RLLM
Friday, October 21, 2011
Recommended Fruit Trees For Southern Nevada for Downloading
Here is a version that you can read, print or download.
RLLM
RLLM
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Will Feeding Ourselves Be the Crime of the Century in Wisconsin and Elsewhere?
Wisconsin: No Right to Produce or Eat Food
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
In scary legal news a Wisconsin judge had gone completely loopy declaring that citizens have no right to produce or eat the foods of their own choice.
In response to a request from the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, the judge issued a clarification of his decision last week regarding his assessment of the constitutionality of food rights. The judge expanded on his original statement that such constitutional issues are “wholly without merit.”
He explained that the FTCLDF arguments were “extremely underdeveloped.” As an example, he said the plaintiffs’ use of the Roe v Wade abortion rights case as a precedent does “not explain why a woman’s right to have an abortion translates to a right to consume unpasteurized milk…This court is unwilling to declare that there is a fundamental right to consume the food of one’s choice without first being presented with significantly more developed arguments on both sides of the issue.” Gee, I thought they both had to do with the right to decide what to do with your own body.
As if to show how pissed he was at being questioned, he said his decision translates further that “no, Plaintiffs to not have a fundamental right to own and use a dairy cow or a dairy herd;
“no, Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to consume the milk from their own cow;”
And in a kind of exclamation point, he added this to his list of no-nos: “no, Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to produce and consume the foods of their choice…”
You have to wonder if maybe even the regulators are getting a tad uncomfortable with the rulings coming from the nation’s judiciary on food rights. Many of these individuals, biased as they are against raw milk, dabble in farming to some extent, or grew up on farms. This judge has gone way beyond what many of them have come to assume–that everyone has the right to own a cow and consume its milk Even in places that ban raw milk sales, there’s nearly always a provision in state law that anyone who owns a cow has the right to consume its milk.
It seems Judge Fiedler is saying it’s not a “fundamental right,” but rather a right granted us by the state. -The Complete Patient
As if to show how pissed he was at being questioned, he said his decision translates further that “no, Plaintiffs to not have a fundamental right to own and use a dairy cow or a dairy herd;
“no, Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to consume the milk from their own cow;”
And in a kind of exclamation point, he added this to his list of no-nos: “no, Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to produce and consume the foods of their choice…”
You have to wonder if maybe even the regulators are getting a tad uncomfortable with the rulings coming from the nation’s judiciary on food rights. Many of these individuals, biased as they are against raw milk, dabble in farming to some extent, or grew up on farms. This judge has gone way beyond what many of them have come to assume–that everyone has the right to own a cow and consume its milk Even in places that ban raw milk sales, there’s nearly always a provision in state law that anyone who owns a cow has the right to consume its milk.
It seems Judge Fiedler is saying it’s not a “fundamental right,” but rather a right granted us by the state. -The Complete Patient
The original judgement can be seen here. To quote from the main points:
1) no, Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to own and use a dairy cow or a dairy herd;
2) no, Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to consume the milk from their own cow;
3) no, Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to board their cow at the farm of a farmer;
4) no, the Zinniker Plaintiffs’ private contract does not fall outside the scope of the State’s police power;
5) no, Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to produce and consume foods of their choice
3) no, Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to board their cow at the farm of a farmer;
4) no, the Zinniker Plaintiffs’ private contract does not fall outside the scope of the State’s police power;
5) no, Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to produce and consume foods of their choice
A FOOD CHAIN RADIO RELEASE FROM METROFARM.COM
Across the nation armed government SWAT teams arrest private citizens for buying and selling fresh whole foods from each other. This leads us to ask…
This Saturday at 9am Pacific, the Food Chain Radio show with Michael Olson hosts Mali McGee from the Milk Mama Goat Farm for a conversation about private food clubs.
Topics include how private citizens are organizing to feed each other; why government is raiding these private food systems with armed SWAT teams; and how Mali’s milch goats inspired one county to recognize the right of people to grow and eat their own food.
Listen on your radio, computer or IPOD: Food Chain Radio
Monday, October 17, 2011
Order Your Bare Root Fruit Trees Now for January 2012 Delivery
Fruit trees will include peaches, plums, apples, pears, almonds, pluots, and others. We will only be ordering from our list of recommended trees due to ordering restrictions that varieties must be ordered in multiples of fives. All trees will be shipped from Dave Wilson Nursery.
Chill Hours May Not Be As Important As We Think When Selecting Some Fruit Trees
Q. I am in the process of ordering a couple fruit trees online. What are the chill hours for Sun City Anthem in Henderson? I thought it was 300 hours or less. A couple of apricot trees you have recommended have been 400 and 500 hours (Blenheim and Royal Rosa) and I am wondering if that is too many chill hours of my area.
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| Apricots grown at the UNCE Orchard |
A. Chill hours are the number of hours at low temperatures during our winters so that the tree “recognizes” that winter has arrived. It can be important in commercial production but in home orchards it seems to be less important on some types of fruit trees.
On peaches and apricots in particular we have not seen a big impact from a lack of chill hours in our area. We have varieties in the 800 to 900 hour range that have done well.
I would be most concerned with how the fruit develops in our climate. The recommendations on my list have all proven themselves for a decade at the orchard. I do not release names of those varieties that have a track record of only a couple of years. They remain under test even if they show extremely good potential.
One variety of peach has been recommended by volunteers at the orchard because of some good qualities in the first year of production. This is way too soon to tell. I prefer at least five years of good production. I hope this helps.
Tree Dieback after Converting Lawn to Desert Landscaping
Q. I am writing because of a problem I have with my 20 year old, long needled pine (I forgot the name). The needles are 6-7 inches long and fluffy.
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| Long needles of chir pine |
When I converted my lawn to drip, the pine began to turn brown in several areas. I added more and more drippers. After four years, this poor pine, once a beautiful, fluffy tree, is now in serious trouble.
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| Dieback of large tree after converting lawn to desert landscaping |
Many small branches and a few medium sized ones have died back. Every spring, it has rallied and I think it will be okay but, by the end of the summer, it looks very sad. Is there anything more I can do to save this tree?
A. I am guessing you have Chir pine. This pine is beautiful and does very well here provided it gets enough water and at the right times. When they are growing in a lawn their roots can extend long distances from the trunk and in home yards typically close to the soil surface.
A. I am guessing you have Chir pine. This pine is beautiful and does very well here provided it gets enough water and at the right times. When they are growing in a lawn their roots can extend long distances from the trunk and in home yards typically close to the soil surface.
If they were growing in a turfgrass landscape converted to desert (drip) they frequently do not get enough water after the conversion. They first suffer needle drop resulting in a thinned canopy, needle tips brown, growth slows and then limb dieback begins. I think this is what is happening to your tree all due to the conversion resulting in the big trees not getting enough water.
The water previously supplied by watering the lawn is frequently substituted with six to eight drip emitters placed fairly close to the trunk. You will need to provide more water to the tree and in many more locations to compensate.
These are big trees and big trees require lots of water even if they are considered lower in their water use than perhaps other large trees. There is no research to tell us how much water this tree will require during an irrigation but I would assume it would probably be in the 100 gallon range or more per irrigation, evenly distributed over its root system.
I personally don’t think trees that get over 20 feet tall should be on drip but on bubblers with a basin (depression or moat) surrounding the trunk. This depression should be large enough to hold enough water to keep the tree in good health and penetrate to a depth of 24 inches after an irrigation.
Some people have suggested using inline drip irrigation in concentric rings around the trunk. Perhaps. But devices do not apply water, people do and people must make the decision about how much to apply and where to apply it. Drip irrigation can be deceiving because it takes hours to irrigate instead of the minutes we are used to when we water a lawn.
Another possible approach would be to plant other plants heavily under the dripline of the tree for additional water. No one likes to do this because you have to fight with tree roots to plant.
To save the tree you need to be proactive now. Apply water under the canopy to a depth of about 24 inches during each irrigation. Couple this with an application of fertilizer next February. You will not see improvement at this time of year from applying more water as most trees are going into dormancy. With properly placed, deep irrigations you should see a change next year during the growing season. You should see a big change in 2013.
As it sounds to me, if you do not change your irrigation system and how you are watering you will lose the tree. We have lost MANY trees in this valley when landscapes are converted to desert landscapes principally because the irrigation system supplied to established large trees is under engineered. Most do not understand this or will not do it right because it is “too expensive”.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Autumn Blaze Maple Not a Good Choice for Las Vegas
Q. I enclosed pictures of a little sapling from North Carolina I bought on line March 2010 several months ago all the leaves turned brown on their edges only. Now the complete tree is burned to a crisp all over. It’s not too much water/or not enough. We live in Sun City Summerlin.
A. Thank you for knowing and remembering what plant bought and its name. This helps me a lot in tracking and learning about this plant before I responded. Autumn Blaze maple was hybridized by an Illinois nursery in the 1980s. In the Midwest or other suitable climates such as the east coast or Pacific Northwest, it will grow to a height of 60 feet and 40 feet wide. It is called Autumn Blaze caused of its splendid red and orange fall colors that can be seen in those parts of the country and I’m sure this is why you selected it.
This is a case where you have chosen a tree which is just not suitable for our soils or our climate. This particular maple tree is a hybrid between silver maple and red maple, both of which struggle in our alkaline, saline soils and extremely high temperatures. A tree with these two parents in its lineage doesn’t have much of a fighting chance in our desert environment. The pictures you sent me show that it is already struggling here which is evidenced by its scorching leaves. You might be able to give it a fighting chance for a couple of years by heavily amending the soil at planting time with compost and leaching the soil water making sure that the soil drains easily.
You would secondly mulch around the tree with wood mulch, not bark mulch and of course no rock mulch. With adequate amounts of water and organic amendments you might get a tree that is healthy enough to withstand our environment for a few years.
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| Readers Autumn Blaze mape tree planted in Las Vegas |
Both parents of this tree are highly susceptible to iron chlorosis and would need treatment for this problem even if you could get it healthy. I’m sorry to give you the bad news but this is a tree which should not be grown here.
Lawn Brown Patches May Be Summer Patch aka Fusarium
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| Pictures from reader concerning the brown patches in her lawn |
A. Your lawn has, from the pictures you sent, what appears to be summer patch disease. This disease used to be called Fusarium patch in the old days. Some management techniques that you can try include mowing the lawn a bit shorter during the heat of the summer.
If you fertilize your lawn during the summer make sure you use half the amount recommended on the bag or less. Fertilize in the early morning hours only and make sure it is watered in immediately after the application. Foliar applications would be even better.
Avoid watering the lawn anytime between late afternoon and early evening and about 2:00 AM. You can water any time after 2:00 AM but try to get it done before sunrise.
Otherwise you will need to apply fungicides to your lawn that have been approved for controlling summer patch or Fusarium diseases. You can find this out by reading the label. Fungicides are best in preventing diseases from spreading not curing them after the disease has ravaged the lawn. Mark your calendar for next year and apply a fungicide anytime you see summer monsoons predicted.
Grape Leafhopper Damage or Fleabeetle Damage
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| Picture of grape demon from reader |
Q. These critters have devastated one of my grape vines. Here is a picture. Thousands of little sucking holes ruin the leaves and thus the vine. They are about 1/4th inch long and may also fly. What are they and how can I defend against them for next year?
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| Grape leafhopper damage see the yellow speckling from feeding damage and black poop spots |
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| Grape fleabeetle damage leaves holes in the leaves |
If these are grape flea beetles then they should be gone in about two weeks and a pesticide is usually not necessary as the damage is not long term.
Junipers Not Ideal Choice for Desert Landscapes and May Have Some Problems
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| Pictures of carpet juniper with needle drop from reader |
Q. Please advise and diagnose how to resolve a problem I have with my juniper bushes. I hope my pictures help.
A. From your pictures the juniper appears to be one of the very low-growing carpet junipers, not sure which one but perhaps green carpet juniper. These carpet junipers can be confusing and can be from several species. Which juniper is important as some junipers are more heat tolerant than others.
J. horizontalis has among its cultivars probably one of the better heat tolerant rug-type junipers. Regardless, junipers will do better in this climate if not put into extremely hot environments and surrounded by rock. They usually can handle some of the poorer soils that you can develop in rock landscapes at least for a few years if not more.
Probably the biggest problems will include not enough water or not watering frequently enough, salt problems and spider mite infestations. Watering too frequently (daily) can cause root rot and death of the plant.
Make sure there is at least one day between deep waterings during the heat of the summer. One plant will probably require around five to ten gallons per watering. You can determine this by checking your drip emitters for the gallonage per hour and adjusting this amount through the number of emitters per plants multiplied by the fraction of the hour that it remains on during one irrigation.
Spider mites are a problem on junipers. They are not insects but are more closely related to spiders. They are very small and not seen easily with the naked eye. Their feeding results in speckling or yellow spots on needles. Some needles may turn brown and drop off.
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| Two-spotted spider mite |
With heavy infestations, fine webbing may be seen on the plant. If not controlled, spider mites can kill junipers. Most spider mites increase in numbers during hot, dry weather.
Naturally occurring enemies of mites will usually suppress mite populations. Since insecticide use kills these enemies as well as mites, insecticides should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Miticides, labeled specifically for mite control, are less harmful to these natural enemies. Mites can be removed with a strong spray of soap and water, if applied on a regular basis.
To determine how many mites are present hold a white sheet of paper under a branch and slap it on the paper. The mites knocked off on to the paper will be seen crawling around as tiny spots the size of this period. If dozens of mites are seen crawling on the paper it is time to do something.
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| Webbing due to spider mites |
Pesticides labeled for homeowner use against spider mites include insecticidal soaps like Safer Insecticidal Soap or Ortho’s Systemic Insect Killer. As with any pesticide, read and follow all label directions and precautions before using.
Woody Suckers in Lawn Can Be Eliminated
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| Picture of weed from reader which I could not identify |
A. I couldn’t tell from the picture. The description doesn’t sound familiar but it sounds like a woody plant that suckers from the roots. I am assuming they are coming from a woody plant close by, a neighbor’s yard perhaps.
Any lawn weed killer that has dicamba or Banvel in the ingredients will work. This can be applied directly to the lawn without hurting the grass but will damage or kill woody plants and weeds that are not grasses. This will require multiple applications to keep killing new sprouts as they appear.
You will see more suckers as you use this product and it may seem like it stimulated their growth but it has not. It has caused them to sucker more below ground due to the death of the existing suckers above ground.
Repeat applications will exhaust the reserve of woody growth under the lawn until they finally stop coming up. But you must stay on top of them with this weed killer for at least one season.
Amaryllis Survives Las Vegas in the Ground
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| Amaryllis of readers |
Q. I was wondering when is the best time to transplant the Amaryllis plants, now or in the spring? They bloomed beautifully this past summer, but seem to me to be getting a bit pot bound (which I know often promotes blooming in some plants). I intend to transplant them to larger pots sitting next to them. I also wonder if regular potting soil is best or if there are other things I should add that would help them and when and how often they need to be fertilized and what type of fertilizer to use. I top them off with mulch.
A. As far as your Amaryllis is concerned they do quite nicely here if planted on the eastside of your landscape and in some light shade. They do not need to be in containers but can be planted in improved landscape soils. Good quality compost is best.
If they are planted into a desert landscape make sure they are planted in one of the high water use areas so they get enough water often enough. They can last in a landscape five years or more without digging them up. Cut back on your water to them during November and December and early January. They need a rest period before blooming again. Fertilize them monthly with a week of fertilizer solution as soon as growth begins. Any rose type fertilizer or fertilizers for flowering plants will work.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Treadle Pumps When Water for Irrigation is Near But Unavailable
What are treadle pumps?
Do you have water available to you with less than a 20 foot vertical lift and no electricity? Then this foot-powered piston pump might be the answer. The treadle pump works off of human leg power (similar to walking, a treadmill or Stairmaster). By simply walking using this device human power can be used to lift water from shallow wells or storage devices for irrigation purposes.
Here are two short videos demonstrating a treadle pump and hand pump that I taped at an Ag Fair in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Too expensive? How about a bamboo treadle pump?
Paul Polak from IDE on Treadle Pumps
Buy Your Fruit Trees, Vegetable Transplants and Seeds in Arizona
Of course this is a bit of tongue-in-cheek for residents outside of Arizona but Arizona's law that allows its residents to buy fruit trees, vegetable transplants and seeds for personal use to be tax exempt makes alot of sense. It is food on your table (hopefully). If you are an Arizona resident, print this out and take it with you the next time you go to buy fruit trees, vegetable transplants or seeds at an Arizona garden center.
ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
ARIZONA TRANSACTION PRIVILEGE TAX RULING
TPR 93-12
This substantive policy statement is advisory only. A substantive policy statement does not include internal procedural documents that only affect the internal procedures of the agency and does not impose additional requirements or penalties on regulated parties or include confidential information or rules made in accordance with the Arizona administrative procedure act. If you believe that this substantive policy statement does impose additional requirements or penalties on regulated parties you may petition the agency under Arizona Revised Statutes § 41-1033 for a review of the statement.
ISSUE:
Sales of seeds and plants.
APPLICABLE LAW:
Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) § 42-1310.01.A.35 provides an exemption from the transaction privilege tax under the retail classification for the gross proceeds of sales or gross income from sales of seeds, seedlings, roots, bulbs, cuttings and other propagative material to persons who use those items to commercially produce agricultural, horticultural, viticultural or floricultural crops in this state.
A.R.S. § 42-1310.01.A.15 provides an exemption from the transaction privilege tax under the retail classification for the gross proceeds of sales or gross income from sales of food.
A.R.S. § 42-1381.3 defines "food" to mean any food item intended for human consumption which is intended for home consumption as defined by rules and regulations adopted by the department pursuant to A.R.S. § 42-1387.
A.R.S. § 42-1387.B.3 provides that the department shall include, in the definition of food, seeds and plants used to grow food for personal consumption.
A.R.S. § 42-1301 defines "person" or "company" to include an individual, firm, partnership, joint venture, association, corporation, estate or trust, this state, a county, city, town, district other than a school district, or other political subdivision and any other group or combination acting as a unit, and the plural as well as the singular number.
RULING:
Retail sales of seeds or plants to commercial producers of plants, flowers or food crops in this state are exempt from transaction privilege tax under A.R.S. § 42-1310.01.A.35.
If seeds or plants, which were purchased for commercial production, are taken from inventory and used by the producer for a noncommercial purpose, the seeds or plants are subject to the use tax. For example: seeds are purchased to grow commercial sod. The producer uses a portion of the seed in landscaping the company's own property. The cost of the seed used by the producer is subject to the use tax.
Sales of seeds and plants to individuals to grow food for personal consumption are exempt from tax under A.R.S. § 42-1310.01.A.15. For example, the sale of an orange tree to an individual for growing fruit for his own consumption is exempt under this provision.
Sales of seeds and plants to persons for non-commercial use are subject to transaction privilege tax if the plants or seeds are not used to grow food for personal consumption. For example, the sale of flower seeds and decorative plants to an individual or to a company for home or business landscaping is taxable.
Harold Scott, Acting Director
Signed March 15, 1993
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Maxwell Norton Gives Table Grape Pruning Tips at UNCE Orchard
Back in 2005 Maxwell Norton, Farm Advisor in Fruit Production for the University of California Cooperative Extension in the San Joaquin Valley in California gave a pruning presentation and demonstration at the UNCE Orchard in North Las Vegas to Orchard volunteers and the general public. It was recorded and is presented here as a supplement for your own attempts at pruning grapes at home.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Extremehort Visits Ped's Farm In Laguna, Philippines, and His Giant Passionfruit and Fish Farm
While in the Philippines I visited the farm of another member of the Rare Fruit Society of the Philippines where we learned about growing Giant Passionfruit and his sustainable fish farming practices.
Extremehort Visits Dr. Coronel and His Duku Lanzones and Chempedak
While visiting in the Philippines with the Philippine Rare Fruit Growers they invited me to Dr. Roberto Coronel's house which is also his nursery and grounds for plant trials. I sampled a delicious variety of lanzones called 'Duku' which slips off the seed easily and has a wonderful citrusy and sweet flavor.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Getting To The Root of the Problem With Desert Trees and Water Use
Deep tree roots are important for large trees. We know that these roots help to stabilize large trees, keeping them anchored during high winds, and we know that it is important to get deep rooting established in landscape trees when transplanted into urban residential environments. Early research at the University of Arizona traced deep roots of native mesquite to depths below 200 feet. More recent research suggests that these deep roots are important for other reasons.
Global research which surveyed maximum rooting depth of plants (trees, shrubs, perennial grasses) in natural settings (290 observations, 253 species) found a range in average maximum rooting depths from one foot (plants growing in northern tundra regions) to over 200 feet in deserts like the Kalahari; 194 species had roots at least six feet deep, 50 species had roots fifteen feet or more and 22 species had roots more than 30 feet deep.
When the researchers grouped these plants by similar natural habitats, they found the average maximum rooting depth to be 6 feet for cropland, 30 feet for deserts, 12 feet for conifer forests, and nine feet for deciduous forests. When plants were again regrouped into three groups based upon growth habit, then trees had an average maximum depth of 20 feet, shrubs 15 feet and herbaceous plants (nonwoody) 7.5 feet. This research showed that deep rooting is quite common in woody and herbaceous species in natural habitats, far deeper than the traditional view held up until now.
Deep rooting is suspected, and research supports it, to be more important than just structurally anchoring plants in the landscape. Research supports that they could be very important for moving and releasing nutrients and water, both up and down, and redistributing water and nutrients among different soil profiles. Water movement up roots into drier surface soils may affect water use estimates trees and other plants growing in their vicinity.
Many woody plants utilize deep roots for water uptake, particularly when surface soils are dry, but how they do this is not well understood. It was thought to be a combination of water “pulled” up through the tree by evapotranspiration and capillary action (like a soda straw) and little understood process called “root pressure” (like a submersible pump). Measuring water moved from deep in the soil by roots has always been difficult without disturbing the roots and accessing these roots.
However a plant process for moving water deep in the soil profile to upper soil profiles through plant roots has been identified more recently. Research found that during periods without rain, upward flow through deep roots was continuous during both day and night using a plant process researchers call hydraulic lift. Researchers identified that this process contributed up to 20% of daily water movement from that depth with no evidence of nighttime transpiration and no water storage inside the plant.
Research done in Texas on tree roots of two native trees found that roots growing at 20 to 60 feet below the soil surface contributed 20 – 50% of daily transpiration, depending on the water content of surface soils. As surface soils dried, more water was taken from deeper sources. All of this water from deeps soils was attributed to the plant’s hydraulic lift. Large quantities of this water are lifted at night. When hydraulic lift occurs at night then it is termed nocturnal hydraulic lift.
The question then becomes, if available water is moved from deep sources through deep roots during nighttime, when the plant is not transpiring for transpiration the next day, then where is this water stored? Other research indicates that water lifted from the deep soil profile is redistributed to dry, shallower soils where it is stored and used in the future. Deep root water transport varies with changes in the environment. When shallow soils become wetted again due to rain and/or the plant’s need for water decreases, hydraulic lift stops or is reduced dramatically.
Hydraulic lift is the passive movement of water from roots where water is more available to roots or root compartments where the soil is drier. It does not require plant energy. While the majority of documented cases for hydraulic lift are in native plants in desert or arid climates, recent studies (such as those in the Northeast with Sugar Maple) indicate that hydraulic lift is not restricted to desert or arid species or regions.
Release of water into the upper soil layers has been shown to benefit plants neighboring roots responsible for hydraulic lift. Because soils tend to dry from upper soil profiles downward and nutrients are usually more plentiful in the upper soil layers, lifted water may provide moisture to dry surface soils and enhance mineral uptake, beneficial microorganism growth such as mycorrhizae, and uptake of nutrients by feeder roots which typically occupy shallow soils. Some researchers feel that this is a form of plant parasitism and may have been the primary selective force in the evolution of this process. Hydraulic lift may also prolong or enhance root hair activity by keeping them hydrated.
The direction of water movement in deep roots may be upward, downward or horizontal depending on where soil moisture is more limiting. The transfer of water downwards by root systems, from lets say roots growing in wet shallow soils to dry deep soils, has been termed downward siphoning or inverse hydraulic lift; the reverse of hydraulic lift.
Such downward movement through the root system may allow growth of roots in otherwise dry soil at greater depths, permitting more rapid establishment of some plants. The amounts of water stored deep in the soil are not likely to be significant contributions if plant drought is severe. However, downward transfer of water may be important to plant establishment and the reduction of waterlogging in certain soil types. Inverse hydraulic lift may facilitate root growth into deep soil layers and transfer water away from neighboring, shallower-rooted competitors.
In addition to hydraulic lift, where water is redistributed from moist depths to dry topsoil, or inverse hydraulic lift which transfers water downward, the process of "hydraulic redistribution" includes the transfer of water horizontally, from areas that are moist to areas which are drier. In some locations and at some times of the year the subsurface transfer of water through roots may actually represent more water than the amount needed for transpiration.
How much water can this represent? Researchers aren’t really sure but field measurements of hydraulic lift in sugar maple in the Eastern U.S. have put these estimates as high as 25 gallons per night but other studies indicate much higher values. It is suspected that there is a great deal of competition for this water by neighboring plants.
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| Mesquite roots called sinkers in the Sonoran Desert in Jerez, Mexico, near a river that periodically overflows |
When the researchers grouped these plants by similar natural habitats, they found the average maximum rooting depth to be 6 feet for cropland, 30 feet for deserts, 12 feet for conifer forests, and nine feet for deciduous forests. When plants were again regrouped into three groups based upon growth habit, then trees had an average maximum depth of 20 feet, shrubs 15 feet and herbaceous plants (nonwoody) 7.5 feet. This research showed that deep rooting is quite common in woody and herbaceous species in natural habitats, far deeper than the traditional view held up until now.
Deep rooting is suspected, and research supports it, to be more important than just structurally anchoring plants in the landscape. Research supports that they could be very important for moving and releasing nutrients and water, both up and down, and redistributing water and nutrients among different soil profiles. Water movement up roots into drier surface soils may affect water use estimates trees and other plants growing in their vicinity.
Many woody plants utilize deep roots for water uptake, particularly when surface soils are dry, but how they do this is not well understood. It was thought to be a combination of water “pulled” up through the tree by evapotranspiration and capillary action (like a soda straw) and little understood process called “root pressure” (like a submersible pump). Measuring water moved from deep in the soil by roots has always been difficult without disturbing the roots and accessing these roots.
However a plant process for moving water deep in the soil profile to upper soil profiles through plant roots has been identified more recently. Research found that during periods without rain, upward flow through deep roots was continuous during both day and night using a plant process researchers call hydraulic lift. Researchers identified that this process contributed up to 20% of daily water movement from that depth with no evidence of nighttime transpiration and no water storage inside the plant.
Research done in Texas on tree roots of two native trees found that roots growing at 20 to 60 feet below the soil surface contributed 20 – 50% of daily transpiration, depending on the water content of surface soils. As surface soils dried, more water was taken from deeper sources. All of this water from deeps soils was attributed to the plant’s hydraulic lift. Large quantities of this water are lifted at night. When hydraulic lift occurs at night then it is termed nocturnal hydraulic lift.
The question then becomes, if available water is moved from deep sources through deep roots during nighttime, when the plant is not transpiring for transpiration the next day, then where is this water stored? Other research indicates that water lifted from the deep soil profile is redistributed to dry, shallower soils where it is stored and used in the future. Deep root water transport varies with changes in the environment. When shallow soils become wetted again due to rain and/or the plant’s need for water decreases, hydraulic lift stops or is reduced dramatically.
Hydraulic lift is the passive movement of water from roots where water is more available to roots or root compartments where the soil is drier. It does not require plant energy. While the majority of documented cases for hydraulic lift are in native plants in desert or arid climates, recent studies (such as those in the Northeast with Sugar Maple) indicate that hydraulic lift is not restricted to desert or arid species or regions.
Release of water into the upper soil layers has been shown to benefit plants neighboring roots responsible for hydraulic lift. Because soils tend to dry from upper soil profiles downward and nutrients are usually more plentiful in the upper soil layers, lifted water may provide moisture to dry surface soils and enhance mineral uptake, beneficial microorganism growth such as mycorrhizae, and uptake of nutrients by feeder roots which typically occupy shallow soils. Some researchers feel that this is a form of plant parasitism and may have been the primary selective force in the evolution of this process. Hydraulic lift may also prolong or enhance root hair activity by keeping them hydrated.
The direction of water movement in deep roots may be upward, downward or horizontal depending on where soil moisture is more limiting. The transfer of water downwards by root systems, from lets say roots growing in wet shallow soils to dry deep soils, has been termed downward siphoning or inverse hydraulic lift; the reverse of hydraulic lift.
Such downward movement through the root system may allow growth of roots in otherwise dry soil at greater depths, permitting more rapid establishment of some plants. The amounts of water stored deep in the soil are not likely to be significant contributions if plant drought is severe. However, downward transfer of water may be important to plant establishment and the reduction of waterlogging in certain soil types. Inverse hydraulic lift may facilitate root growth into deep soil layers and transfer water away from neighboring, shallower-rooted competitors.
In addition to hydraulic lift, where water is redistributed from moist depths to dry topsoil, or inverse hydraulic lift which transfers water downward, the process of "hydraulic redistribution" includes the transfer of water horizontally, from areas that are moist to areas which are drier. In some locations and at some times of the year the subsurface transfer of water through roots may actually represent more water than the amount needed for transpiration.
How much water can this represent? Researchers aren’t really sure but field measurements of hydraulic lift in sugar maple in the Eastern U.S. have put these estimates as high as 25 gallons per night but other studies indicate much higher values. It is suspected that there is a great deal of competition for this water by neighboring plants.
Cultural Differences Influence Tree Selection for Urban Landscapes
It is well known that urban forestry and the planting of woody plants in urban communities provide substantial benefits to these environments. Trees reduce summer temperatures by providing shade and evaporative cooling. Trees also reduce atmospheric pollution by capturing or sequestering or capturing carbon as they grow and reduce the demand for air conditioning.
Appropriate tree selection can provide valuable wildlife habitat and protect the species diversity to urban dwellers. In most developed countries urban forests were considered almost entirely on the basis of aesthetics. More recently, environmental and economic benefits that these urban forests provide are being given closer scrutiny. In other parts of the world factors may drive plant selection such as the need for food, fuel, cultural heritage and shelter.
Historically the role of forestry was seen as guaranteeing a supply of industrial wood products for a variety of uses that was harvested much like an agricultural crop. But the role of forestry has broadened dramatically over the past few decades to help address a variety of environmental issues such as biological diversity and amelioration of global climate change as well as a new area of forestry coined 'social forestry".
Our cultural heritage may play a large role in how we view urban forests, plant selection and the composition of our urban forest. In a recent research article Canadian researchers surveyed community members representing three different cultural heritages; British, Mediterranean and Chinese; to find out how much actual influence cultural heritage has on the in residential component of Toronto's urban forest.
Researchers found dramatic differences in residential components of Toronto's urban forest and influenced by cultural ancestry. In order to understand where these differences emerge from it is important to understand their historical and cultural evolution.
Residents of Toronto from British origins valued primarily aesthetic landscapes composed of large trees. The researchers proposed that this was primarily due to Britain's demand for English oak used to build wooden ships for their military navy and merchant marine. British landowners also supplied lumber for firewood and maintained their properties for producing wild game for the privileged.
Prior to the industrial revolution, wood produced for shipping was valued and grown on properties owned by the aristocracy. This wood was harvested, sold to the government and provided a significant revenue to these landholders. Large trees were viewed as a sign of wealth, power and prosperity.
Wealthy industrialists emerging later in Britain's history viewed the landscape aesthetics of large mature trees as a sign of wealth and status. This was coupled with a backlash reaction to the industrial revolution that romanticized the world of nature. These views influenced the English school of landscape architecture toward greenspace planning and heavily influenced the evolution of the Garden City Movement in Britain and the United States.
The Garden City Movement was founded in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the UK. In his view, garden cities were to be planned and self-contained communities surrounded by greenbelts with a careful balance between residential, industrial and agricultural development. The Garden City Movement had an impact on the landscape development of New York's Central Park and the downtown central core of Washington, DC among others.
Much of the native vegetation in the Mediterranean region has been lost or dispersed for centuries and replaced by small scale agriculture. Cities in the Mediterranean region, beginning in the middle ages, lacked greenspace and forests but were surrounded by small scale intensive agriculture focused on the growing of fruit trees, grapes and vegetables. The Renaissance villa was intended to be an agricultural center owned by wealthy landlords. From this villa rich landlords could view the pastoral countryside and visitors could admire well manicured gardens.
Villas weren't renowned for their self-sufficiency where owners drank their own wine and pressed their own olive oil. Later the term villa was extended to describe any freestanding suburban home surrounded by a landscape, much of it secured for the growing of food. Mediterranean immigrants continued this agricultural tradition in their new homes of North America which was dominated by the emerging northern European aesthetic of urban forests.
Very little greenspace existed in Chinese cities and what did exist was under the control of the government. Chinese citizens had very little direct influence on urban landscapes outside of their own home. The typical Chinese home, which has changed little in 3000 years, generally consists of several buildings belonging to an extended family. These buildings would all face one or more courtyards separated by family dining areas and communal gathering spots.
This communal home was typically surrounded by a wall which closed the family off from the rest of society and was also used to bring the outdoors into the family's private compound. Inside the compound landscape design was abstract and featured primarily water, stone and buildings with trees playing a less significant role. North American parks with large trees and expansive lawns might seem uninteresting to a Chinese immigrant.
Researchers point out that three concepts play the largest and role in Chinese landscapes: private courtyards, abstract designs with little emphasis on plants, and a lack of involvement in landscape design outside of their courtyards.
It was not surprising then that those surveyed who are from British origin were the most likely to plant shade trees while the Italian, followed by the Portuguese, had or would plant the most fruit trees. Chinese favored the least number of trees. When shown computer generated images of urban landscapes, the British reacted more favorably toward landscapes dominated by trees and shrubs while Chinese tended to favor brick and lawn dominated landscapes.
In backyards, Mediterranean respondents tended to have the largest vegetable gardens while British had the smallest. In the Mediterranean group, Italians tended to plant more fruit trees in backyards than Portuguese which was still more than British which favored shade trees. Chinese was the only group which included untended space in backyard designs.
In front yard designs the researchers found no significant differences in the proportion of vegetable gardens, lawns, flower gardens and patios and driveways or the types of trees. However, those surveyed from the Mediterranean community did not like landscapes dominated by trees which concealed the front of the house while those of British origin preferred it because it had greater privacy than more open landscapes.
Culture also influenced preferences in urban park design. All three groups favored playing fields but differed in recreational use and aesthetics. As would be expected, those from a British background was alone in favoring hiking trails while the other groups or more receptive to flower gardens.
The largest percentage of trees in North American cities grow on private property. Cultural heritage plays a huge role in the selection of plant materials and designs that impact our urban forest. The British were far more interested than other groups in the planting of large ornamental shade trees. The Mediterranean and community, with its history intertwined with agrarian society com was far more interested in producing food in our urban landscapes than aesthetics.
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| Trees can add needed shade to a desert environment but is one this large needed for shade? |
Appropriate tree selection can provide valuable wildlife habitat and protect the species diversity to urban dwellers. In most developed countries urban forests were considered almost entirely on the basis of aesthetics. More recently, environmental and economic benefits that these urban forests provide are being given closer scrutiny. In other parts of the world factors may drive plant selection such as the need for food, fuel, cultural heritage and shelter.
Historically the role of forestry was seen as guaranteeing a supply of industrial wood products for a variety of uses that was harvested much like an agricultural crop. But the role of forestry has broadened dramatically over the past few decades to help address a variety of environmental issues such as biological diversity and amelioration of global climate change as well as a new area of forestry coined 'social forestry".
Our cultural heritage may play a large role in how we view urban forests, plant selection and the composition of our urban forest. In a recent research article Canadian researchers surveyed community members representing three different cultural heritages; British, Mediterranean and Chinese; to find out how much actual influence cultural heritage has on the in residential component of Toronto's urban forest.
Researchers found dramatic differences in residential components of Toronto's urban forest and influenced by cultural ancestry. In order to understand where these differences emerge from it is important to understand their historical and cultural evolution.
Residents of Toronto from British origins valued primarily aesthetic landscapes composed of large trees. The researchers proposed that this was primarily due to Britain's demand for English oak used to build wooden ships for their military navy and merchant marine. British landowners also supplied lumber for firewood and maintained their properties for producing wild game for the privileged.
Prior to the industrial revolution, wood produced for shipping was valued and grown on properties owned by the aristocracy. This wood was harvested, sold to the government and provided a significant revenue to these landholders. Large trees were viewed as a sign of wealth, power and prosperity.
Wealthy industrialists emerging later in Britain's history viewed the landscape aesthetics of large mature trees as a sign of wealth and status. This was coupled with a backlash reaction to the industrial revolution that romanticized the world of nature. These views influenced the English school of landscape architecture toward greenspace planning and heavily influenced the evolution of the Garden City Movement in Britain and the United States.
The Garden City Movement was founded in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the UK. In his view, garden cities were to be planned and self-contained communities surrounded by greenbelts with a careful balance between residential, industrial and agricultural development. The Garden City Movement had an impact on the landscape development of New York's Central Park and the downtown central core of Washington, DC among others.
Much of the native vegetation in the Mediterranean region has been lost or dispersed for centuries and replaced by small scale agriculture. Cities in the Mediterranean region, beginning in the middle ages, lacked greenspace and forests but were surrounded by small scale intensive agriculture focused on the growing of fruit trees, grapes and vegetables. The Renaissance villa was intended to be an agricultural center owned by wealthy landlords. From this villa rich landlords could view the pastoral countryside and visitors could admire well manicured gardens.
Villas weren't renowned for their self-sufficiency where owners drank their own wine and pressed their own olive oil. Later the term villa was extended to describe any freestanding suburban home surrounded by a landscape, much of it secured for the growing of food. Mediterranean immigrants continued this agricultural tradition in their new homes of North America which was dominated by the emerging northern European aesthetic of urban forests.
Very little greenspace existed in Chinese cities and what did exist was under the control of the government. Chinese citizens had very little direct influence on urban landscapes outside of their own home. The typical Chinese home, which has changed little in 3000 years, generally consists of several buildings belonging to an extended family. These buildings would all face one or more courtyards separated by family dining areas and communal gathering spots.
This communal home was typically surrounded by a wall which closed the family off from the rest of society and was also used to bring the outdoors into the family's private compound. Inside the compound landscape design was abstract and featured primarily water, stone and buildings with trees playing a less significant role. North American parks with large trees and expansive lawns might seem uninteresting to a Chinese immigrant.
Researchers point out that three concepts play the largest and role in Chinese landscapes: private courtyards, abstract designs with little emphasis on plants, and a lack of involvement in landscape design outside of their courtyards.
It was not surprising then that those surveyed who are from British origin were the most likely to plant shade trees while the Italian, followed by the Portuguese, had or would plant the most fruit trees. Chinese favored the least number of trees. When shown computer generated images of urban landscapes, the British reacted more favorably toward landscapes dominated by trees and shrubs while Chinese tended to favor brick and lawn dominated landscapes.
In backyards, Mediterranean respondents tended to have the largest vegetable gardens while British had the smallest. In the Mediterranean group, Italians tended to plant more fruit trees in backyards than Portuguese which was still more than British which favored shade trees. Chinese was the only group which included untended space in backyard designs.
In front yard designs the researchers found no significant differences in the proportion of vegetable gardens, lawns, flower gardens and patios and driveways or the types of trees. However, those surveyed from the Mediterranean community did not like landscapes dominated by trees which concealed the front of the house while those of British origin preferred it because it had greater privacy than more open landscapes.
Culture also influenced preferences in urban park design. All three groups favored playing fields but differed in recreational use and aesthetics. As would be expected, those from a British background was alone in favoring hiking trails while the other groups or more receptive to flower gardens.
The largest percentage of trees in North American cities grow on private property. Cultural heritage plays a huge role in the selection of plant materials and designs that impact our urban forest. The British were far more interested than other groups in the planting of large ornamental shade trees. The Mediterranean and community, with its history intertwined with agrarian society com was far more interested in producing food in our urban landscapes than aesthetics.
Bugs and Roly Polys Can Be A Problem in the Garden
Q. My biggest question is how to rid my raised vegetable beds of the abundance of bugs of all sorts who have made their home there over the past couple years. I love the little “roly poly” bugs but have a thousand of them in my gardens causing problems. Is there an organic pesticide that you would recommend? I have just begun planting fall veggies and would really like to catch this problem now.
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| Picture of pillbug from Texas A and M |
A. It is hard to determine what went wrong with your garden this past year. It could be a number of things but we generally use soap and water sprays about three times a week just to keep the vegetables free of bugs as much as possible.
Roly-polys generally like decaying debris on the soil surface so keeping the soil clean and free of debris is always suggested to keep their numbers down. Not letting soft fruits touch the ground helps and keeping them trellised. Roly polys can’t fly or climb so elevating them off the ground helps.
Cutting Back Tomato Plants in the Fall
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| Cutting back tomatoes in the hoophouse in July and August |
A. You don’t have to cut them back. They will begin to produce again as the temperatures cool this fall. However, if they have gotten too large or you want to reinvigorate them then you can cut them back. In our hot desert tomatoes stop producing when temperatures climb over the mid 90's or so. The ones that have set will continue to develp and ripen but no new fruit will set until cool weather sets in.
Whatever you use if you cut them back make sure it is clean and sterilized. You can cut back about 1/3 plant just above some side branches. Cutting the plants back will cause them to begin to grow vigorously as they tried to reestablish their tops to the existing root system. Do not cut them back to stems only or they most likely will just die.
If there is fruit still on the vine that you want to harvest and cutting the vine means removing the fruit than you might wait until after you finish harvesting. Then go ahead and cut.
Once you have trimmed the plant back then lightly apply some foliar fertilizers that focus on fruit production. Do this in the early morning hours. Apply this fertilizer in the early morning hours while it is still cooler and the sunlight is not so intense. This would mean a fertilizer high in the middle number or phosphorus and lower on nitrogen.
You want to stimulate some new growth but you want the nitrogen in the fertilizer to begin to fizzle out in a couple of weeks as daytime high temperatures cool into the lower nineties. I’m guessing that this will be toward the end of September but I am no weatherman.
You can apply a fertilizer to the soil but these generally last too long and can cause your tomatoes to grow excessively before they bloom again. Foliar fertilizers are usually short lived and you will get flowers sooner after an application. Try mixing it at half the label rate.
Whenever you are growing vegetables you should be applying light applications of fertilizer whenever you are harvesting. You are taking away from the plant so you need to give something back to it to help it recover from harvesting. I hope this helps.
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