Is There Anything That Will Control Squash Bugs?

Q. I live in southern Utah "Cedar City" and put in a garden that is 15x120 each year. Over the years the squash bug infestation has become worse and worse.

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.

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?

Come Chat With Me!

I will be at Viragrow every Monday and Friday through March for those who want to chat with me about current horticulture problems.

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...

Texas Ranger (Sage) Getting Woody

What should I do and when should I do it?