Fig Fruit Falling from the Trees

Q. I am in Kingman, Arizona, a transplant from Los Angeles. I brought cuttings with me from my fig trees there. Here these figs grow to the size of a 50 cent piece or larger, and then they ALL fall off. Or they mature to the size of a quarter and the birds get those. I get an over-abundance of figs but I never enjoy any of them because of they fall off. I open the figs up and discover that they are totally dried and brown in the inside although they are a beautiful green or black or brown depending on the species.

A. The type of fig should not make any difference. I have grown many varieties of figs here and have never had a problem with anyone of them. This is actually a good climate for figs. Kingman is a little bit on the cold side for figs and you may have some freezing weather at times that may cause some die back. This past winter was fairly mild and that should not have happened.

The major reason for having figs that never mature, dry up on the branches and fall off, is not enough water when the fruits are developing. Figs should really be considered an oasis plant like palms. They will be best irrigated if a basin surrounding the trunk is filled with water each time.

They will also benefit from a layer of wood mulch at least 3 to 4 inches deep covering their roots out to a distance equal to the spread of the tree. Drip irrigation will work but there has to be enough emitters around the tree and they must be left on long enough to thoroughly wet the roots to a depth of 2 to 3 feet.

Another possible reason is the dried fruit beetle which can attack the fruit. These insects come from old fruit that's left on the tree or that has fallen on the ground. It can come from any fruit remaining so sanitation of your Orchard area is extremely important.

If you are composting with fruit it is important to make sure the compost totally covers the fruit or is buried in the compost. Otherwise put any fallen fruit or fruit remaining on the tree in a container with a lid to prevent this insect from infesting your fruit.

Generally speaking however I think it is most likely because the tree is not getting enough water when the fruit is being produced. You can look at my blog and see if this fits your problem.

http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2014/02/figs-dropping-from-tree.html

http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2014/05/fig-fruits-drying-usually-lack-of-water.html

http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2014/10/fig-fruit-drop-may-be-lack-of-water.html

Presentations to Arizona Master Gardeners on Landscape Design and Irrigation

I recently presented a short overview of Desert Landscape Design to Save Water and Energy and a very short presentation on Irrigation and Plant Water Use to the Arizona Master Gardeners in Mohave County. The emphasis was on the basics of landscape design that were covered in my 10 week class in Las Vegas.

My presentation in Arizona for the Master Gardeners can be safely viewed and downloaded at the sites below.

Landscape Water Management

https://arizona.box.com/Landscape-wtr-mgmt-Bmorris

and

Transitioning your landscape

https://arizona.box.com/Trans-your-landscape-BMorris

Vegetable and Herb Presentation to Arizona Master Gardeners

I recently presented a short overview of vegetable and herb production under desert horticultural conditions. The emphasis was on overcoming some of the problems when growing vegetable and herbs under desert conditions. Specifically I addressed the topics of high light intensities, wind, low organic content in our soils, salts and salinity problems, irrigation, varietal selection and planting calendar.

My presentation in Arizona for the Master Gardeners can be safely viewed and downloaded at the site below

https://arizona.box.com/HerbsVeggies-BMorris

Add Compost to a Raised Bed Not More Soil Mix

Add Compost to a Raised Bed Not More Soil Mix: This is your scenario: Your raised bed is 1 to 2 years old.. Your raised beds were filled with a soil mix that contains compost. Maybe th...

Fertilize Fruit Trees With Compost for Best Result...

Fertilize Fruit Trees With Compost for Best Result...: Did you know that you can use straight compost to fertilize your fruit trees? Even though compost is not sold as a fertilizer it contains...

Viragrow Delivers! : What Rose Experts are Buying Now

What Rose Experts are Buying Now: Rose experts, or Rosarians, are now applying fertilizers and organic pest control products to their roses. Some are also renewing the soil ...

The Truth About Sulfur for Gardens

The Truth About Sulfur for Gardens: Sulfur is needed in horticulture for two reasons; first, it is a major plant nutrient required by plants and secondly sulfur helps lower th...

Viragrow Delivers!

Do You Love Magnolias?

2016 Magnolia “Seedling” Program

The Magnolia Society International is excited to announce a new scholarship program, the Magnolia “Seedling” Program. This seedling program is a new endeavor targeted to support a young magnoliaphile to attend an annual meeting by paying their expenses (travel, lodging, meals and registration). MSI wants to encourage someone who is just starting out in horticulture or research and has a specific interest (breeding, conservation, production, etc.) in magnolias. 

The 2016 annual meeting is April 8-11, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More information about the meetings can be found at www.magnoliasociety.org. If you have a student that you feel qualifies for this travel scholarship please send a nomination including name of individual, statement on why you feel they deserve the travel scholarship and their specific interest with magnolias. There is a short deadline of January 30th, 2016. Please email nomination to:

Dr. Todd West

todd.p.west@ndsu.edu

266E Loftsgard Hall

Dept 7670, PO Box 6050

Fargo, ND 58108-6050

Fax: 701.231.8474

All Rosemarys are Not Created Equal

Q. I use rosemary which I purchase from the store for cooking.  It is expensive and does stay fragrant very long if I don't use it all. I would like to plant rosemary in our yard so that I can use it in my cooking.  Is there a difference between rosemary used for "cooking" and rosemary used in landscaping?

A. There are several varieties of rosemary but most are selected for landscaping rather than cooking. Many of the landscape varieties have horizontal or prostrate growth. However, these landscape varieties can be used for cooking as well. But varieties selected for cooking are usually upright and often have a higher oil content. Upright growth is easier to harvest.

Rosemary comes in both upright forms and prostrate. Upright forms are easier to harvest.

Growing rosemary as an herb is different from growing rosemary as a landscape plant. Two traits are considered desirable in rosemary as an herb; upright succulent leaf and stem growth and a high oil content.

To grow rosemary for cooking, push new growth with nitrogen fertilizers and harvest before flowers are produced. Seldom is rosemary left to flower when used as an herb but the new growth is dried or used fresh. Flowers may be attached when sold at Farmers Markets.

Rosemary flowers contain the most and better oil. Commercial producers focus on leaf and stems for oil production because it is easier to produce even though the oil is not high quality.

The best oil comes from rosemary flowers. However, most commercial oil production is from leaves and stems which produces more abundant oil but it is inferior to the oil produced in the flowers. The same technique is used except high phosphorus fertilizer is applied to improve oil production and harvesting is done when flowers are present for higher-quality oil.

Some of the better varieties for cooking include Benenden Blue, Flora Rosa, Tuscan Blue, Majorca Pink, Arp, Albiflorus, Huntington Carpet, McConnell's Blue, Irene, Holly Hyde and Hill Hardy to name a few. 

Spittle on Rosemary a Common Problem

Q. My rosemary plant has white foamy droplets on the stems. I can spray them away when I water with a hose but they return. They do not seem to be harming the plant but what is it?

Spittlebugs are common on rosemary and live within the spittle for protection

A. The white foamy droplets are called spittlebugs and common on rosemary. They suck plant juices and are buried inside the spittle for protection. They can be knocked off the plant with a strong stream of water from a hose but they return quickly.

They are usually more of a nuisance than a problem unless you are growing rosemary as an herb. They can multiply and become a problem in the future so keep an eye on them.

Neem oil and horticultural oils will give some control of spittlebugs when sprayed directly on the plants. Spray a small section of the plant first to make sure the oils do not damage the rosemary.

Soap and water sprays wash the spittle off and leave these bugs unprotected. Follow this with an insecticide spray such as pyrethrum which protects the plant from becoming reinfected. This might need to be done several times, a few weeks apart, to get them back under control.

More Rosemary Dying

Q. My Tuscan rosemary is in trouble. It appears to be dying.

A. Tuscan is a nice upright rosemary variety with good color and density that is grown for cooking and its oil content. It has very few insect and disease problems. We will occasionally see aphids and spittle bugs but nothing to get overly excited about.

Tuscan is an upright rosemary variety good for herb production

            Rosemary prefers soils that have been improved with compost and organic surface mulches such as wood chips. The soils must drain well. They do not like rock mulch at all and frequently die a few years after being planted.

When these plants die it is usually due to soil problems. Roots have a tough time "breathing" because of poor drainage. Most of the time these soil problems cause the roots and stem of the plant to die. The plant collapses during the heat of summer because roots are dead.

Avoid planting rosemary in low spots or where water accumulates. These conditions suffocate roots. It is possible to replant in this spot but remove as much of the soil as possible and replace it with the soil that drains easily.

This particular root disease may linger in this infected soil and cause future problems. 

Rosemary Dying Usually Soil Problem

Q. Can you tell me what is killing our rosemary hedge, by inches?  The plant is 15 years old.  Other rosemarys of the same age on the property are still thriving.  Any help would be appreciated.  Picture attached. Thank you

A. There are a few insects such as spittle bugs that get on rosemary but there are not that many diseases that affected except some of the soil borne fungal diseases. In other words, these are disease organisms that are already present in the soil but they need opportunity in order to take advantage of rosemary. When soils remain wet, this stresses rosemary and makes it susceptible to these types of diseases. The usual advantage these diseases get is because soils are from plant stress because soils are kept too wet from frequent irrigations or the soils do not drain water fast enough before the next irrigation.

Rosemary dying is usually a soil or irrigation and drainage problem.

These diseases attack the roots of the plant and cause dieback of the top similar to what appears to be drought. It appears to be drought because the roots are dying and they can no longer take up water to the tops so, in fact, it is drought but drought caused by too much water present around the roots.

Like many Mediterranean plants, rosemary does not like wet soils in the summertime. They can tolerate wet soils as long as there is drainage and the soil has enough time to dry out between irrigations. These types of diseases frequently start at low spots in the irrigated area where water collects or puddles. Usually plants growing where the water has drained to low spots remain healthy.

Plants that have extensive root rot from soil disease organisms frequently will pull from the soil fairly easily or are loose in the soil when they are pulled from side to side.

The solution? The usual solutions are to water less often or improve the drainage in the soils or both. Rock mulches around rosemary will cause the soil to become more compacted and not drain water well. Organic wood chip mulches help to keep the soil "fluffy" and improve drainage. Organic wood chip mulches help to keep soils more moist so the frequency of irrigation typically has to be less. 

If this problem was caused from soil disease organisms it will be difficult to reap plant rosemary in that soil again. You might have to remove the soil from that spot and replace it with an amended soil before you replant another rosemary in that same location.

Rosemary Not Flowering

Q. I have an upright rosemary about four feet tall. It was sheared once on the top and the sides. It has never bloomed. Is there such a variety that never blooms or am I doing something wrong with this plant?

A. I have never heard of one not blooming. Most reasons plants do not bloom are planting them into low light levels (shade) or shearing them just prior to bloom. Normal bloom periods are spring and fall but in warm areas they might bloom all season long.

Rosemary is a prolific bloomer in the spring and fall if it receives enough light

Pruned during the summer months if you want the blooms. Pruning in the spring or fall cuts off the flowers. Make sure it receives plenty of sun and do not plant in the shade. Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers but use fertilizers recommended for other flowering plants such as roses.

Prune Rosemary Now If It's a Bush

Q.  When is the best time to prune a rosemary bush? Our rosemary bush has grown too large.  I would like to reduce it to about one-half of its current size. Also any suggestions about how I should prune it would be greatly appreciated.

A. If you are pruning it once a year, now is a good time. If you are pruning it as a hedge or you have to keep it under some sort of size control, then prune it once a month. If you are pruning it to use it for herbs, cut it back now, let it regrow and harvest the new, succulent growth before it flowers.

You have a few alternatives. One method cut it to the ground and let it regrow from one or 2 inch long stems. Prune it now or just before new growth begins.

Another method requires more care.Trace the longest branch of the shrub inside the plant and remove it where it joins a main branch. Leave no stub. Select two or three other long ones to the inside and make the same kind of cuts. Do this every couple of years when it starts to get too large.

Your third alternative is to replace the plant with something that doesn't get so large. 

After pruning, fertilize it as you would normally to encourage new growth. One fertilizer application a year is all that is needed unless you are growing it as an herb that requires frequent harvesting. If you are harvesting frequently, fertilize lightly every 6 to 8 weeks with a balanced fertilizer containing nitrogen and phosphorus. Or apply your favorite compost to the base of the plant and you'll get more spectacular results.

Overgrown Privet Is a Goner

Q. I have a neglected privet that has overgrown its space. When and how far back should I prune it and keep its shape? My neighbor cut one back several years ago and it never came back at all.  Thanks.

A. I may have some bad news for you. I looked at the picture and I am guessing most of the leafy growth is out towards the edges of the plant and on the inside will be bare branches. 

If your pruning cuts are made back to the inside of this plant where there is no leafy growth, re-growth from these cuts will be either slow or they won't regrow. Regardless, this plant is going to look bad for a long time after these pruning cuts are made. 

This is really a case where you have a plant that was just too largeat maturity placed in a spot that was just too small. 

Really your best alternative will be to replace it if you want to look nice. It is possible to make some deep cuts and it may regrow but these cuts will have to be done just to the outside of some buds and done very carefully

Dog Urine and Lawn Problem? Follow me and find out.

I had a question submitted to me regarding dog urine on a lawn and how to stop the damage. It can be found here.... (mouse right click on the link below to read it)

https://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2016/01/follow-your-dog-with-bucket-of-water.html?showComment=1453057549113#c1132371346234404759

I recommended following the dog with a bucket of water.

I received an email about a product called Dog Rocks.... You can follow the emails in the comments at the bottom of this post.

http://dogrocks.org/ (mouse right click on this link to learn about it)

I was contacted by the CEO Dog Rocks USA LLC & Dog Rocks UK Distribution Ltd and she agree to supply it if we would try it. I contacted the person with the question to me and he agreed to try it provided it was supplied by the manufacturer. I agreed to post the results...positive or negative...after trying it. The CEO is following up on this trial and I will be in the loop.

Follow me and find out the results later in the summer of 2016.

Many Ornamental Grasses Can Be Pruned Now

Q. When is the right time of year to trim grasses?

Some ornamental grasses are quite attractive during the winter and may be cut back just before new growth in the early spring

A. Most ornamental grasses are cut to within a couple of inches of the soil surface just before new growth in February. With some grasses this is done every year and other grasses it may be every 3 to 4 years.

Many ornamental grasses can be pruned close to the ground since new growth comes from culms at the base. Smaller grasses can be cut closer to the ground. Larger grasses should be cut higher from the ground. Dead growth in the center may indicate the plant needs to be divided.

            Remove any dead growth remaining with a rake. Fertilize the plant with a high nitrogen fertilizer, or a bag of compost, and a deep watering.

They should regrow from the pruned, remaining culms at the base.

Ornamental grasses need to be divided, or split apart, when the clump gets too large. It’s too large if the center begins to die out or flowering severely reduced. The plant is dug from the ground, the clump cut apart, cleaned up one of the smaller divisions replanted.

Containers for Fruit Trees Need to Be Appropriately Sized

Q. I have two dwarf trees, a nectarine and a peach. I would like to move them from in-ground into containers. What would you recommend the minimum size container to use?  The nectarine is about 4' tall and 5' wide. The peach is about 3' tall and 3' wide.

Fruit tree to be moved from the ground into a container

A. Use a container about the size of a half wine barrel for these trees. Do it any time until new growth starts, approximately the first week of February in our climate.

Use a sharp shovel. People don't normally sharpen shovels but it's a good practice to get into. You can sharpen it with a file or a bench grinder.

Cut through the roots in one push rather than whacking on them with a dull shovel. Cut entirely around the outside of the tree about 6 to 10 inches smaller than the inside diameter of the container.

After making the cuts in the soil all around the outside, use a pick or mattock to cut a narrow trench just to the outside of these cuts to a depth of about 12 to 15 inches. Use your shovel for leverage and gently lift the root ball from several different directions to loosen it.

24 inch nursery box used as a container for dwarf fruit tree. A box like this may last several years before it needs to be replaced and the tree repotted

Once the root ball begins to move, use your loppers to cut any roots that might be holding the plant in the soil. At this point, you should be able to lift the tree out of the hole with most of the soil remaining around the roots.

Fill the bottom of the container with soil amended 50/50 with compost so that the root ball rests 3 to 4 inches below the "lip" of the container. Place more amended soil around the root ball inside the container and water it in.

Prune the top of the plant by removing about 1/4 to 1/3 of the canopy to compensate for the loss of roots. The compost should give you enough fertilizer for the first growing season.

Oleander Does Not Need Iron Fertilizer after Pruning

Q. You mentioned pruning oleanders about a month ago. Should they be pruned in January or February? Do they need iron? My dwarf oleander does not bloom as good as my white oleander. What can I do to help them bloom better?

A. It is best to prune oleanders during the winter months because they produce flowers on new growth. Avoid pruning them in the spring after new growth has started or you will cut off all the potential flowers.

Oleander can be pruned close to the ground using a technique called rejuvenation pruning. This does not work well on all shrubs, just those that sucker easily from the base.

I’ve told people to cut oleanders to the ground, a method called rejuvenation pruning, and they will come back very nicely with some applied fertilizer and water. You can’t do this to all shrubs but oleanders respond nicely. Shrubs that tend to sucker from the base respond well to this type of pruning.

Dwarf red oleander doing well in rock mulch in Las Vegas

How late in the winter to prune, December, January or February, depends on how long you want to look at short stubs sticking out of the ground. If looking at stubs is objectionable, then delay this type of pruning as late as possible but before new growth begins. On oleander this is usually early February.

Oleander seldom needs iron so you should never have to apply iron fertilizer to this plant.

Some varieties of oleander don’t grow as well as others here. Some oleanders are more sensitive to freezing temperatures than others. Some oleanders don’t tolerate desert soils as well as others.

Soil improvement might be needed by this oleander. Prune the red oleander to the ground in early February. Then, apply two, 5 gallon buckets of compost around the base of the plant followed by a three or 4-inch layer of wood chips on top of the compost. Finally soak the soil around the plant with water. Do all of this in February.

A great website to visit to learn more about oleanders is the International Oleander Society

Ruellia A Good Choice for Desert Landscapes

Follow Your Dog with a Bucket of Water

Q. I have two large dogs that use my backyard as their bathroom. They cause yellow spots that turn completely bare and kill the grass. Are there any grasses resistant to animal urine?

Dog urine damage to a lawn is usually surrounded with grass which is darker green and taller because of the diluted urea fertilizer contained in urine

A. There are no lawn grasses totally resistant to dog urine. The high concentration of "salts" in the urine is causing the damage.

These salts are actually "fertilizer" salts, not bad salts such as table salt. There is just too much of it. The salts are so concentrated that the grass is burned or killed in a 6 to 8-inch spot.

If you look closely at "dog damage" to a lawn, it looks very different from brown spots caused by diseases or insects. Insect and disease damage does not cause the grass to become dark green or grow faster around the edge of the damage. Dog urine does!

Salts from the urine become diluted in the soil further from the “point of impact”. Once diluted enough, salts from the urine act as a fertilizer and turn the grass dark green and push new growth.

The key to decreasing urine damage is the same as too much applied fertilizer. Dilution. Drenching the spot with water and diluting the salts is the simplest way to decrease damage to the lawn.

I know this might be a hassle and look a little odd to your neighbors but if you follow the dog around with a bucket of water and dump it on the urine spot immediately after it is done, you have a good chance of reducing or preventing damage.

Now, if you could just train your dogs to do it evenly over the lawn and turn on the sprinklers.

Wormy Apples Pest Problems Vary with Regions

Q. I have a Fuji semi-dwarf apple tree that is about 23 yrs old in Kingman, AZ. The last few years I’ve had a terrible problem with worms in the apples. I clean up all the leaves after they fall and remove any apples that don’t fall. I  I spray dormant oil right before the flowers buds emerge or sooner and spray all around the area including on the grape vines nearby. I have wood chip mulch about an 8 foot diameter around the trunk. I’ve even sprayed Neem oil once when the apples are about the size of marbles but to no avail. Now I’m wondering whether I should remove the wood chip mulch as this seems to be the only thing left to try other than continual spraying or trying stronger chemical type sprays which I’d rather not do. What do you recommend?

A. Most likely this is codling moth and they attack the fruit several times during the year. Codling moth is an international pest of apples and pears. Their emergence coincides with rising temperatures and if you do not get control of the first flight they can multiply rapidly and each new generation can bet worse. 

Codling moth on immature pear fruit in Afghanistan

Codling moth damage on apple in North Las Vegas, NV

I am getting ready to begin writing up how to use pheromone traps for eliminating codling moth, rather than pesticides, in backyard and small scale operations if codling moth is not a huge problem in the area. I may also offer some classes on how to use them. I have been trapping insect pests like these with sticky cards and traps for years. They can be a very powerful tool for insect management.

If codling moth is a huge problem in your area, this might not work for you but it is worth a try. Stay posted and follow me on my blog for more information.

Tree Died. Planting in the Same Hole.

Q. I have a major borer problem with my nectarine tree. I will be removing it and replanting. Do I need to treat the soil before I plant another tree?

A. No. The borers that are problems in our climate (Pacific flatheaded borer or Flatheaded apple tree borer) do not enter the soil during any part of their life cycle. The borer you may be thinking of is the peach tree borer which we do not have in Southern Nevada but is common in more northern climates. 

Adult Pacific flat headed borer picture from Oregon State University

The peach tree borer does not actually enter the ground either but can be found low on the trunk near the soil level which makes you think it does. Both of these borers spend their entire life cycle either in the air as a beetle (our borers) or a moth (peach tree borer) in flight seeking a mate and looking for food to sustain itself until it can reproduce. The rest of the time is either as an egg laid on limbs or the trunk or larva tunneling and eating in sapwood where it can find carbohydrates for nourishment and growth. The final stage is pupal, also inside the tree, where it transforms from larva to adult beetle or moth.

One of the flat headed borers in a damaged branch of peach

Control by chemicals is not very effective for our borer since we don’t know when it flies or where it lands until we see damage. Having said that, there is one chemical that is very effective for controlling borers that are inside the tree and it is labeled for fruit trees. The chemical name is

One of the products recommended for borer control containing imidacloprid

imidacloprid. It comes as several different trade or label names. One of the common names for homeowners is a Bayer product found in many local stores and nurseries. It is a systemic insecticide that moves up inside the tree killing insects that are feeding on the interior. The claim is for 12 month protection using this product. Personally, I have a problem applying systemic insecticides that last 12 months on plants which produce fruit that I'm going to eat in less than 12 months. But it is labeled to do this.

Instead I recommend that we focus on prevention by protecting trees like peach and nectarine from sun damage to the limbs, We do this by keeping the canopy full enough to shade these limbs or painting limbs with whitewash to reduce sun damage by intense sunlight. Sun damage seems to attract the adults and their egg-laying. 

Midsummer die back of peach limbs due to progressive borer damage.

On older trees, damage from these insects might be over several years before visual signs of damage appear. At advanced stages of attack over several years, we see limbs dying in midsummer. Early signs of damage can be seen the day after a good rainfall when brown colored sap oozes from damaged areas.

Sap coming from peach limb due to borer activity

During early stages of damage we can remove the outer bark of damaged areas with a sharp knife exposing where they are living and feeding and revealing them to potential predators and exposing them to the elements. When this kind of practice is done on a regular basis we might see about 80% of the damaged trees recover until the next onslaught. Borers in peaches and nectarines are the usual reason these trees seldom survive past 20 years of age.

Tropical Themed Landscapes Possible in the Desert

Q. I have a pool that is being built and we're at the final stages of it being done. We are trying to create a tropical theme around the pool and most tropical plants don't do well in the desert. Do you have any suggestions? 

A. There is no reason you cannot have a tropical or Hawaiian theme around your pool using either desert plants or plants that thrive in our climate. There are dozens of of desert plants that resemble tropical plants and even some plants that grow easily in both climates.

Let me give you a list of some plant materials. There are so many to pick from that will fit into this theme. This just came off of the top of my head.

Some of the tropical look has to do with planting density. This area should be densely planted and use at least plants from three different size categories. Use more size categories if it's a larger area.

Be careful of focal points. Don't have too many of them but use plant color or dramatic changes in plant texture to pull the eye to a focal point. The focal point can be a waterfall, water feature, spa area, entry/exit of from the pool, etc. designing an area should make use of continuity and rhythm through plant repetition this is usually done through plant texture or color.

There are a few landscape architects and designers who read my blog. I am neither. Perhaps they will chime in with some pointers as well.Don't be shy and please let readers know who you are and how to get a hold of you.

Trees

Mesquite. Any of the Mesquite trees look tropical.

Bottlebrush

California pepper

Acacia, some of the smaller Acacia

Windmill Palm, Mediterranean fan palm

Larger Shrubs

desert bird of paradise

Rose of Sharon (hibiscus)

Small Shrubs

Daylilies

Aloe

Nandina or heavenly bamboo

Bottlebrush

Mock Orange¶

ornamental grasses

Lantana

Vines

Carolina Jessamine

Star Jasmine

Bougainvillea (freezes back each year)

Groundcovers

Myoporum, sometimes called Australian Racer

Star Jasmine

Hearts and Flowers

Bougainvillea

Hen and chicks

Gopher plant

Perennials

Agapanthus

Amaryllis

Hollyhocks

Red Hot Poker

Canna lilies

Annuals

Vinca or periwinkle

Alyssum

Geranium

Celosia

Nasturtium

Portulaca

Pruning Miniature Peach Is a Little Different. I can help.

Q. Do you know of any person, to be paid, who will come to my home and prune two dwarf peach trees? I am 84 (widow) and really don't know how to prune these trees. I have tried for 5 years now and  know what I  do  is wrong; I need help. I have asked our landscapers (live in a condominium association) and they don't have any one in mind.


Please, do you have any suggestions as to where and how I might obtain help?

Miniature peach requiring pruning

A. I can help you with that but you must agree to learn how to do it. I do not do it as a landscaper or a service company but I will help you learn how to do it for yourself. 

If these are miniature peaches, they do require a different way of pruning than peaches that are kept small through pruning. First, we make sure branches on the lower part of the trunk will not touch the ground when they are loaded with fruit. We will focus on thinning out some of the branches so that there is better light penetration inside the canopy. Lastly, we will thin out the new growth so that there is fewer of them. You will be required to thin the fruit in March so that the remaining fruit becomes larger and higher-quality. If you need me to show you how, I can do that as well when that time comes.

Pruning of peach should be done before February 1 in our climate. If you are interested, I'll be happy to show you how. It will be within your budget. You should have an appropriate pruning shears and a small loppers. I will bring mine but you should have your own. If you don't have tools or the appropriate ones, let me know and I will bring good ones for you that are reasonably priced and you can reimburse me.

When to Prune/Protect Myers Lemon Depends On…

Q.When is the best time to prune a Meyer lemon tree that is planted outside and should they be covered when the temperature goes below freezing?

A. First of all, citrus does not require a lot of pruning unlike some other fruit trees. You would focus on removing crossed branches, broken branches or branches too close together. Generally speaking, prune citrus right after you harvest the fruit. Myers lemon may begin flowering in January or February and that becomes a bit late because the fruit will not finish until December of the same year, 10 months later.

Flowers of Myers lemon

This is why it is important to remove the fruit on Myers lemon by the end of December or it may interfere with flowering the following January or February. Growing citrus in our climate is always risky because of winter freezing temperatures. With most cold sensitive plants we would want to wait until after the last possible freezing event. This would put it into perhaps mid-February.

Immature fruit of Myers lemon in container

Waiting this long, even though it's the right thing to do with winter tender plants, is a problem with Myers lemon because it begins to flower so early. So we have to take our chances and prune right after harvesting in early January before flowering begins.

 

This table taken from University of California Riverside document below

Frost damage information can be found here

Myers lemon should handle temperatures down to about 20° F. The amount of damage depends on the temperature but also on the length of time the temperature remains. So 20° F just before sunrise is a lot less damaging than reaching 20° F at 3 AM and staying there until sunrise. 

Immature fruit of Myers lemon in container

The number one reason we have fruit failure in Myers lemon in our Las Vegas climate is because of late freezing weather. Even though Myers lemon can withstand temperatures close to 20° F, the flowers or young fruit cannot. They begin to bloom in January or February and may have flowers or very small fruit on the tree and a light freeze comes by and ruins the crop. Then I get emails about why my lemon tree didn't produce any fruit this past year or last two years. 

It is extremely important to put citrus in warm microclimates in Las Vegas yards and out of the wind in our winter cold climate. You will need to cover Myers lemon whenever temperatures get close to freezing, 32° F, if they have flowers or small fruit. If they do not have flowers or small fruit than they can withstand colder temperatures.

Another point worth mentioning is that cold hardiness varies during the winter depending upon the weather. During a normal winter, temperatures slowly but continually drop colder and colder until we hit our winter minimum temperatures. Temperatures stay cold during the deepest part of the winter and then minimum temperatures begin to climb as we approach spring.This past fall was nearly perfect as temperatures, generally speaking, dropped lower and lower at a very slow pace. This gradual drop in temperature was reflected in our nice fall colors which remained for about a month in November and December.

We had some nice fall color like this during November and December In Las Vegas due to the gradual drop and fall/winter temperatures

Some fall/winter/spring weather is not this nice. Sometimes we can get a sudden drop in temperatures in the fall that can catch normally cold hardy plants off guard. Then we see damage to these plants at temperatures warmer than their minimum temperature.

The reverse can happen in the spring when we have very low temperatures, followed by an unexpected early rise in minimum temperatures then followed by a sudden drop to freezing weather. This sudden drop below freezing after a warming spell can damage trees at temperatures above their minimum.

Sorry for the long winded answer but cover Myers lemon that has flowers and fruit as soon as you hear temperatures might reach freezing.

Lemon Disappearance Due to Rats

Q. We have a critter attacking our lemons. It does not eat the fruit, only the peel. It eats the peel so cleanly that only the bare fruit is left hanging on the tree. The white pith is gone to. It is a strange thing to see a naked lemon hanging on the tree. Do you have any idea what this critter could be?

Pomegranate hollowed out by rats

A. This is most likely rats. I have not seen nor has it been reported to me directly but several reports in the US and Australia attribute the eating of lemon peels but not the pulp to rats. This can happen to fruit on the tree or on the ground.

            Rats will also gnaw on the bark and branches of citrus trees.

Contrary to this, it has been reported that rats will eat the pulp of oranges and pomegranates but not the rind or outer covering. It is not understood why but lemon peels and pomegranate juice is high in Vitamin C and calcium.

Rats produce their own Vitamin C inside their bodies so it is not clear what they are going after by selectively eating rind and not the fruit. It is also reported to me that rats will eat guava fruit and papaya in the tropics, another source of high Vitamin C.

Research on rats and Vitamin C in the early 1900's report that rats may benefit from extra Vitamin C in their diets in growth and reproduction. Better get the rat traps out. 

Winter Watering Schedule for Lemon

Q. I have a Eureka lemon tree and a Rio Red grapefruit tree. Is it best to stop watering them through the winter weather or should I continue with their regular watering schedule?

Eureka lemon growing in Las Vegas Nevada while fruit still immature

A. They should have a winter watering schedule and water to them should not be turned off. Get a general idea when to water by monitoring the soil moisture with an inexpensive soil moisture meter. Purchase these at most nurseries or garden centers where they cost less than $10.

Simple moisture meter use to get a general idea of the water content of the soil

A winter watering schedule should be somewhere between 10 days and two or three weeks. Plants in containers must be watered much more often.

Push the tip of the meter as deep as you can in the soil somewhere beneath the canopy of the tree and midway between drip emitters if they are present. Do it in two or three locations. These meters are inaccurate but they give you a general idea if the soil is dry or wet. Water when they meter is midway between wet and dry.

            Trees that have leaves present use more water than trees without leaves. A layer of wood chips as a surface mulch will cause you to water less often. A lack of water or very cold weather may cause leaf drop

Apple Tree Not Dropping Leaves

Q. My apple tree is still full of leaves and hasn’t lost one yet. Should we wait to prune once it starts losing leaves or is it okay to prune in the next couple of weeks? The leaves have turned a purply brownish color but are still very much alive.

A. Go ahead and prune. We have not had a freeze hard enough to knock off the leaves. The tree is fully asleep for the winter.

Actually you can start pruning fruit trees as soon as they stop growing in late fall. We normally wait until leaf drop because we can’t see where to make the pruning cuts easily. You can also wait to prune until near February and that will be fine as well.

Leaves can be removed by running your hands down the branches if they are in reach. Try shaking the limbs or rap them lightly with a broom and they should drop as well.

If you want the leaves to drop on their own, turn off the water to the tree until leaves begin dropping and then resume your irrigations as needed.

As for me, I would just wait for normal leaf drop if it is difficult to see where to prune.

Walnut Husk Rotting with Worms

Q. Our walnut tree is at least 10 years old and producing wonderfully for the past 3 years. This year toward the end of the season, the husks started getting black. I opened one and saw little white worms. I opened the nut shell and saw no damage to the nut itself, so we did nothing. By the end of the season, most of the husks were on the ground, all black. Of the husks with nuts, the nuts were okay but there were a lot of husks with dried up black nuts. We also noticed this larger branch on the tree that seems to have split its bark.

Damage to husk of English walnut

Damage to English a walnut limb

A. This sounds like walnut husk fly damage to the husk. If walnut husk fly damage starts early enough to the husk they can cause a nut failure just like you describe. If damage to the husk is later in the summer, the nuts inside will fully develop.

Walnut husk fly adult is around the size of a housefly and lays eggs just below the surface of the husk. This blackens the outside of the green, immature husk and causes it to get soft. Eggs from walnut husk fly hatch into maggots, or worms as you call them, feeding on the inside of the husk.

After a few weeks, older maggots fall from the husk to the ground and burrow into the soil where they spend the rest of their life before emerging as adults the following summer. They emerge as very colorful, mature flies ready to repeat the cycle. This lifecycle is repeated once a year with egg laying on husk starting in mid to late summer.

            The University of California has an excellent fact sheet on the Internet concerning the walnut husk fly and located at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r881301211.html. Control measures are mentioned but a bit difficult. If there are other walnut trees in the area this could cause an increase in the population of this pest in coming years if they are left uncontrolled.

Damage to tree limb

The pictures of the tree limb you sent look like borer damage to me. The same borers that attack fruit trees such as peach also attack walnut. Pull off the loose bark from the limb and look for damage from borers on the surface of the exposed wood.

If borers damage is present, remove all of the loose bark with a sharp knife. If the damage to the limb is more than halfway around its circumference, remove the limb. If it is less than half, the tree has a good chance of recovery if all the loose bark is removed down to healthy wood.

Covering a Joshua Tree During Freezes?

Q. I transplanted a Joshua tree into our new backyard in March. It is doing great. Do I need to cover it as temperatures dip down below freezing? 

A. No, you do not need to protect it with any kind of freeze protection through the winter. They are good down to about 10F. Make sure you are watering it infrequently or it can develop root rot and die. Fertilize it once lightly in the early spring with a fruit tree or rose fertilizer.

Just a quick note on covering plants. If you are using a plant cover that does not allow much light through it, you should be taking it off during the day and replacing it whenever you think temperatures are getting too low. If you are using a frost blanket or frost protection which allows light through it, you will not need to take it off during the day. However, you should remove it as soon as danger of those freezing temperatures have passed.

Desert Horticulture Meetup Group Has Been Organized for Jan 23

I started a new Meetup Group on desert horticulture. The first meeting will be on January 23. The focus is on successful horticulture for fun, pleasure and profit in the desert. Get in on the ground floor because the direction of this group will depend on the members.

Find out more about the Desert Horticulture Meetup Group

In the first meetup we will have introductions and I will give a brief presentation about our desert environment and the problems this environment presents to us in horticulture. At the conclusion we will discuss our future plans as a Desert Horticulture meetup group.

Who: Anyone
What: Growing plants in the desert for fun, pleasure or profit
When: 9 AM, Saturday, January 23, 2016
Where: Viragrow meeting room, 1100 East Delhi St, North Las Vegas, Nevada