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Leaving for Afghanistan

I have accepted a post with the University of California, Davis, as their Deputy Chief of Party for establishing and extension program in Balkh Province, Afghanistan. The program is funded by USDA and involves currently UC Davis (lead) as well as Purdue and Washington State University. I will be leaving some time in April, 2012. My blog and newsletters will continue with perhaps some interesting posts from my new location. My newspaper column will continue with submissions from me from over there as well. You can still reach me by my email addresses with questions. So stay tuned!

Afghanistan Agricultural Extension Project (AAEP)

This project is designed to assist Afghanistan s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock to deliver more effective, demand-driven extension services to producers and other rural clientele. Anticipated results of the project include a cadre of extension staff with the technical expertise and appropriate methodologies to effectively extend information and knowledge; increased public accessibility to, and use of, government extension services; development of extension training modules and educational materials based on high-priority needs; targeted agricultural universities, vocational high schools, and technical institutes with increased capacity to prepare future extension personnel; improved services for women working in the agricultural sector; and a pluralistic approach to extension that responds to farmers needs for research-based technologies, builds upon the innovations of Afghanistan farmers, and promotes coordination among the various entities providing extension-related services.

Drip Emitters Probably a Better Choice for Containers Than Drip Tubing

An assortment of drip emitters

Q. I recently purchased 4 large clay pots 18" deep and 21" wide at the top for my roses.  I would like to run a soaker hose up the bottom, circle around the top edge, (I might want to under-plant with flowers) and then take the hose back through the bottom and on to the next pot.  My partner believes that we should just put two drip emitters at the top of the plant.  Do you think that it is okay to under-plant with flowers or should we just mulch the top with shredded cedar?  Also, should we fill part of the pot with gravel before we fill with soil?

A. Regarding the pot, I have never been an advocate of putting gravel or crushed clay pots at the bottom of the container for drainage. It is best to use the same soil mix throughout the container as it will drain the more readily if the soil is consistent from top to bottom. Make sure the soil drains freely out the bottom hole of the container.

            I understand you are trying to run some sort of drip irrigation up the bottom of the container so it is not so unsightly. This is the right way to do it but I happen to agree with your partner that drip emitters are probably a better choice than using a soaker hose. These soaker hoses frequently get plugged.

            I would probably run smaller distribution tubing to the top of the container and put two or three drip emitters there from a larger mainline polyethylene pipe at the bottom. This should be enough to water the understory plants if you want.

            Regarding the shredded cedar mulch, wood mulch is always a better choice than bark mulch. Wood mulch adds a lot more to the soil as it decomposes. The problem with wood mulch is that it is not very pretty up close. The problem with cedar mulch is that while pretty, is does not decompose easily.

            I would probably recommend using an inch of wood mulch and then perhaps putting something on top of it to beautify it such as cedar mulch. Be very careful with wood mulches coming in contact with young woody plants. If this wood mulch stays wet and stays in contact with the bark of young woody plants, it can cause the trunk to rot at the soil level, a problem we call collar rot. I hope this helps.

Will Tree Roses Grow in the Mojave Desert?

Q. I need your advice on tree roses, please.  I'm a recent transplant from the Denver area.  I have always wanted to grow tree roses but because of Denver's winters I never tried to grow them there. My all-time favorite rose is Double Delight. Do you think it does well as a tree?

A. I went ahead and attached a copy of roses that do well in our desert climate, a publication from Weeks Roses. As you can see, Double Delight is a very good hybrid tea for our climate. It should also do well as a tree rose. Roses will do best if you do not plant them near a hot wall such as South or West facing.

Get Roses for Hot Desert Climates

            Having said that, the advantage of putting them in this exposure is that you have a greater chance of getting blooms all winter long in these locations provided you provide some protection from winter wind. Winter winds primarily come from the north and northwest here. These directions may change in an urban setting where winds are diverted and channel between buildings.

            If you can, try to create a microclimate for them that will stay warm in the winter but provide some late afternoon shade in the summer. The disadvantage of that exposure is the amount of heat generated in midsummer and the stress which accompanies it.

Hardy Kiwis Will Grow in the Las Vegas Valley with the Right Location

Q. I recently purchased a male and female Hardy Kiwi starts form Parks Seed Company.  I was wondering if you might be able to give me any tips for growing them here in the Las Vegas Valley.  I have done some reading on pruning and training them into a trunk and building a T-trellis. In what I have read they need full sunlight but I  am of the mind that perhaps afternoon shade might be a bit better.

A Hardy Kiwi Trellis System

A. Good thinking. I would be of a similar mind that if you could protect it from late afternoon sun and strong winds you will be better off. Even though they are hardy kiwis and more tolerant of winter temperatures than standard kiwis they can still suffer from some cold damage if the temperatures get low enough. And they do get low enough in parts of the Valley to kill hardy kiwis.

            So a good location in the right microclimate is going to be paramount. They should still get a minimum of six hours of full sun each day. They must be planted in amended soil with good quality compost mixed in.

What Hardy Kiwi Looks Like

            I would highly recommend mulching them with wood mulch rather than bare soil or rock mulch. Keep the mulch away from the trunk at least 6 inches the first few years. If you can keep them in a warmer microclimate in the yard and out of strong cold winter winds will have success with them.

Is Oleander the "Bad Boy" of Landscaping?

Oleander as a tee form

Q. I am on the landscaping committee in my community and we have had several people question us about the oleander shrubs in the community.  Are they allowed or have they been banned like the olive trees?

A. No, they have not been banned. This poor plant has been so maligned over the years it is incredible. It has been singled out as a scary plant of some sort. It’s the “Bad Boy” of desert landscapes.

            Yes, it is poisonous along with 100 other plants in our landscape. Is it more poisonous than others? Yes, it is more poisonous than many others but there are other landscape plants that are equally or even more poisonous than oleander. We just don’t talk about them.

            Does its pollen cause allergies? No. The pollen is relatively heavy and sticky and does not travel very far on wind currents. Oleanders do not rely on wind for pollination but instead rely on pollinators like bees.

            Frequently, plants with very showy flowers are typically insect-pollinated. Plants which do not have showy flowers frequently are wind pollinated and their pollen must travel long distances. Acacia, Mesquite contribute much more to allergy problems than oleanders.

            Oleanders are beautiful plants for the desert and can take a tremendous amount of abuse. However, they are also high water users when watered to keep them full and showy. They are tough, drought tolerant plants if not given enough water or under watered.

            When water is reduced, their visual quality is reduced considerably but they can survive.

Planting Fruit Trees from Containers Gives Few Advantages

Fruit tree in container to avoid purchasing
when roots are exposed like this

Q. I would like to plant a peach and pluot in my backyard. I know you always recommend planting bare root, but I am too excited and don't really want to wait 3-5 years for fruit. There is a drastic price difference between 5 gallon and 15 gallon trees.  How soon would I get fruit with each of these options? I have one spot that is cooler and another a bit warmer. Which would be best in these spots?

A. The 5 gallon tree will catch up to the size of the 15 gallon tree in about two years. This is because the larger tree transplants more poorly compared with the smaller tree. A bare root tree will catch up to the 15 gallon tree in 2 to 3 years.

            There is very little difference between all of them in how soon they will produce due to transplant shock. Transplant shock is less in bare root trees than container trees and they establish better in soil than container trees.

            The peach tree should be into full production in its fourth year. You will get a trickle of fruit prior to this. The pluot will enter into full production in about the sixth year but you should get a trickle of fruit in the fourth year.

            I would put the pluot in the cooler winter location to try to delay its bloom later in the spring to avoid fruit loss due to late freezes.

March Todo List in the Orchard



Sweet corn at the orchard

March Todo List

• Plant sweet in at least three rows for wind pollination. Plant seed one foot apart and enough room between rows so you can harvest ears. Keep out of strong winds.

Contessa sweet onions after harvest
at the orchard

• Dig and replant onion transplants or plant transplants ordered. Be sure to use a high phosphorus fertilizer and compost at the time of planting. We can grow both Short and Long Day onions. Try Candy, Big Daddy, Texas Super Sweet, Red Candy, Walla Walla, Sterling. A good place to order online is Dixondale Farms in Texas http://www.dixondalefarms.com/     

• Harvest asparagus every 2 to 3 days. Store spears upright to prevent curving of the spears.
• Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons, cucumbers to be planted March 15. Protect from wind and strong sunlight for two weeks.
• Early March. Prune table grapes.
• Spray to prevent thrips damage on nectarine fruits.
• Prepare bottles for putting on fruit trees for harvesting fruit in bottles. Select early producing varieties and put the bottles upside down so they drain and in the shade of the canopy on the north side.

Growing fruit in bottles partially covered with aluminum
foil to prevent heat buildup



• Weed vegetable plots.
• Cutworm control on newly emerged seedlings. Spray Bt (Dipel or Thuricide) or Spinosad over newly applied vegetables and the soil surrounding the plants.
• Prune palms to get them out of the way of the vegetable plots.
• Harvest green almonds toward the end of the month and into April.
• Thin apricots when dime sized.
• Thin peaches when nickel sized.
• Harvest snow peas
• Fix irrigation leaks

Almonds harvested green. This size and smaller can be used.

Bananas Growing in the Mojave Desert

One of our readers, Harrison, has some bananas growing here in town “banana has started to flower! Will keep you informed”  in his own words, “3 year old fruiting in-ground full-sized (in jerry-rigged greenhouse”.

Texas Moutain Laurel with Yellow Leaves

Q. My Texas Mountain Laurel has yellow leaves and they continue to get more yellow as time goes by. It faces southwest, has 2 adjustable emitters turned down low, in the winter watering once a week for one hour. In early August I fed it with a fertilizer for acid-loving plants. I have looked very closely for bugs, and see none. There are some brown spots that have been appearing on the leaves.

Want to see what this plant looks like?

A. This plant is native to the Chihuahuan desert and so is accustomed to very low rainfall, particularly during the summer months. This doesn't mean you should not water it in the summer but it does tell me that it would prefer deep but less frequent irrigations at the time of the year.

            It is also not accustomed to high amounts of fertilizer and does not need fertilizers blended for acid loving plants. This plant grows easily in alkaline soils. It is a legume so go lightly with the fertilizers.

            Generally speaking, deep irrigations to a depth of 12 to 18 inches, once a week should be fine during the summer months. You should be able to water less often in the winter. They are found on rocky soils in the desert but I am sure that they would prefer improved soils as long as they drain water.

            In the spring this plant tends to get a caterpillar, the larva of the Genista moth, in it that feeds on the leaves. Sprays containing Bt, like Dipel or Thuricide or even Spinosad, should control it with one or two applications when you start to see them.

Genista moth on Texas Mountain Laurel

Lilac Pruning and Selection for the Desert

Q. My daughter has just moved into a house that has old growth lilacs and we need to know how to prune them without causing too much stress on the plants.  Do you have any ideas?

A. By the way, Persian lilacs grow and bloom better here than the common lilac and are very showy. However, the lilac variety “Lavender Lady” requires less chilling and blooms very well here. These are not plants for rock landscapes but should be in the high water use zones and the soil should be amended well at planting and covered with organic mulch.

            For good-looking lilacs always start pruning at the bottom of the shrub. At the bottom, identify the two or three largest stems coming from the base. Remove them with clean cuts close to the ground. I can't see the shrub but several smaller stems should remain that supports flowering for next year.

            What you are trying to accomplish with many woody shrubs is to renew the shrub with new growth on a constant basis. You do this by removal of the largest stems close to the ground. This should cause smaller and newer growth to originate from the base keeping the shrub green, juvenile and full of flowers and leaves from top to bottom.

            Every couple of years, repeat this type of pruning; remove the largest stems at the base. If done correctly, this will keep the shrubs renewed and looking good. This is all you need to do unless you have some crossed or broken branches at the top that you need to remove.

            Don't forget to fertilize the with a good quality fertilizer made for woody plants. Fertilize plants whenever you take anything from them (pruning) or they give you something (flowering). So when you’re pruning or they bloom for you, you need to give back to them lightly in the form of a fertilizer. You can use fertilizer stakes. Put fertilizers close to the emitters or their source of water. Do this in late January through March and make light applications right after they finish blooming. I hope this helps.

Mulch Forms Crust I am Worried About

Orchard with wood mulch in the Mojave Desert

Q. I noticed that even though my drippers water deeply, the mulch around the surface of the plants and trees form a crust. Does that prevent oxygen from getting to the plants? The summer heat can only make worse. What do you suggest?

A. I have never noticed this with the organic wood mulch that we use at the Orchard. It is very important that air gets to the roots. If this is a problem, then break up the crust with a rake. 

            Very fine mulches can compact or lay flatly on the surface of the soil over time. This can happen with sawdust, finely shredded newspapers and even very fine rock mulch such as 1/4 inch minus. Salts that are pulled up from the soil from surface evaporation can accumulate and cause crusts to form.

            Coarse mulches seldom if ever have this problem because they cannot lay flat. Air moves through the coarse mulch where it supplies oxygen to microorganisms that help break down the mulch at the soil surface.

            This constant breaking down of wood mulch adds organic matter to the soil which further aids in getting air into the soil. With time, the breakdown of wood mulch loosens the soil even further and causes the soil to allow even more air to the roots, particularly at the soil surface.

            Hopefully you added compost to the soil at the time of planting. The wood mulch even adds more nutrients to the soil as it breaks down. It is important to have a wide diversity of different types of wood in the wood mulch; the more the better.

            If you want a measurement of the activity, pull the wood mulch back where the soil is irrigated. After just a few months the soil will become much darker indicating its enrichment and biological activity which continuously improves the soil. Wood mulch also helps to keep the soil cooler aiding in decomposition as well.

Fruit Trees to Provide Shade for the House

Q. I want to replace my acacia-like tree because it does not lose its leaves during winter and thus persists in shading our house from the sun at a time we actually need the solar heat. I want a deciduous peach, apricot, plum or apple tree which would be a fast-grower, provide shade during summer, give little shade during winter, and bear some flowers and some good fruits on the side.

A. If you want some shade on your home to help reduce cooling costs in the summer you should focus on shading the South and West facing walls of your home. Since the walls typically have less insulation in them, they are the worst offenders for heat gain in the summer.

            It is not as important to shade the roof as it is to shade the west and south walls. If you do focus on the walls, then some of the smaller fruit trees such as peach, apricot and plum and semi-dwarf apple will work just fine. All of these fruit trees are deciduous so they will not create shade from December through February or March.

            I would recommend planting them about 5 to 7 feet from the wall and that far apart so that you can work all sides of the trees. Another possibility is to trellis them along the wall to create shade. The trellis should be a stand-alone trellis, not attached to the wall. You can also achieve the same thing by putting an arbor on that side of the house and using grapes to shade the walls from the overhead sun.

            My recommended varieties can be found on my blog which is called Xtremehorticulture of the Desert and can be found at http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com

Using Ficus as a Hedge/Screen Around a Pool in Phoenix

You scared me for a minute. I'm in Las Vegas so when I saw your Ficus mentioned I was concerned. I am less concerned with it in the Phoenix area but the pool area puts it in a different twist and you still have to worry about freezing damage.

            But I am going to copy this to my good friend Terry Mikel who was your Extension Specialist in Maricopa County with the main office in Phoenix. He is better at answering this one and I will post his answer. He is in retirement but I am SURE he will come out of hiding on this one!

Q. I live in Glendale Arizona. I have a 45ft section of 6 foot brick wall that I would like to plant Ficus nitida along. There is a 4 foot width between the wall and a plaster underground swimming pool. No problem watering the hedge?  But will this plant seek the pool water and cause a problem. I am not worried about frost. I want a 10 foot hedge when done.

A. Your thoughts about having a hedge sound good.  Ficus microcarpa sub species/or cultivar 'Nitida' can fit the situation; its clean (no real messes). evergreen and makes a dense wall of foliage.

            I have to use the term 'can' with a couple caveats. 

1. This plant can grow to a very large size.  Frosts every few years help keep them in check.  And pruning can, to a certain degree keep them in check.  But, frosts and pruning will be a continuous battle against their genetics: it wants to be a 60' tall and 80' wide tree.

2. This species of Ficus will after time develop huge surface roots that will lift, push or barge anything in their path.  It’s their genetics and watering will have little, if any affect so the wall to the one side and any pool decking on the other side will be vulnerable to the large lifting roots.

            Your one concern about them 'seeking' water is a commonly misunderstood trait of any plant. . . Plants do not search out water, period.  Plants send out roots randomly in all directions and roots that run into a water source will proliferate.

            Pool sides, if sound will be the same a rock in nature, the roots will try to grow up, under, or around any solid object.

            If, and this is a big if there is the slightest oozing leak from the pool's wall  and a root meanders there then it will grow and proliferate in response.  That's where the issue of roots and pools becomes a problem.

            Personally, the Ficus is overused and most people who grow them quickly tire of all the problems with them.  If anyone who knew much about them would warn folks against using them except for large evergreen tree.

            Your setting is a little bit of a challenge. You might think about something much less vigorous with fewer potential problems and some have blooms (a potential 'mess' issue). Look at: citrus, Hop Seed Bush (Dodonea), Xylosma (both common and botanical name), Arizona Rosewood (or any in that genus of Vauquelinia), one of the many different blooming colors of Arizona Yellow Bells (Tecoma and various species and varieties), Petite Oleanders have been used in that setting for generations.

            Every person's 'likes' and 'dislikes' vary. Check with your water department and pick up some of the nice booklets about planning and plants for the landscape. These were produced by the Arizona Municipal Water Users' Association, more lovingly called AMWUA to be distributed in the different communities.

            Another resource might be going to the Mountain States Wholesale Nursery (MSWN.com) site for a truly complete list of plants that are well adapted in the lower Sonoran desert. They also produce some for the higher deserts but their main goal is for lower deserts. .

Respectfully,

Terry H. Mikel

Growing Saffron in the Desert

Q. I live in Summerlin and I want to grow saffron crocus. Is our area suitable for the successful propagation of this plant? If so, can you tell me the best source for the sativus corms? I would like to plant in the early spring if possible.

Saffron crocus growing at the orchard

A. Yes, saffron will grow here and does quite well. Saffron, a type of crocus is in the iris family, is one of the most expensive spices in the world. It takes about 60,000 crocus flowers to make one pound of saffron. One of our volunteers began growing it successfully at the orchard a couple of years ago.

            There is no seed so propagation is by planting the bulb which is actually a corm much like a tulip bulb. Your best source for corms for planting will be online. Saffron crocus loves our alkaline desert soils, hot dry climate and mild winters. It does well in climates and soils that can grow pistachios.

            The bulbs of saffron should be planted in full sun in heavily composted desert soil with additions of your favorite phosphorus fertilizer. Planting should be about 4 inches deep and about 4 inches apart. They should be irrigated and mulched with light mulch such as straw. Lightly fertilize continuously through the season to increase bulb size so it can be further propagated.

            There are different levels of quality in saffron usually based on its color and taste. You can affect the quality of saffron by manipulating how it is grown. Grow it so it is “happy” and it will produce a good quality product.

Saffron production manual

Can Myers Lemon Do Well in Rock Mulch?

Q. I live in the far western area of the Las Vegas valley.  I have a good sized area covered with rock mulch. A flowering plum tree (soon to be removed) is struggling in this area. Can a Myer’s lemon tree do well in a rock mulch setting?

Loquat in rock mulch

A. I would not recommend it. It might do okay for a few years, maybe 3 to 5, and then it will start to take a dive. You will have much better luck if you can pull the rock away from fruit trees, including your flowering plum, perhaps 6 feet or so from the trunk and putting down wood mulch instead of rock.

            If you decide to plant some citrus, I would highly recommend adding a lot of compost to our desert soil at the time of planting. It is much more effective to mix it in the soil then it would be to try to add it to the soil after it has been planted.

Growing Fruit Trees in Containers and Transplanting Into the Ground

Q. I would like to plant some trees in containers until I can plant them in my yard in a few years. Can they stay in containers if I'm careful with them?  I'm thinking about apricot, pluot, orange and maybe a pomegranate.

A. If you have purchased these in containers you will probably not want to keep them in the same container more than perhaps that single growing season if you plan to plant them in the yard. Generally speaking, if you plan to replant them then they should be moved into progressively larger containers or the roots will be permanently damaged. Eventually, the containers you'll need will have to be large, whiskey barrel-sized or larger.

15 year old Gold Kist apricot at the orchard with minor
pruning for size control

            Once these trees start to get bigger they will transplant into the yard with more and more difficulty. This just means they are more likely to suffer from transplant shock and recover from this shock more slowly when moved. I would recommend that if you want fruit trees in containers then keep them in the container permanently. When you are ready to plant in the yard then purchase trees specifically for the yard.

             Of the group you mention, citrus is probably the best choice for a container. Try to locate a citrus on a dwarfing type of trifoliate orange rootstock. Trifoliate orange rootstock is very cold tolerant which you will need in our climate unless you can protect the plant from freezing temperatures. There are a few selections of trifoliate orange rootstock that are more dwarfing than others. Focus on these if you can find them.

            My next choice for a container might be one of the smaller pomegranates like the variety ‘Sweet’ which would be a better choice for containers as opposed to ‘Wonderful’. The fruit is excellent, as good as or better than ‘Wonderful’.

Read about Sweet pomegranate at Dave Wilson Nursery

            If you select an apricot then I would pick one of the miniatures like ‘Pixie-Cot’ or a standard sized tree like ‘Gold Kist’ which tends to stay smaller when on Nemaguard rootstock at least.

Read about Pixie cot and Gold Kist at Dave Wilson Nursery

            Among the pluots for a container I would probably pick ‘Flavor King’ which stays naturally smaller than some of the other pluots but it will need a pollenizer tree such as ‘Santa Rosa’ plum.

Read about Flavor King pluot at Dave Wilson Nursery

            Don't expect these trees to be long-lived if you keep them in containers. I hope this helps.

One of Several Pine Trees Sparse and Scrawny

Q. Why does my one pine tree seem so sparse and inadequate?  I purchased four Mondale pines and treat them all equally. But one of them looks so scrawny.  The other one shown looks healthy and appears to be robust.  Any thoughts on that? 

A. The usual reason for a pine tree being sparse and not full is that it is not receiving the same treatment as the others. Pine trees generally maintain needles on their branches until the wood gets to be three to five years old and then the needles are dropped from the older wood. This older branch is needle-less except for small branches growing from it less than five years old.

            The reason for canopy thinning is the loss of needles at a higher rate than they are being replaced. So bottom line for a pine tree becoming sparse is that the tree is not putting on enough new growth. Reasons for this include a lack of water, fertilizer, damage to the tree, or less likely, diseases or insects.

Pine needle brown dieback due to lack of water

            By far the most common reason is that the amount of applied water is not enough. So when you say you treat them the same it does not necessarily mean these treatments are all reaching the trees equally. But if there is inadequate water two things will happen; the tree will put on less growth and the needles will begin dying back from the tips.

            The first thing to do is to check and make sure that whatever is delivering water to the tree is not plugged. Secondly, make sure that water is not running off the surface to some other location. Just because water is applied to a tree does not mean it is getting to the roots.

Circling roots of semi mature tree due to circling roots
in the containers

            Remember, that as trees get bigger their demand for water increases. The increase is not simply a few gallons per year but is much greater because trees are three dimensional in their water use unlike a lawn. Unlike a lawn, when a tree doubles in size its need for water more than doubles.

            The next most common reason is that the roots of the tree never fully established into the surrounding soil after planting. This can be because the tree was too old for the container and the roots started circling and never established into the landscape successfully.

            It can also be because the tree was not firmly staked at the time of planting. Correctly staking a tree will immobilize the roots and help them to establish successfully into the surrounding soil. You should be able to push on the trunk and NOT see any movement of soil at the base of the trunk.  

            The next most common reason is damage to the roots or trunk. This will be far less likely than a watering problem but much easier to identify. This can be physical damage like construction, damage from chemicals like salts or weed killers, insect or diseases like collar rot.

            If the tree is being shaded by other plants and not receiving enough light (at least six hours a day) then these branches in the shade can drop their needles. If this is the case then some pruning to allow more light will help. If they are planted too close together then consider removing trees so the remaining trees will thrive.

Pyracantha Has No Berries

Q. Would you happen to know why my eight pyracantha bushes did not produce red berries this year?  I did not see birds helping themselves.

A. On your pyracantha the only thing I can come up with is either that they did not flower (you did not tell me if they flowered or not) or that a late freeze eliminated the fruit crop. We did have a late freeze in the spring which eliminated many plums and apricots this past growing season.         

Another possibility could be how they were pruned. If they were pruned in such a way that the flowering wood was removed, then it is possible the fruit would be removed as well. If your pyracantha bloomed this past year and did not fruit then this means it was most likely a late frost. I hope this helps.

Small Dark Green Circles on Lawn

Q. I have nice green circles on my lawn. Yes, I have three dogs!  The lawn was put in about nine months ago as sod.  It suffered from minor fungus last summer and those areas were resodded about three months ago which you can see in my photo.  About a week ago I added a nitrogen only fertilizer.  Do I need to add something else to the lawn?  I would like the lawn to look green like the circles which I assume are a result of my dogs!  Or is this some other issue?

A. Thanks for telling me you have the dogs. You must read my column. Green spots or small circles can be from dogs. If it is from dogs, the spots are usually 6 to 10 inches in diameter with a smaller circle of dead grass in the center.

Dog urine damage to lawn. If the lawn had been fertilized
with a high nitrogen fertilizer at Thanksgiving the circles
would not be as notieable

            The concentrated dog urine kills the grass in the center of the green spot due to its concentration but acts like a high nitrogen fertilizer as it becomes more dilute further from the dead grass. The diluted dog urine causes the grass to become greener and grow more rapidly. So the dark green grass surrounding the brown dead center is frequently taller than the surrounding grass.

            If it is warm outside, an application of high nitrogen fertilizer plus one or two mowings to remove the brown dead tips of grass should even the color out through your lawn. Nitrogen is the primary fertilizer responsible for having a green lawn. The other is iron. You cannot substitute one for the other. Nitrogen also stimulates growth. Adding more nitrogen means mowing more often.

            Your lawn is very dense in the picture. This might also contribute to disease problems. You might try reducing your fertilizer applications to about half of what you are applying now to decrease its density and help improve air movement through the grass. This might help reducing disease potential when it is hot outside.

            You could also try mowing your lawn a bit shorter in the summer months, no shorter than 1 1/2 inches. This might also help reduce disease potential. Make sure you are irrigating your lawn in the early morning hours, not at night where the water can sit on the lawn for several hours before it evaporates.

            I have a class coming up on lawn care management on Sunday, February 26 at noon at Plant World Nursery.