Q. My garden has matured and now I
have flower beds that are shaded. What plants grow in the shade here and
where can I buy them?
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Why I Hate To Answer the Question,"What Plant Should I Use for...."
I send these types of questions now to Andrea Meckley. She LOVES these kinds of questions. So thank her for answers to your question, "What plant should I use for.....
Any Fruit Trees That Don't Need Pesticides?
Q. Are there any fruit, nut, fig, or olive trees that I
can grow in North Las Vegas without using pesticides?
Cathedral Oak a Good Choice But May Be Hard to Find
Q. A few days ago we saw a cathedral oak at the Springs
Preserve. It was identified as
"Quercus virginiana 'Cathedral'"on its little sign. Does it do well in Las Vegas? Do its leaves fall at all (like pine needles
drop)? How tall/wide does it get in our area? Is it a fast grower? Any other facts?
Poor Canopy Development in Newly Planted Large Tree Could Be Lack of Water
Q. I
think I this might be a pink locust tree. I'm seeing a lot of dead branches.
The tree was planted last Fall. Should I give it some fertilizer to help it
push out new growth?
Is Grub Guard Safe to Use in my Landscape?
Q. I ran across an item called Grub Guard in the catalog.
It contains beneficial nematodes. Would these be the same kind of nematodes
that attacked my tomatoes last year?
My Pomegranate Has Those Little Red Bugs
Q. I have a pomegranate tree planted by birds about 20 years
ago. I never had bug problems on this tree before 2011. In 2012 it produced about
150 pounds of pomegranates. In 2013 the tree did not produce any fruit at all.
This year the tree is loaded again but it is infested with those little red
bugs that I think will turn into those ugly creatures you have been talking
about. We don't want to use poisons. Have there been any new developments for
control?
New Texas Ranger Not Looking Good After Daily Watering
Q. I planted a Texas Ranger shrub three weeks ago in some sandy
and rocky soil. I have been watering it with about two gallons daily. I added
one inch-deep bark mulch in a 1 foot circle around the plant. Now I am finding
yellow, brittle leaves on the lower stems and curling leaves on top. Am I overwatering?
Tomatoes With Black Bottoms Now Being Seen
Those of
you who were lucky enough to get your tomatoes planted the first part of March
have already tasted your home grown tomatoes. Quite a few of you have
discovered tomatoes with black bottoms. What do you do?
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Leafcutter Bees Will Probably Use Houses for Blue Mason Bees
Q. Someone gave us a Mason bee house to use. I saw in a
July 2011 post on your blog that there really aren't mason bees in the Las
Vegas area but there are leaf cutter bees. Do you think the leafcutters would
use the Mason bee house? I know leaf cutters stuff the hole with leaves so the
fact that the Mason bee holes are larger might not be an issue.
Artificial Grass Not Damaging Lemon Tree
Q. My lemon tree is about five years old and it has a lot
of flowers and tiny lemons. The tree
looks healthy but I have noticed the leaves are turning yellow. I water it every day about ten minutes, six
days a week. We have artificial grass
about a foot away around the trunk. Am I
overwatering it or is it the artificial turf the culprit?
Cold Damage is Different for Different Oleanders
Q. For the past couple of years my oleanders have
suffered severe frost damage and slow to recover in the spring. They are all
mature plants. While I was trimming the
dead leaves recently, I noticed that the oleanders with red flowers had less
damage and were recovering more quickly than the others that have pink flowers.
Can I Use Chipped Pine for Mulch Around Fruit Trees?
Q. Our neighbor's pine trees are going to be cut down
soon. I would like to use the wood chips from the tree as mulch for our
recently planted fruit trees. I remember you recommend 4 inches deep. What are
your thoughts on fresh mulch as this?
Smokey Grey Color in Your Lawn Means Water
If you see that smokey, green or grey color in your lawn it is a good sign that the grass is not getting water in those spots. Check for blocked or broken sprinklers in that location.
Don't Forget to Thin Apples and Pears When Fruit are Small
Apples and pears require aggressive thinning particularly if you did not space your bearing limbs far enough apart.You can still do some summer pruning if the canopy is too dense.
Harvesting Early Can Keep Fruit from the Wind and Hungry Birds
The fruit in the grocery store looks good. But frequently when you taste it the taste does not match the look of goodness that you thought was there. This is why.
Gopher Plant Adds Interest to a Desert Landscape
Gopher plant adds a lot of interest to an otherwise boring desert landscape due to color and texture during bloom and even after bloom. Use it as a specimen (planted alone as the center of attention) or in masses if you have a large area. In masses, plant them two to three feet apart.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Tomato Transplants Wilted and Died. Disease?
Q. Last weekend I started putting some tomatoes into
raised garden beds. I had started these from seed about 8 weeks ago,
transplanted them once into 20 oz plastic cups after four weeks, and hardened
them off for a week before putting them in the ground. The were 4-6 inches
tall. They went into good topsoil and I
fertilized them lightly with Miracle Gro for tomatoes. Within about five days
they started wilting from the bottom up and two are completely dead. I've noticed white lesions on several of the stems.
Photos attached. Could this be blight? Is there a chance I overfertilized? I
haven't seen any insects on the plants.
I Told You to Spray Your Vegetables!
Here is what to do when protecting your vegetables from insects:
This Question on Drip Irrigation Made My Head Hurt!
Q. I have a LOT of different shrubs and trees on only 2
valves. I don't know how to water them.
Never Plant or Transplant into a Dry Hole
Compost and soils amended heavily with composts can present some problems with transplants and seeds if you are not careful. I did some of my own testing with some local composts and guess what I found out!
Brown Bumps on Quince Branches Probably Scale Insects
Q. We have a three year old Quince tree which looked very
good to me until today when I noticed brown or dark purple, small, pee-sized
bumps on the top brunches. Removing the bumps causes a fluid to ooze out. I
guess the fluid must be sweet since there are ants running up and down the
branch.
Asparagus Production in Kosovo Just Taking Off
Kosovo is now an exporter of asparagus inside its own country, to the EU and beyond. I was there consulting in 2013 and 2014. They are filling their first orders now thanks to a USAID project, CNFA and Tetra Tech.
Leaf Cupping Normally Aphids...But Not This Time!
Q. My Blenheim apricot tree planted in 2012 is not doing
well. A few branches have lost all their leaves. Other leaves are starting to
curl and cup. This year it had plenty of apricots but few leaves. I thinned
them out since the tree is young.
Meet Local Producer Janet Knight in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Here is one local producer in Las Vegas, yes IN Las Vegas, who has a backyard farm and welcomes visitors. If you like this, I will help you find some other local producers.
Harvest Garlic When the tops Dieback About 1/3 Where it is a Hot Climate
Q. I planted garlic back in the fall. It is close to
harvest now, fully grown and
some tops starting to brown. I pulled one the other day to check them. It seems
fine and full of cloves with the papery outer skin, but the stalk above is very
thick and dense. I'm wondering do I hang them to dry, and if so, for how long.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Prepare Your Lawn for the Summer Disease Problems
If
you have tall fescue for a lawn in southern Nevada, here are some tips
to help prepare for the diseases that will threaten your lawn this
summer.
Stinkbugs Come in Different Colors
Q. What is this bug?
Have hundreds or them in my yard. Are they harmful to my plants (vegetable and
flower). How do I get rid of them?
You Don't Need to Pick Up Grass Clippings if you Manage Your Lawn Correctly
Q. The landscapers for our HOA are using mulching mowers on
our grass. The cut grass often remains on top, browns and causes the grass under
to brown out also. Should grass be mulched in our desert? The landscape foremen
bagged the grass and took it away.
Oleander Freeze Damage Can Be Fixed By Cutting Plant Back
Q. I have an oleander that suffered extensive freeze damage
this past winter. It is still brown but coming back slowly. I would like to
improve the looks of the bush without killing it. Should I prune the dead
looking branches or just let it go
Stinkbugs Attack Residence and Car in Henderson Nevada
Q. We have thousands of these beetles in our trees here in
Henderson. Yesterday they collected on a neighbor’s car by the
thousands. They sprayed them off. These bugs left imprints on the finish
of their car that were unremovable. What are these bugs and what do we tell our
pest control companies to do?
Ocotillo Watering Should be Infrequent in Desert Landscapes
Q. I have trouble with my Ocotillo.
They get beautiful green leaves that last about two to three
weeks and then turn brown and fall off. They are on my watering system.
Are they getting too much water?
Lantana and Yellow Bells Should Not Be Dead from Winter Cold
Q. I have had Tecoma stans, Yellow bells, in the backyard as
well as lantana for the past 3 or 4 summers. They do well but never winter over.
When I dig them up to replant, the root structures seem to be healthy and
alive. The tag on the plant says they are cold hardy. Is there anything I can
do to help them winter over?
Monday, April 21, 2014
Treat Now to Prevent Wormy Peaches
Peach twig borer seen now flying in the Las Vegas valley. These small brown moths are very similar to the insects that produce wormy apples. Treat now and prevent that from happening later.
Fireblight Seen in the Las Vegas Valley in Late March
Fireblight has been seen on Asian pear, European pear and apple in the Las Vegas valley.
Uneven Garlic Growth Probably Not Due to Cold Winter
Q. Does a colder, harsher longer than usual winter affect
the growing of garlic? I've noticed many of my plants are under-developed, or
didn't develop at all, while others have gigantic stalks!
Small Yellow Immature Plums Dropping Sign of No Pollination
Q. I have two Santa Rosa plum trees planted in my
backyard. The one in
the lawn area has about 25% small yellow plums that fall off when I flick them
or shake the branches.
Expect Those Ugly Bugs on Pomegranate and Pistachios Now!
Q. We
have a big pomegranate tree that has been doing great for a few years.
Last year we had an infestation of nasty, prehistoric looking large grey bugs
on our pomegranate tree. What can I do to get rid of them?
Onions Producing Flowers Too Soon
Q. Hello Bob. My son got me onions that were
little 3" sprigs with roots, no bulbs, tied togather in a
"bunch", no soil. we separated them and planted a few months
ago. They have grown about 7 inches or more tall and I just noticed
today some of them are getting seed bulbs on their tops. But if they are large onions, why are they going to
seed already?
Shiny Leaf Sheen on Roses May Be Aphids Feeding
Q. There's a glossy sheen on my rose leaves that's not
suppose to be there. I have the problem every year and I usually just give them
a good spray with the hose and that helps but doesn't seem to be the cure. Any
suggestions that don't involve chemicals?
Almond Failed to Leaf Out
Q. I planted an All-in One Almond, Saturn Peach, 5-in-1
Apricot, and most recently, a Pink Lady Apple. My almond has not leafed out
yet. The tissue is still green and flexible, but there is some die back at a
few tips. Could this be transplant shock
of some sort?
New Tomato Seedling Transplants Not Growing
Q. I started seedlings in a greenhouse and transplanted
them into my raised beds. but they are not growing at all. It's been 2 weeks,
and a couple have died but the rest have not even continued growing.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Xtremehorticulture of the Desert: Control Peach Twig Borer Now
Xtremehorticulture of the Desert: Control Peach Twig Borer Now: Peach twig borers are flying now and some are getting into early maturing peaches, nectarines and...
If you don't find the post you want, go to the bottom and click on "Older Posts" or type your question in the search engine.
If you don't find the post you want, go to the bottom and click on "Older Posts" or type your question in the search engine.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Patio Pepper Plant Needs Enough Light
Q. My patio faces mostly to the west and gets 4-5 hours
of shaded/direct sunlight each day. Will
pepper plants in containers work well under these conditions? I have read that peppers want/need up to 8
hours direct sun each day.
Super Strong Growth on Rose Should Probably Be Removed
Q. Last fall I planted five rose bushes and they appear
to being doing well. Three of the bushes have one large stem growing from the
the middle of the bush. Should I cut the large stems back....
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Nectarine Fruit Scarring Spray for Thrips Control
If you have a nectarine fruit tree or a relative of nectarine like Nectaplum, expect your fruit to be scarred unless you spray.
Grapeleaf Skeletonizers Flying Now in Las Vegas
Q. My grape vine is started to leaf out. What is the
spray I need to use to prevent the leaf eaters? I saw a black wasp like bug
today (April 9)
Planting and Watering Ocotillo
Q. I have a recently planted ocotillo. It is tied
together by wire when should I cut the ties?
Also, I heard that I should spray the plant with water frequently.
What’s frequently?
Rose Flowers Small and Wilting May Be Damage from Thrips
Q. I recently had my yard refreshed with a new irrigation
system, new plants, rose bushes and even
a small tree. My roses had suffered badly the last couple of seasons. No matter
what I did, the mealybugs and aphids were victorious. Even if my roses
bloomed they were small and quick to wilt.
Apricot Leaves Cupping and Dropping Off
Q. My Blenheim apricot tree is not doing well. A few branches have lost all their
leaves. Other leaves are starting to
curl and cup. This year it had plenty
of apricots but few leaves. I thinned them out since the tree is
young. I thought this would also help
the tree put more energy into leaves.
How to Use Organic Pesticides Effectively
Organic pesticides work but they are aimed more for prevention than correcting an existing problem.
Slugs Can Cause Early Plant Damage to Lettuce
Stinkbugs Cause Plant Damage Early in the Season
Most gardeners recognize the stinkbug in southern Nevada. But the populations may be on the rise in home gardens particularly early in the season.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Thinning Apple and Pear Fruit is Similar
Thin Your Peach Tree While Fruit is Still Small
Apricot Leaves Cupping and Dropping
Q. My Blenheim apricot tree is not doing well. A few branches have lost all their
leaves. Other leaves are starting to
curl and cup.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Japanese Blueberry With Orange Leaves a Sign of Leaf Death
Q. My water accidently turned off for two weeks and my Japanese
Blueberries are all orange. I do see new growth on the edge of the branches. Is the
tree shedding old leaves? Did the cold snap in November cause this?
Quince Tree With Dark Brown Bumps on Branches
Q. We have a 3 year old Quince tree which looked very good
to me until today when I notice brown/dark purple small pee size bumps on the
top branches. Removing the bumps causes a fluid to ooze out. I guess the fluid
must be sweet since there are ants running up and down the branch.
Will PawPaw Fruit Trees Grow in the Desert?
Q. Do you know if paw paw trees will grow here? If so,
what type of conditions (partial shade, full sun etc) and what type of soil
amendments?
Bamboo Damaged Just After Winter
Q. Do you have any advice on what I can do to green up
these bamboo planted in rock mulch? Give them iron perhaps?
Orange Tree Flowering Now and Not December
Q. We have an orange tree that did not produce any
flowers this last December. Over the last week in March the tree has started covering itself
with buds all over.
Do Not Mulch Cat Claw Vine?
Q. I believe in one of your columns
regarding cat's claw to avoid mulching the base of the plant. Of course I had already done this and the plants are struggling where I very
much want them to thrive and go nuts with no issues.
My Onions are Not Growing
Q. I bought a package of onion sets several months ago. They aren’t getting big.
Holes in Trees Due to Woodpecker?
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Is There Anything That Will Control Squash Bugs?
Determining the Correct Sized Drip Emitter
Q. The landscape people
are into variable drip emitters and think I am a little looney sticking to drip
emitters. How do you determine how many
gallons to give large trees like African sumac, bottle trees, Swan Hill
olives, Yew pines and chaste trees?
When to Divide Lily of the NIle
Q. When is the best time of year to divide a Lily of the
Nile? Please tell me how to do it. I have 1 that is about 10 years old and it
isn’t looking very good.
Sagging Yucca Arms Need Support or....
Q. I have this Yucca for about 15 years and I am getting
concerned about all the growth on the arm that you can see from enclosed photo.
It is getting real heavy and I don't want it to snap. Any suggestions?
Overgrown Red Yucca Can Be Divided for Smaller Space
Q. I’m replacing some red yuccas that have grown too
large for a three foot area, unprotected in full sun. They spill over into the
walkway where my grandchildren have been getting stabbed by the leaves. Can tree
roses handle that kind of weather?
Blackened Dead Leaves May Be A Really Bad Disease Problem from Last Year
Q. I planted a five-gallon pear tree about three springs
ago and it seems pretty happy espaliered along my west-facing block wall, but a
few new leaves on three of the branches have some kind of black rot on them. It
has rotted away part of the leaf on some of them. Can you tell me what this
disease is and whether and how to fight it?
UNCE Orchard Weather Report for March 2014
No significant weather events occurred during March except some temperatures below 45F which could account for some chilling injury to sensitive plants. See the report below.
Monday, March 24, 2014
What You Need for Your Vegetables Now
It’s the end of the season for cool season, winter
vegetables now after mid-March. Warm season vegetables should be going in the ground now if
they haven’t already. In protected hot microclimates it should have been
sooner. Here is what you need to do now in our hot, desert climate.
Cat Claw Vine Beautiful in the Desert But Not Elsewhere!
Q. I planted six cat claw vines two summers ago in full
sun. They are on a drip system and I hope to wean them from regular water once
the area is covered. I believe you mentioned to avoid mulching cat claw vine. Of course I had already done this and the
plants are struggling.
Spanish Dagger Yucca Ready to Fall Over!
Q. Our Spanish dagger yucca was doing great but it's
leaning badly now. Is this normal?
Majestic Beauty Leaves Browning on the Edges May Be Drip Problem
Q. The edges of the leaves on my Majestic Beauty are
getting brown and crispy. Is that salt burn? They get watered twice each week for
20 minutes and each plant has two emitters.
Rootspread of Landscape Trees in the Desert Controlled by Water
Q. If I have very mature shrubs (over 5 years) like abelias etc. and keep it shaped to about
3'x3'. Will the "mature' root system stay within the canopy for watering
purposes or extend out due to age and need more water?
Kaki May Not Give HIgh Quality Persimmon Fruit in the Desert
Q. When will be a good time to transplant a Kaki persimmon tree and
will it do well in Las Vegas?
Systemic Insecticides Applied to Fruit Trees Does Not Make Sense to Me
I am very concerned about an insecticide I applied to my lemon and pomegranate tree....
No Flowers on Peach Tree Could be Due to Overzealous Winter Pruning
Q. Of my 5 peach trees only two blossomed thus far, the
other 3 have started or well on their way to leaf out. I presume I'll not get peaches from them this
year. Any idea why they would leaf out
and not blossom?
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Come Chat With Me!
Aphids on the Loose in Your Landscape and Garden
Aphids overwinter on all sorts of plants in your yard and attacking plants primarily in the spring.
What Todo To Vegetables March and April
This is what we will do with vegetables during these months.
Using Limb Spreaders in Fruit Trees
Plums, European pears and Asian pears have a tendency to grow
vertically upright and narrow. If caught early enough, young limbs can be
trained to grow less vertically and into the more desirable 45 degree angle...
Iris Not Blooming Any More
They bloomed for many years but the last two years they had no
blooms. Is there anything I should be doing?
Is This Verticillium Wilt in My Olive Tree?
Do you think the sparse looking tree
could have verticillium that you mentioned in your newsletter?
What is a Good Patio Container Fruit Tree?
Q. I live in a 3rd floor condo that faces south. I get
about 7 hours of direct sun and have containers on my patio with
How To Correct Winter Damage to Star Jasmine
Q.
What is the best way to fix frost damage to star jasmine? Give them nitrogen
and iron? Wait for warmer temps? Or replace the plant?
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Weather Report for UNCE Orchard for February 2014
We had freezing temperatures during the first three days of February in the middle of the night in two instances. There were some peaches and apricots in bloom at the time whose fruit crop might have been affected.
Garden Problems Answered Mondays and Fridays
I will be at the Viragrow every Monday and Friday to answer questions through March, 7 am to noon.
Preventing Thrips Scarring to Nectarine Fruit
Western flower thrips are the major problem with growing
nectarines in the Las Vegas valley.If not sprayed, fruit can get terribly scarred. The fruit is safe to eat, but who would want to?
March and April Fruit Tree Todo List
Orchard Todo List:
March and April. Each of these below will be talked about more in depth in the coming weeks.
Watch for Aphids This Time of Year
This
time of year is a busy time for home horticulturists. Now that we have finished
fertilizing landscape and fruit trees and increased irrigations as temperatures
warm, we turn to pest problems.
Branch Dieback in Olive Sign of Soil Disease
Q. We have a twenty year old olive tree in our front yard
diagnosed with Verticillium wilt disease.
All Desert Plants Need Water Including Cactus
Q. I am looking for substitutes for cacti. Plants without stickers that need no
water. I want to replace my 15 lantana.
I would like to plant them now before the heat comes.
Aggressive Desert Creature a Centipede!
Q. This insect was found on the west side of town inside
the house. As you can see from the picture, it looks like a centipede. When we approached
it, it became very defensive and acted like
Monday, March 10, 2014
How to Sell Food to the USDA Webinar Mar 20
Each year USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) buys nearly $2 billion and 2
billion pounds of frozen, processed, and fresh fruits, vegetables, meat,
poultry, fish and eggs.
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