Xtremehorticulture of the Desert

This is Professor Emeritus Bob Morris’ new site for his gardening blogs. Don’t forget to bookmark this site!

‘Interlaken’ Grape is a Close Alternative to Thompson Seedless

Q. Can ‘Interlaken’ grapes take eastern, southern or western exposure? What about blackberries? ‘Thompson Seedless’ dessert grape. Sorry, no pictures of ‘Interlaken’ but similar. Blackberries popping up through the mulch, after removal, where ever there is irrigation. Could be ‘Womak’ or possibly ‘Rosborough’ two varieties I would recommend for our climate. A. Both grapes and blackberries should be grown in full sun, away from hot walls, along with soil improvement, irrigation, and mulch. Put them at least 10 feet from hot west and south-facing walls so the heat from the wall during the summer doesn’t hurt them. Blackberries are more […]

xtremehorticulture
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November 22, 2023
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blackberry, desert, grape, selection
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If You Want it Green, You Will Like ‘Australian Racer’

Q. A neighbor suggested we look closely at Australian racer. It stays low and is green. Seeing it in place, we like it. What are your thoughts about it? Myoporum, or Australian Racer as it is known by local nurseries, was a ground cover substitute. As it got larger it would frequently die in the center after a few years. Its major problems are spider mites and root rot from watering it too often. A. “Australian racer” (Myoporum parvifolium) works as a sprawling groundcover as long as you don’t walk on it. It spreads in every direction about 6 feet or […]

xtremehorticulture
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October 20, 2023
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Australian Racer, Groundcover, Myoporum
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Roots of Plants Growing in Desert Landscapes

Roots of plants do not grow separately. They grow together, all mixed up. Roots search for open spaces that are wet. They use the water for irrigated neighboring plants. Before now, we used to assess all the different plants’ water use and then add them together. Collectively they made up water needed by a landscape. But now, because we can’t separate the roots, we estimate the water use of a total landscape, not each individual plant and add them up. I fruit tree growing in a lawn obviously has roots which are mixed with the […]

xtremehorticulture
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October 20, 2023
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Uncategorized
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Native Desert Soil Is Productive for Vegetables

Q. My garden area is about 40 feet long x 40 feet wide. The soil is native. How much compost do I need? You will need at least a truckload, that’s 2 cubic yards. Continue to add compost as it needs it, probably every one to two years. A. If this is a light tan native soil, you will need between about 1 inch of compost, during its first year, laid on the top of this native soil and rototilled to a depth of 8 to 12 inches. You would need to order about 3 cubic yards of compost to […]

xtremehorticulture
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October 20, 2023
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Desert soil, large vegetable area, native soil, no raised bed
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