. To check the status of a plan or to review approved plans, visit: Status of State and Tribal Hemp Production Plans.

For additional information about the program and the provisions of the interim final rule, visit the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program web page.

For information or questions related to a specific plan, please contact the applicable state or tribe.

Desert Horticulture Podcasts Make Top 15

Hi Robert,

My name is Anuj Agarwal, I'm the Founder of Feedspot.

I would like to personally congratulate you as your website Desert Horticulture has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 15 Horticulture Podcasts on the web.

https://blog.feedspot.com/horticulture_podcasts/

I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of Top 15 Horticulture Podcasts on the internet and I'm honored to have you as part of this!

Anuj Agarwal

Founder, Feedspot

Email : aagarwal@feedspot.com

Linkedin . Twitter

Controlling Springtails without Chemicals

Q. Each year around the end of February until the end of May I experience and irritating problem with springtails. Do you have and suggestions how to eliminate them? I don’t have decaying plants or problem with water in that area.

A. Springtails are tiny insects that jump in the air en masse when disturbed, usually at ground level. They love it wet. Springtails are sometimes confused with leafhoppers. But leafhoppers, also very small, reproduce and feed higher on plant leaves of plants like grapes and vegetables. Leafhoppers start appearing about April or May, the time when springtails are disappearing because of the heat and dryness. Both jump about the same distances when disturbed but look totally different with a hand lens or microscope.

            I can see you know this insect because springtails are found commonly in wet soils with rotting or decaying plants or infesting open bodies of water like summing pools and puddles. That would’ve been my first comment to you if you hadn’t made that last statement. Sometimes springtails become a nuisance inside the house in wet areas with light like bathrooms. Outside, I commonly see them in cooler, dark areas of lawns that are kept too wet during the cooler months. Springtails like stagnant, wet areas and are attracted to light. I’ve seen them as nuisance problems in swimming pools or spas. Leafhoppers, on the other hand, like it hot and dry.

            The bottom line in all habitats suitable for springtails is water or wetness. If it’s dry, they will disappear. They must feed and so rotting or decaying plants is important nearby, but water and wetness is more important. So, in our climate oftentimes they are found in irrigated shady spots.

            I know what you told me, but the key to managing or eliminating these guys is drying up wet areas. This might be as simple as improving air circulation in that area. Wetness is oftentimes accentuated in darker areas without much air movement or north sides of buildings.

            Pesticides do not work in the long haul. It’s really getting the area to dry up will or at least should clean up the problem. Ways to dry it out are to get more air movement in that area and/or more light. The rooting plants (organic matter they use for feed) will eventually disappear with time.

Be careful of excessive irrigation nearby. Do not water daily. Water and then let the surface area dry out.

Use deeper rooted plants in the area if plants are there. Bigger, deep rooted plants can handle longer periods of time without water applied.

If mulch is present, let it dry out before irrigating again or remove it. If rock is used, smaller rock like ¼ inch minus might allow you to keep the area drier and longer times between irrigations.

If it is unbearable then try spraying the area starting in late January with one of the horticultural oils. Spray the surface of the soil in hopes of suffocating them.

I would like you to read the information at this link

http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74136.html

Figs Need Water to Produce Figs

Q. We're considering planting a fig tree grove in our school garden this year. How long typically does it take for them to produce figs ready for harvest?

12 year old fig tree kept small by pruning

A. Figs produce fruit very quickly after planting. You should start seeing fruit produced the year after planting in most varieties. Remember, figs produce fruit on the wood that grew last year as well as the wood actively growing.

            Figs can be very big trees if you allow them to grow. They can also be cut back to a much smaller size. You mentioned planting a grove of figs. Their planting distances apart should be the same as their maximum height. If you plant them 10 feet apart, don’t let them grow above 10 feet tall.

Figs with early Briba crop and later main crop growing together

            Remember that figs do great and desert climates, in desert soils, in the desert heat with low humidity. But they are heavy water users much like palm trees. Water them the same as you would any other fruit tree and don’t expect production if you don’t give them enough water. They will benefit from soil covered with woodchips simply because the woodchips keep the soil moist longer.

Two Different Types of Trees: Palo Verde and Crepe Myrtle

Q. I have a Museum Palo Verde and a crepe myrtle planted in the Fall of 2012. The  Palo Verde has grown well but the crepe myrtle hasn’t grown much in seven years. The roots of the Palo Verde are now lifting the stone ring I built around it. Can those big roots be cut out?

A. Palo Verde 

I will tell you about cutting the roots at the end but let’s talk about your situation first. You have two different types of trees; the Palo Verde is native to the desert Southwest and considered xeric (desert adapted) while the crepe myrtle is native to the wetter and richer soils of South and Southeast Asia. It is considered mesic and not desert adapted. You can’t grow them the same way, under the same conditions, and have good results.

            The Palo Verde can handle the poor growing conditions of our desert while the crepe myrtle must be pampered. Your crepe myrtle isn’t getting pampered that’s why you have problems with it. These two trees are planted, managed and irrigated differently.

            The Palo Verde will grow roots where water is applied to desert soils. If you water Palo Verde 2 to 3 feet deep and let the upper foot of soil dry between irrigations, the roots will  grow mostly 2 to 3 feet deep and not bother that stone ring lying on the surface of the soil. You can  control its rate of growth by giving it lots of water occasionally and let the soil dry out before the next irrigation. Every time it gets a deep drink of water, it will grow. When the soil is dry, it does not.

            The Palo Verde is more forgiving of desert soil even when it’s planted badly. I’m not saying it was or wasn’t planted correctly, but it tolerates bad soils better if they are amended before planting. The Palo Verde will look better if it’s planted in decent soil at the beginning, but how and where you apply water will dictate how fast it grows and where its roots are located.

            You can’t do any of those things with crepe myrtle. Crepe myrtle will not tolerate soils if amended badly at planting time. It won’t like the hotter and harsher locations in the landscape. But Palo Verde will. Crepe myrtle will grow much better if the soil is continuously moist and covered with 3 to 4 inches of woodchips. Palo Verde will like this too, but it can sail through desert hotspots and poorly amended soils better than crepe myrtle.

            If they are both on the same irrigation valve, then you will have a problem because the Palo Verde will get water when you think the crepe myrtle needs it. They should be watered separately. That would be too often for Palo Verde. It will grow shallow roots because its watered too often. If these trees are on separate irrigation valves, then the Palo Verde can be watered less often than the crepe myrtle. Using separate valves benefits both of them.

            Can you cut off the roots of the Palo Verde that are causing problems? You can remove a few of them each year for the next three years but start watering the Palo Verde less often and give it more water with each of its applications. Get its roots deeper and out of the way. Apply water to at least half the area under the canopies of these trees.

Crepe Myrtle

Readers crepe myrtle

On your crepe myrtle, I would put a ½ to one inch layer of compost 12 inches away from the trunk to about three foot away. You can get it bagged from Viragrow. I think you will need about ten bags or less. Concentrate the compost closest to irrigation water or drip emitters where it will get wet and decompose faster and move the leachate into the ground toward the roots. The tree will respond faster if you can auger as many holes as possible around the trunk to about 12 inches deep and fill them with compost. Spreading it on the top of the soil will work but it will take longer for the tree to get the benefits.

Cover that compost area with woodchips about three to four inches deep. You can get them free from the University Orchard in NLV (N. Decatur and Horse Drive) or their office complex on the corner of Paradise Rd and Windmill just south of the airport. Call their Master Gardener helpline at 702-257-5555 and make sure they have the woodchips available before you go.

Then I would prune back the height of your crepe myrtle and try to force some new growth lower on the trunk. Prune the top back as much as possible while still keeping the growth on top. I am hoping you will see some new growth lower on the trunk in the spring. This growth will help strengthen the trunk and I am hoping you will not need to stake it in a couple of years.

Plants to Replace Roses for Low Light Levels

Q. My roses are not doing good because there is no sun by the wall where they are planted. Can you please suggest other flowers that can be planted there?

From the look of the leaves in this picture you might need to amend the soil before planting roses. Roses appreciate amended soil in the soil surface covered in wood chips, not rock.

A. Whenever you have a location in a landscape that’s not getting much sun, you can’t grow flowering plants in that location. They need more sun  to produce flowers. Instead, focus on plants that do not produce flowers but are still ornamental. In other words, forget most flowering plants in that location. Flowering plants will need at least six to eight hours of sunlight to flower well.

            Some examples of ornamental, nonflowering plants for nondesert shady areas might include Agapanthus, Box Leaf Euonymus, Dwarf Indian Hawthorne, asparagus fern, Mondo grass, sago palm, Algerian ivy, purple flax, split leaf philodendron, dwarf Burford Holly, heavenly bamboo, and Oregon grape. All of these require compost mixed into the soil at the time of planting, moist soil and they will do better with woodchip mulch on the soil surface.

All of these plants are mesic (nondesert) so make sure the soil is amended with compost at the time of planting.

Desert Horticulture References

Q. I am relatively new to this desert environment and I know hardly anything about desert plants.  Would you recommend the best book(s) you have read that describe these desert plants? Which are best as decorative lawn plants? When to plant them and how to care for them?

A. I would focus on something written for the Las Vegas climate or secondly Tucson, Arizona and lastly the desert Southwest. Books I suggest are available on Amazon and Abe’s Books as well as other places if you search using the author names.

            Linn Mills from Las Vegas and Dick Post from Reno teamed up and wrote a book called the Nevada Gardeners Guide that has information split between both northern Nevada and southern Nevada. Its focus was to understand both Mojave Desert (Las Vegas) and Great Basin (Reno) conditions, soils and how to manage a landscape growing in them. 

            Tucson has a similar climate to Las Vegas; a bit warmer and humid in the winter and wetter during the summer months. From here is Plants for Dry Climates by Mary Rose Duffield and Warren Jones. It includes desert landscape design ideas as well. The newest edition includes and expanded section plant selection and care.

            Adjust books not written for the Las Vegas by recognizing that our winter low temperatures can get into the low twenties and even the upper teens on occasion. Trees you select for the “backbone” of your desert landscape should withstand these temperatures or you are asking for trouble. Play around with lesser important landscape plants that don’t tolerate these temperatures but don’t expect them to survive forever.

            A solid reference book is the Sunset Western Garden Book. It is not specific for the Las Vegas area but does a good job discussing desert soils, desert environments as well as an exhaustive list of plants suitable for advanced gardeners.

            I use Chris Martin’s Virtual Library of Phoenix Landscape Plants, free online and housed at Arizona State University, quite a bit. Just realize plants discussed are used in the Phoenix climate and soils. Adjust your selection for our colder winter temperatures and not as much heat in the summer.

            Several knowledgeable local experts like the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) searchable database of landscape plants for Las Vegas, called “Find Plants”.  It is a good online reference when first looking for possible plants to use.

Creeping Thyme Between Rocks and Pavers

Q. Some time ago you mentioned a plant used between stones or pavers, and when you step on it, it releases a fragrance. Can you tell me the name of that plant again? I would sure appreciate it.

A. I don’t remember a specific ornamental groundcover that I mentioned but creeping thyme will work, and it does come in culinary and nonculinary types. You can direct seed it in those cracks by preparing the soil with compost, watering the soil to settle it, lightly cover the seed with sand and keeping the soil moist until you see it germinating.

            You can use creeping thyme for cooking in a pinch but use new growth. Don’t plant it in extremely hot locations but it will work in an open area without reflected heat from a south or west facing wall. Plant it just like you would in a vegetable garden.

Can I Plant Texas Rangers Now?

Q. I recently purchased some Green Cloud Texas Rangers from a building supply store and was wondering if it is safe to plant them now since our weather is turning colder.

A, Since you emailed this question to me it froze in parts of the valley this past week. But not to worry. This kind of weather can be freakish this time of year. It normally does not freeze until the second week of December. But the ground is still warm. After you plant you want the roots to grow but you should not care about the top growing yet. The best planting time for woody plants is from late September until mid-November. You can still plant at other times but its just not as good because of root growth.

            The ground is still warm enough to plant. The magic number for landscape plant root growth is about 50F. Of course, roots of plants grow faster in warmer soils, but they will still grow at 50F. The ground never froze or was even close to freezing. The soil temperature rises up and down mimicking the air temperature, but these temperature swings are much smaller compared to air temperatures. For instance, in some areas vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and squash froze, but the ground never did. The soil in the ground was much warmer than the air.

            If you want the soil to warm up fast then keep it dark, fluffy, dry and in the sun. Those kinds of soils have wide temperature swings from very warm to very cold but still not as cold as the air. Landscape plant roots like to grow in those warm temperatures during the day. Soils that are not fluffy, wet and instead are covered by a surface mulch or in the shade stay cooler and don’t swing up and down as much.

            Surface mulch keeps soils warmer in the Fall and cooler in the Spring.

I Want Larger Bartlett Pear Fruit

Q. I have a ten-year-old Bartlett pear tree and the pears are kind of small, about 3 inches long. The label says they ripen in August but mine are not ripe until end of October. November. I pick them, leave them out in kitchen and they become juicy and ripe. I water the trees heavily once a week and the fruit improve. Is there any way to make tree produce larger fruit?

A. Bartlett pear has the potential here for getting the same size as in the stores with the same or better quality. It is a matter of how many fruit there are compared to the number of leaves. If there are a lot of fruit and not enough leaves to support the fruit, the fruit will be smaller. 

            For Bartlett pear you should have about 45 to 50 leaves for each piece of fruit so that they can get larger. The fruit is produced on spurs that form an average of five fruit per cluster. Remove all but one fruit per cluster when the fruit has recently set and is still very small. This may be hard to judge when the fruit is just starting out in the spring but try removing all but one of the fruit in each cluster. If you want the fruit larger, next year remove more. Do it when they are small. Don’t wait. The remaining fruit will get larger. This is called “thinning the crop” or just plain “thinning”.

            Fruit also needs water present to expand and get big when its growing. Make sure the tree gets adequate water while the fruit is enlarging. If the tree doesn’t, the fruit will not grow as much. I don’t know if your watering is often enough or not. But in midsummer I would guess the trees should be watered deeply two or three times a week. Once a week is good in the Fall when it cools off.

            Pick Bartlett pears when they are still green, but the green has changed from dark green to light green. Your label is wrong. Harvesting should be in about late September or early October, not August. If you aren’t sure, pick one and cut it open to look at the seeds. The seeds should be all brown then go ahead and pick them. Picking may last two weeks as they don’t all get ready to pick at once.

            Pick the fruit before they turn yellow because this keeps the fruit texture buttery instead of gritty. Then let them ripen in a cool place out of the sun until they are ready to eat in a few days. When you get them from the store they are sometimes green. Ripen them like that before eating them.

Irrigation Frequency of New Desert Ironwood Trees

Q. I have two desert ironwood trees that are ten years old, 12 to 16 feet tall, in my landscape. A nursery told me I should water these trees deep daily for 7 to 10 days. I did that and after the third day the leaves turned a pale yellow and fell off to the touch, so I have stopped watering. The soil moisture meter I use is showing 7 to 8. Any thoughts because I really don’t want to hurt these beautiful trees.

A. When you call these trees “desert ironwood” I am guessing you mean the ironwood native to the Sonoran Desert. It’s a beautiful native desert tree that does not need to be watered very often. It is considered an indicator tree for growing citrus so during cold weather in southern Nevada it might get damaged. There are other trees called ironwood as well.

            Because it grows in the desert, it is not used to getting water very often. When you water this tree, irrigate the area under its canopy to a depth in the soil about 18 to 24 inches. Then don’t water again until the soil dries out. Because it’s a desert tree, it will not like wet soil but soil that occasionally gets wet. That’s why the leaves are yellowing and falling off; watering is too often and the roots are suffocating.

            On the soil moisture sensor, or meter that you have, the needle should be in the three or four spot before you water again. The meter reads zero to ten with ten being sopping wet. You want the soil to be on the dry side about six inches deep, not the wet side when you water it again.

            When you do water, try a hose, an inexpensive sprinkler that screws onto the end of the hose and a mechanical timer that shuts off the water. If you are like me, I forget to turn it off. The mechanical timer will shut it off for me. Set it for one hour. Take a length of rebar and stick it into the ground in three places and make sure the water got to the right depth. If the water isn’t deep enough then water for 15 minutes more.

I Want Plants That Bloom All Season Long

Q.  I am looking for plants that bloom all season long like lantana. Can you help me?

A. I would rather that you use a searchable plant database online like the one created by Southern Nevada Water Authority. It’s a good one. Google or use your favorite internet browser and type in “find plants SNWA”. The Sunset Zone for Las Vegas is Zone 11. The rest of the information needed for the database should be straight forward. Use this before you go to the nursery and get a list of plants that you want.

            If you want plants selection advice from me, ask for five suggestions at your nursery and then I can help you pick which might be best. There is a lot of information available to help you decide. Select trees and shrubs that you cannot afford to lose using a minimum winter temperature of 20F. If we have a few warm winters in a row then you won’t lose anything!

            If you select plants that tolerate winter temperatures above this temperature then expect to lose them occasionally during cold winters. Even at 20F we will have 30 to 50-year freezes that will get as low as 12F. If the 20F plants are established in the landscape well before that, they will probably survive.

Should I Add Worms to My Raised Beds?

Q. I made a couple of raised bed planters for tomatoes and peppers and currently have garlic, spinach and lettuce growing. Would adding worms to the soil help?

A. Worm benefits far outweigh any feeding damage they do to plant roots. I know I will get some heat for saying this, but earthworms can create some damage to small plant roots. Just like ants can carry away seeds that you plant. Too much of a good thing can be too much.

            If you do add some earthworms to your garden plot, you don’t need to add many. They multiply quickly when organics and moisture are present. The addition of compost to raw desert soil and growing plants in it is usually enough. I will see earthworms in soils that I amend and cover with woodchips in abundance the first year after planting. Adding worms to your soil will speed up what will occur naturally. 

Spider Mites on Italian Cypress Is a Hot Weather Problem

Q. My Italian cypress had spider mites, so I sprayed the trees with an insecticide about six weeks ago. Nearby Italian cypress trees are also full of spider mites. I was going to spray them with an insecticide until I listened to your Desert Horticulture podcast which told me to use a miticide instead. Which one should I use?

This Browning could be from spider mites, watering too often, or borers. If it occurs in the middle of summer it's very likely spider mites.

A. Spider mites are a hot weather insect so spraying when it's not summer just for them doesn’t make much sense. However, spraying oils in Fall and Winter months makes perfect sense for insects that might spend the winter on your trees.

Horticultural oils, sometimes called dormant oil or spray oil, is the best insurance to prevent insect outbreaks like aphids, spider mites, and scale insects.

            Remember, spraying insecticides make mite problems more likely on susceptible plants like Italian cypress. Miticides, unlike insecticides, are less likely to cause mite problems later. Spider mites are nearly always present on all plants they feed on. There are lots of insects that feed on spider mites as well and keep them in check.

Spider mites, like their name suggests, usually leave a webbing that you can see when there is damage.

            These predatory insects hunt down spider mites and use them for food. Think coyotes and rabbits. Spraying traditional insecticides like Malathion, Sevin and even organic insecticides like Neem oil or soap and water kills most insects off, good ones as well as the bad one you wanted to control. The primary benefit of organic sprays are its environmental safety and short life after its sprayed.

When spider mites are active they can create a bluish green cast when they are actively feeding and often times then leaves of Italian Cypress are "dusty". Spider mite damage always starts in the heat of the summer.

            If an insecticide must be sprayed for some reason, watch the sprayed plants very carefully during hot weather to see if spider mites become a problem or not. Frequently spider mites will become a problem after spraying an insecticide because their predators were killed. I realize sometimes you must, but spray insecticides as a last resort.

Close-up of the needles or foliage of Italian Cypress and spider mite damage.

            Miticides are chosen because spider mites are more like spiders than insects and sprays that kill insects oftentimes don’t kill spider mites. I am glad you did not use an insecticide for mite control. It would have made the problem worse and probably not killed the spider mites.

            Use the University of California Integrated Pest Management websites (“Google” them by using your favorite search engine and typing in “UCIPM” and “spider mites”). Read these notes. They are written by entomologists who specialize in controlling pests. After reading these notes you will be better informed than 90% of the landscapers spraying plants.

            The UCIPM notes will recommend spraying oils like canola, clove and cinnamon oils as well as horticultural oils and sulfur sprays to control spider mites. In our hot desert environment these sprays may damage plants during the hot months. It is cool enough in the Fall, Winter and Spring you can spray oils without damaging most plants. Plants that may be damaged will be listed on the label.

Didn't Think Italian Cypress Got Borers. I Was Wrong!

Q. I had a lot of borer damage to my trees so last summer I cut out most of the large branches and reduced the height of the trees to about 10 feet and let them grow back. Then I treated the soil with an insecticide, surfactant and fertilizer. That was my counterattack regarding the borers.

Borer exit holes in the trunk of Italian Cypress sent in by an alert reader.

A. Make sure trees that you do cut back will grow back. Some trees like most ash trees will not grow back very well if they are pruned severely. Also make sure the pruning instruments are all sanitized before pruning.

This formulation of imidacloprid (this name is found under ingredients) is probably the most common one found on shelves. Shop around because there may be some that are less expensive. Compare the percentage of imidacloprid on the label with the price of products. Higher percentages single just means you get more "bang for the buck".

            Insecticides like Imidacloprid (active ingredient) used as a soil drench (mixed with water and contained on the surface of the soil above the roots) are systemic and taken up by roots of the tree and kill many types of borers. Whatever insecticide you use should be systemic and have a label that says it is effective against wood boring insects.

Excerpt from the product label of Imidacloprid 2F manufactured by Prime Source LLC. The active ingredient is available from several manufacturers so it is imperative to read the product label before making any applications.

            If the insecticide has “staying power” inside the tree then I would apply it after the tree flowers. This is usually in early spring. Long-lasting, systemic insecticides like Imidacloprid are suspected to harm honeybees. There is a possibility the insecticide could be available to honeybees if it is applied just before flowering.

A portion of the product label for Imidacloprid 2F warning about killing honeybees. Be careful when you spray insecticides or apply them as a drench to the soil.

            I am not sure why you are using a surfactant unless it is to help this insecticide drench move into the soil faster after drenching the area. Surfactants are a very broad category of  spray additives but usually used to move liquid fertilizers, insecticides and fungicides inside plant leaves when they are sprayed.

One example of a surfactant. When mixed with a spray it helps the product get inside leaves or stems. When mixed with a liquid drench it might help the drench move into the soil better. 

Pruning Heresy for Italian Cypress

Q. My Italian cypress are getting too tall. Can I top them to keep them smaller?

Here a homeowner "topped" their Italian Cypress to control its height. It works but it will increase the width of the tree through new growth to the sides rather than directly upward.

A. Topping trees is not a good idea but in this case it will work because underneath all that foliage is a central trunk. It’s not the best way to handle this dilemma but if it is done when the tree is smaller it will help prevent it from getting too tall. Removing several feet of the top this way is questionable.

            Remove the pointed top just below the height wanted. This keeps the tree’s height in check, but it will grow wider than if it were left alone. Hindsight is 20/20. It would have been better to realize these are 40 to 60-foot trees before buying or planting them.

Sometimes the top will die in Italian cypress from borers or spider mites. The top is dead. Removal of this debt growth and the removal of living growth on other trees at the same height will limit its maximum height but not its width.

            The bad pruning method is shearing the tree with a hedge shears. Shearing does prevent long “floppy branches” from developing but it causes other problems. Shearing increases the density of the tree in the outer few inches while the inside branches become naked. The inside of the tree gets darker and darker as shearing increases, and this prevents any greenery from forming.

Italian Cypress has such a dense canopy that anyone using a hedge shears to prune them has to be very careful not to cut into the brown area just an inch or so to the inside. This growth is very slow to grow back or doesn't grow back at all.

            Eventually any deep cuts past these three or four inches outside edge will expose the naked larger branches inside which have no greenery. None will develop from old wood on Italian cypress, so it won’t grow back. Worse than a bad haircut!

Be Careful Watering Italian Cypress

Q. I am purchasing some Italian cypress as a visual barrier between my neighbors and myself. I understand they are evergreen. Any thoughts?

Italian Cypress can be 40 to 60 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide so make sure you have the room for them. General rule of thumb is to use small trees for single-story homes and medium-size trees for two-story homes. It's an added expense if you have to keep pruning them to keep them at the right size.

A. Italian cypress is a big tree so make sure you have room for it, and it is in scale with your home and landscape. It can be 40 to 60 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide. It is a good visual barrier but tall!

            Italian cypress is a Mediterranean plant, not a desert plant. This tree came from climates with cool wet winters and hot dry summers so don't water too often but more often than true natives! Put it on a valve that waters palms, fruit trees, other landscape trees and shrubs but not with lawns, flower beds or vegetable beds. It will not like it if it is watered with the same frequency as cacti and native desert trees like Palo Verde and mesquite unless they are watered too often!

One sign they are watered too often is when the growth gets so much that it starts to droop. An occasional drooping branch can be pruned back to the inside of the canopy and removed. It's a problem if you have lots of these drooping branches and it is a poor alternative if you must wrap them with green tape. Learn how to water them properly.

            Italian cypress with long drooping branches is a sign it is getting too much water. Either it is watered too often, or the soil is not draining water fast enough. Hedge shearing (not recommended) keeps them in check but using a hand pruner instead is a better option.

Shearing them with a hedge shears is one method to make them look pretty and keep them in bounds. But that is expensive to do twice a year.

            Enough water should be applied each time to wet the soil to at least two feet deep. The amount to apply varies because of the soil so you will have to play around with the number and size of the emitters. But when you apply water, it should wet the area under the canopy out to the ends of the branches. Normally I will tell people AT LEAST half the area but these trees are narrow and upright so water the entire area.

How Far Apart When Planting a Hedge?

Q. How far apart should I plant my hedge shrubs to make a hedge?

A. It depends on the plant but a general rule of thumb for shrubs that grow just as wide as they are tall is to plant them the same distance as their mature height. If you plant them this far apart they will grow up touching each other. If you want them to fill in faster, then plant them a bit closer.

Pruning shrubs with a hedge shears tells me you don't know how to prune.

            Planting them too close together causes them to grow together but they will shade each other. That’s not a problem for the hedge but you will spend more money than you need to in plants.

These shrubs were planted too close together. You can tell because its all a bunch of wood stems at the base. A way to correct this problem now is to remove every other shrub and cut them back to their distance apart and cut the biggest branches to about 8 inches off of the ground. The hedge should fill in again in 2 to 3 years depending on how fast they grow. 

Transplanting Sago Palm - Do it Right

Q. Do you have any advice on digging and transplanting a Sago palm this time of year? It’s the roots I’m considering. I failed last time maybe because it was too hot.

Nicely cared for cycad or Sago Palm

A. The ideal time to move sago palm, or cycad, is in the early Fall or early Spring but you can do it now even though its cold. It’s just not optimum. Evaluate your situation. If it has been in the ground more than three years, it is more difficult to move without damaging it. It helps if it was drip irrigated with no other irrigation within 10 feet or so. This isolates the roots and keeps what you need to move closer to the plant.

These plants like a little bit of shade or protection from late afternoon sun. They just do better.

            Two things are important when you move a plant: take as much of the roots and soil as possible during the move and reduce the top by 1/3 to compensate for root losses during the relocation. You will have more success if it is moved into a spot with light shade, not full sun.

            Here’s the process. I will put more information on my blog for you.

Cycad transplanting process

•             Remove fronds from the bottom toward the top so the remaining fronds are no more than a 45-degree angle from horizontal. The central fronds should be protected. The older palm fronds can be removed. Sago palm grows from the center straight up and the fronds become lower with age. Mark which side of the plant faces north. You will orient this side to the north again when planting.
•             Prepare the soil and hole in the new location so you can place it into its new home and plant it as quickly as possible. The hole should be about the same depth as the rootball you are moving. The hole with amended soil will be much bigger.
•             Move everything away from the sago palm so that it is surrounded by bare soil and then water the soil until it is sopping wet. Using a sharp, clean shovel, slice the roots of the palm at about 12 inches from the trunk. Otherwise, leave it undisturbed. The next day after water has drained, leverage the plant upward carefully from its old location while cutting any remaining roots that might hold it back.
•             Placing the rootball and plant on an old piece of carpet or strong fabric by lifting the rootball, carefully move the plant to its new location without breaking the soil around the rootball. Very important.
•             Orient the sago palm with the north side facing north and backfill around the rootball using amended soil as a soil slurry to remove air pockets. It will not need to be staked. Add any amendments to the soil you feel is necessary to improve rooting. I personally don’t use anything more than the amended soil.
•             After the soil has settled and starts to dry, cover the area surrounding the sago palm with woodchips. Woodchips are a better soil covering (mulch) than rock for sago palm.

Plant During Winter but Not As Good As Fall Planting

Q. I would like to plant a pomegranate tree this Fall but I am worried that the weather is going to be cooling down soon. Do you think I missed my opportunity for planting, and should I wait for Spring?

A. Just because it is getting colder doesn’t mean you can’t plant. Ideally you want a few weeks of root growth in the Fall after planting. The timing may not be optimum for root growth when soil temperatures are cold, but it will still work out. If you find a variety you like, get it in the ground.

            Temperate plant roots (like pomegranate) grow best when soil temperatures are between 60 to 75F but they still grow even when soil temperatures are as low as 45F. They just don’t grow as fast. Try to plant early enough so that there are 4 to 5 weeks of warm soil temperatures before the soil gets cold.

Estimating soil temperature

            How to estimate the soil temperature? The best way is to buy a soil thermometer for about $15 and measure for yourself but otherwise you can make a rough approximation.  

Soil thermometer on Amazon

Soils are always a bit warmer than air temperatures. Take the average air temperature over the past couple of weeks (low + high and divide by two) and add 5 degrees. Surface mulch, rock or woodchips, conserve soil warmth in the Fall and insulate soil from heat in the Spring and Summer months.

            In my experience, using your sense of touch is accurate to within about 5 degrees F of temperatures ranging from the refrigerator (40F) to the spa (105F).

            Fall planting is always superior to Spring planting of winter hardy plants.

Steer Manure Is Stinky but Can Be Used

Q. We applied Red Star steer manure as a topsoil during overseeding tall fescue three days ago. Is it ok to apply granulated fertilizer to this or should we wait longer?

Stinky Steer manure can be used for top dressing seed in a lawn or even vegetable garden but let it age

A. So we are on the same page on this, you are spreading some seed on your tall fescue lawn to increase its density, thickening up some thin areas and maybe improving the look of your lawn because of some brown spots or dead areas. Once the seed is spread and fertilizer is applied, you are spreading a thin layer of steer manure as a “topdressing” (you are calling it “topsoil”) to improve the germination of the seed. The best time to do all this is from about mid-September to mid-October. It is getting late now.

Manure used for topdressing

            Bagged steer manure was used in the past as a topdressing for lawns when overseeding. It was smelly but it worked well. Years ago, you knew it was fall overseeding time because of the steer manure smell in the neighborhood. Now there are commercial topdressing products available but bagged steer manure still works.

Rules for overseeding

            In lawn seed germination, a rule to follow for good seed germination when overseeding lawns is good “soil and seed contact”. It is important that the seed applied is in contact with the soil after the application is done. The steer manure or topdressing was a “blanket” that pushed the seed down and helped keep the area moist.

            Make sure the lawn is mowed as short as possible (for fescue I wouldn’t mow shorter than one inch) and any debris on the soil surface (thatch) is disturbed or removed. This is done with a dethatcher, power rake or verticutter. This can be done by hand using a garden rake or gasoline driven if it’s a large area. For best results you should see bare soil when you are finished.

            After the lawn has been “dethatched” is the best time to apply a starter fertilizer for overseeding because it is high in phosphorus. This fertilizer is applied at this time, so it lands on bare soil along with the seed used for overseeding. The phosphorus is the part of the fertilizer you want on the bare soil because it doesn’t help the seed as much if it is applied after the job is finished. 

Phosphorus fertilizer should be mixed into the soil

Remember this in the future. It’s the same fertilizer used in vegetable gardens during soil preparation prior to seeding or planting vegetable transplants. The final application is a thin layer of topdressing, in your case the steer manure.

            Applying a starter fertilizer after it’s all finished is not the best but better than nothing. Go ahead and apply it. It’s not optimum but it will do some good as the seed is germinating and taking root.

Watering Lantana and Roses in the Mojave Desert

Q. I need suggestions for watering times and days to water in the summer for sprinklers watering trees in lawns, lantana bushes and rose bushes with drip irrigation.

It isn't just the watering that's important for roses but soil health is well. Lantana is much more tolerant of rock and poor soils than roses.

A. When watering trees in a lawn, give the trees extra watering separately from the lawn since the trees should be watered more deeply than the grass. In the summer do this about every two weeks in sandy soil, less often in heavier soils. 

1. Grass is watered 8 to 12 inches deep 
2. while small trees (less than 20 feet tall) are watered 18 inches, deep and 
3. medium height trees (less than 40 feet tall) are watered 24 inches deep. This can be done with a sprinkler on the end of a hose and a mechanical timer. This improves tree growth and establishment if the lawn is being watered carefully.

            Watering times for other plants are also suggested by your water provider. Lantana is a shallow rooted small woody shrub. It should be watered about 12 inches deep and no more than every other day in the summer. Water all its roots on one day and then hold off at least one day before watering again. Lantana will tolerate rock covering the soil surrounding it. Just make sure you apply fertilizer about three times each year. When the top turns brown, cut it back to 1 to 2 inches above the soil.

             Roses are different. Watering frequency is the same as lantana, but they don’t like the soil covered in rock. They like woodchips that disintegrate, covering the soil surface, and surrounded by soil that is rich. Plant them in amended soil and keep the soil covered with woodchips.

Cutting Off Roots from Trees is a Judgement Call

Q. When our landscapers installed new water lines for irrigation they cut through two major roots on a Chitalpa tree; one root was 4 inches in diameter and the other 1 ½ inches in diameter. These water lines could have been installed under the roots instead of cutting them. I am not sure why they did it this way. I am concerned about the future health of the tree.

A bit hard to see but a large Chitalpa root cut by landscaper.

A. If this is a problem for the tree, is a difficult question to answer. Will cutting the roots of a tree cause it to die? Cutting tree roots always damages the tree. Can the tree recover from this damage? The right answer is, it depends. From your description, the root removal done sounds ominous.

Tree roots grow where water is applied. If water is applied in shallow irrigations, it leads to shallow roots.

            You can typically remove about one third of the total roots with no problem. This is done sometimes when trenches are cut in the soil for burying irrigation lines. When roots are cut. But when roots are cut, about 1/3 of the top should be removed as well. This removal of part of the top puts the top and roots back in balance with each other. How much of the total roots were removed in your tree’s case? That is difficult to estimate.

Strangling roots should be removed as young as possible for obvious reasons.

            Look at the distribution of water applied for irrigation. This helps determine where the roots might be. Roots grow toward water because the soil is wetter in these locations. If there is a lawn close to the tree, then roots grow vigorously toward the lawn and less vigorously toward its own drip emitters. If other plants are growing near the Chitalpa, tree roots will likely grow toward the majority of drip emitters because there is more water there.

Trees growing in lawns oftentimes grow shallow roots because lawns are watered with shallow irrigations. These roots can be removed if they are far enough from the trunk and are not a major root of the tree used for water uptake, soil nutrients important to the tree or used for major support.

            At the very least, remove about 1/3 of the top. Remove entire limbs rather than giving it a “butch haircut” and removing the ends of lots of branches. Removing two or three major limbs is probably enough in your trees case.

This native mesquite near a river in Jerez, Mexico, sent its roots deep after underground water coming from the river.

            As a precaution, I would stake this tree. Major roots of trees are used for tree stability particularly during strong winds. The tree might need to be staked until the roots secure the tree in the ground. I would do it in case it is needed. Don’t wait until the tree starts to lean because of strong winds. Remove the stakes when the tree is stable. This might be one season of growth for smaller trees or up to three years for larger trees.