Xtremehorticulture

Xtremehorticulture of the Desert

Plants Resistant to Radio Frequencies

1 Comment / Uncategorized /

Do you know of any lists of plants that are more resistant to radio frequency and how would I find them? I know this sounds like an odd question but I need to know. I am a former Master Gardener. A. That is a question I do not know the answer to and have never been asked that before. If you find out, I would love to know. If you are reading this and you know anything about this topic, please make a comment. Let’s keep an open mind…..

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Blood Oranges Not Best Citrus Choice for Las Vegas

Leave a Comment / can you grow citrus in las vegas, citrus, small fruit /

Q. Blood oranges. Why are they not growing? They grow to golf size balls and that is it. Why? A. I don’t know which variety you have and how or where in your landscape you planted it. Blood oranges, in my opinion, are a bit more sensitive to our desert climate than some other citrus. Citrus is one of the fruits that doesn’t really respond to thinning very well. Very little difference in fruit size is seen in citrus if it is thinned like you would apples or peaches. So thinning will not make the fruit larger.             I think you will have to focus on better tree management. Put them in an area that is not quite so hot and has some shade from late afternoon heat. I would try mulching under the tree with wood mulch and make sure you’re irrigation is adequate. Keep the mulch at least 6 inches away from the trunk to prevent trunk rot. Have at least two drip emitters irrigating this tree about a foot from the trunk. Another sign of a problem in water management can be fruit splitting.              Myers lemon and grapefruit would be a better choice. Even Satsuma orange would probably be a better choice than a blood orange. Blood oranges will freeze back in our climate so you will have to protect them from freezing during the winter. Locate them near a warm wall and protected from winter wind.             If you are going to try a blood orange see if you can find a variety called ‘Tarocco’. If not, a second choice might be ‘Moro’ but if you are not willing to protect it from freeze damage, then don’t plant it.

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Effective Rainfall is What is Important to Plants

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Q. With all the beautiful rain that we had recently, what should we do regarding future watering? Has it been enough water to just stop watering until after the first of the year? National Weather Service Wettest Day of 2013  A. Rains come in all forms. This one was rather unique in that it came down over a nice, long period of time giving it a chance to soak into our landscapes instead of running off the surface and into the streets.              Landscapes are supposed to be contoured to force rain off landscapes and into the streets. Once water enters the streets they act as “storm sewers” and help remove water from properties. If landscapes are not contoured correctly it is feared that water might accumulate on the landscape and flood homes causing damage.  Storm Drain System in the Las Vegas Valley              For gardeners who are interested in “harvesting” water on their property, this rule may seem to be counterproductive but it is meant for the “general good”. There are ways to store water and improve the effectiveness of rainfall such as dry stream beds and pools but you must be careful when doing this. I will post some ideas on my blog as examples.             As a general rule we consider about 40% of our rainfall to be what we call “effective”. This means that 40% of the rain, four tenths to every inch, actually gets into the soil where it is stored rather than running into the streets. This rain event however was more “effective” than most.  What is Effective Rainfall?              Another problem was that the rain was not evenly spread throughout the valley. This makes it hard to make a general statement about how long to turn off irrigation systems throughout the valley. For shallow rooted plants like flowers and turfgrass they will still need a couple of irrigations the rest of this year. Deeper rooted plants, such as trees and large shrubs, can probably get by.             Unless you know your rainfall amount, I would count this rainfall as a single irrigation event, skip one irrigation and then continue irrigations unless we get more rain. The savings will still be significant.

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National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Hosts YouTube Competition

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 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Hosts Spoken Word Poetry YouTube Competition (LAS VEGAS)— The Western Folklife Center and its 30th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering today announced the launch of a spoken word poetry competition, Expressing the Rural West: Poetry of the Next Generation, on YouTube.com. Poets between the ages of 18 and 35 are invited to submit videos which include an artist introduction and do not exceed four minutes in length. Submissions may not contain curse words or explicit imagery and must be original compositions. Content should have a rural focus and poems should be performed and not read. Poets must be currently living in one of the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Cowboy Poet at Alamo Dinner Event in Lincoln, County, Nevada Poems will be judged by the public as well as by a committee of two professional poets and two staff members of the Western Folklife Center. There will be a winner of the public vote and a winner of the juried competition. The winner of the public vote will receive two free 3-Day Deluxe Passes to the 30th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering and a free Gathering poster. The winner of the juried competition will be given a performance slot at the event and must be able to travel between January 29 to February 2, 2014. Travel and lodging will be paid by the Western Folklife Center. Upload your video on our Expressing the Rural West—Poetry of the Next Generation competition channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/2014poetrycontest. Public judging will end on December 19 and our judges will select a winner by Dec. 21.                                                                   ABOUT WESTERN FOLKLIFE CENTER AND THE NATIONAL COWBOY POETERY GATHERING The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering turns 30 years old in 2014, and the nation’s greatest celebration of the American West, its people, culture and traditions, will turn its focus to the future of the region. From Jan. 27 to Feb. 1, 2014, in Elko, Nevada, the Gathering will present poetry, music, fine western gear, films, workshops, dances and discussions with a clear focus on encouraging the next generation and working together to ensure the sustainability of the occupational and artistic traditions of the rural West. The theme of the 30th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is “Expressing the Rural West—Into the Future!” Through performances of poetry and music, thought-provoking films and fruitful discourse, artists and audiences of all ages will share their art and their opinions on meeting the challenges of rural life in the modern West. In particular, the next generation of cowboy artists will present their work and discuss their brand of ranch life—with one hand on the reins and the other on the cell phone. More than 50 poets, musicians and musical groups from the U.S. and Canada will perform on seven stages at four different venues. The 30th Gathering line-up includes cowboy poets Baxter Black, Paul Zarzyski, Waddie Mitchell, Yvonne Hollenbeck, Joel Nelson, Doris Daley, Pat Richardson, Randy Rieman and many others. Music is as integral to the Gathering as poetry; the musical line-up includes Ian Tyson, Michael Martin Murphey, Riders In The Sky, Don Edwards, Dave Stamey, Jeffrey Broussard & the Creole Cowboys, Caleb Klauder Country Band, Martha Scanlan and more.  For a full list of participating artists and much more information, visit  www.westernfolklife.org.

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Persian Lilac Can Be Different Things to Different People

Leave a Comment / chinaberry, confusing, latin names, mock orange, persian lilac, pittosporum, plants, scientific names, wheelers dwarf /

Q. I believe you made an error last week about the Chinaberry tree. You said it “is also called Persian lilac and in the United States we sometimes call it the Texas umbrella tree.” I do not believe that the Persian lilac is related at all to the umbrella tree. We had both in our yard years ago, and they were quite different. A. Thanks for your comment and you are right, there is more than one plant called “Persian lilac”. This is where the common names can be confusing.              The Chinaberry tree (Melia azedarach) can also be nicknamed the Persian lilac because of the very perfumy flowers it produces in spring. You can google any of these names on Wikipedia. Melia azedarach on Wikipedia              There is another plant, also called Persian lilac (Syringa x persica), a hybrid lilac very closely related to common and Chinese lilac which is probably what you were growing.  Image of Syringa x persica              We have the same problem with another plant we call mock orange. Locally, our mock orange is a Pittosporum tobira (Wheeler’s Dwarf). This is not the same mock orange known by most of the country. When I was in school, mock orange was a totally different plant with the scientific name Philadelphus coronarius, a flowering relative of hydrangea whose flowers were used for garlands because they have a strong citrus fragrance. Image of Pittosporum Wheelers Dwarf aka Mock orange   Image of Philadelphus coronarius aka Mock orange             I do not to use scientific names in my newspaper column but common names can be confusing for this reason. I appreciate these comments because I’m sure others were thinking the same.

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Wood Mulch Around New Gardenias Can Create Problems

Leave a Comment / collar rot, gardenia diseases, phytophthora, root rot /

Q. I planted about 12 gardenias a couple of months ago and they appear to be dying. I checked the soil and it’s evenly damp. They have two, 2gph emitters and they were all being watered three times a week for 20 minutes. Gardenia with wood mulch applied to the base Gardenia showing signs of wilting A. From the picture you sent it looks like a lack of water. Before you saying “No, can’t be” let me explain something.             You have a lot invested in those gardenias. From the picture I can see you applied surface wood mulch surrounding plants and it looks quite deep. Nice job. These gardenias will appreciate the wood mulch.             However, wood mulch can create a problem around young plants. When this wood mulch is in contact with the stems of young plants, it can keep the surrounding soil and stem too wet. This constant “wetness” around the stem can foster a disease called “collar rot”. Disease organisms attack the stem, essentially choking the plant, and shutting off its water supply.  Diseases of Gardenias             Pull the mulch away from the stems about 12 inches and do not let it come in direct contact with the stem. The wood mulch will help the plants but it cannot come in contact with young stems until they get quite a bit older.

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Trumpet Vine Slow Growth and Leaves with Red Spots

1 Comment / campsis radicans, coryneum blight, mulch, shothole fungus, soil improvement, spots, stress /

Q. I sent you some pictures of my trumpet vine which I planted as a small plant this last spring.  The plant has barely grown and the leaves have developed red spots all over them.  I believe it has a 2 gph emitter and watered three times a week for 20 minutes. Red spots on leaves of trumpet vine. A. Thanks for giving me such good irrigation information. From this I can estimate you are giving the plant about 7/10 of a gallon each time you water, three times a week. This is probably enough water for this plant when it is small but it will not be enough as it gets larger. If you cannot increase the number of minutes, then I would add a second emitter at the base of the plant. Drip emitter at base of trumpet vine             Trumpet vine is a hardy plant and thrives in most of the country where the soil is good and it gets plenty of water. It loves the heat. In fact, this plant can grow like a weed, extremely aggressive and in some places become invasive.              I don’t think we have to worry about invasiveness here. It is not a desert plant so it will need a little bit of extra care.             I see these red spots on leaves a lot with our fruit trees, particularly peaches. To me it is a sign of stress. There are two things that you should concentrate on to get this plant up and going and these focus on soil improvement and fertilizer. Red spots developing on leaves of peach due to stress.             This plant would benefit from improved soils sold applying a thick layer of surface mulch is going to make a big difference. I don’t know what kind of soil improvement you made at the time of planting but this is a plant which would benefit from a lot of compost added to the soil at planting time.             The organic surface mulch is going to help but I would put down a layer of compost near the plant and just under the mulch. You can get a load of free organic mulch from the UNCE Orchard in North Las Vegas. Once you have solved the soil problem, this plant would benefit with added water as I mentioned.              In late January or early February I would fertilizer with a decent landscape fertilizer and combine that with an application of iron. The best soil applied iron is going to be in the iron chelate form called EDDHA in the ingredients. Make sure it is applied to the drip emitters and watered in with a hose. Peters fertilizer, a good quality plant fertilizer.             In about March, spray the foliage with a good quality foliar fertilizer such as Miracle Gro or Peters. If you follow this advice, you will see some dramatic improvements.

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Brown Spots in Pear and Apple Flesh Could be Lack of Calcium

4 Comments / Anjou pear, apple flesh, bitter pit, brown spots, calcium sprays, corky spot, Keifer pear, Mutsu apple, pear flesh /

Do you have an apple or pear tree that is about 10 or 12 years old, giving you delicious looking fruit ball when you bite or cut into the fruit, you see corky, brown spots in the flesh? If you do, this could be a sign that your fruit trees will need to be sprayed with calcium when the fruit is young and during its formation. Corky spot in Keiffer pear This disorder is called bitter pit in apple but called corky spot when it occurs in pear. The root of the problem is the same; not enough calcium getting from the soil to the developing fruit. Established fruit trees take a lot of nutrients out of the soil each year for the developing fruit. It would seem unlikely in our desert soils that are full of calcium that a lack of calcium would be a problem. But it can be. Established fruit trees continually mine nutrients from the same areas of the soil each year. Once a tree becomes established where irrigations are limited to a certain area, the root systems do not continue to explore the surrounding soil. They continue to mine these elements where they are. Corky spot in Comice pear Calcium is relatively insoluble. In other words, even though there is plenty of this element in the soil it does not easily dissolve into the applied water before it is taken up by the plant. Producing fruit, and a lot of it, draws heavily on the supply of calcium the tree can find in the soil. Over years the available calcium supply diminishes. If the soil does not allow calcium to dissolve when the plant needs it, calcium deficiencies occur. If you look closely at the fruit there can be telltale indicators that bitter pit or corky spot is present without cutting into the fruit. I look for dimples in the skin. If you look closely at these dimples you will see that they do not “ripen” or turn from green to its mature color like the rest of the skin. If you don’t look closely, you will miss it. Greenish dimples on the surface of the fruit can be a dead giveaway that corky spot or bitter pit has affected the fruit. Cutting the dimple away will expose the corky spot just under the surface. Normally this calcium deficiency occurs on some apples and some pairs but it is less likely on others. In our climate in the Las Vegas Valley I have seen it develop on Mutsu apple and Anjou, Comice and Keiffer pears. To remedy the problem you will need to spray on the fruit as it is developing, calcium sprays. I usually buy food-grade or aquarium-grade calcium chloride. I dissolve about 3-5 pounds of calcium chloride in 100 gallons of water. To convert, there is 16 ounces or 454 grams in one pound. Dissolve the calcium chloride thoroughly in warm water and add a liquid detergent or some sort of spreading agent to help the calcium entry through the skin of the fruit. Spray on the fruit as soon as you see the fruit beginning to develop. Make five applications of the spray about one week apart. Avoid spraying when temperatures are high. Spray in the early morning hours. Real wedding the fruit lightly with pure water after the spray has dried will help more of the calcium to enter the fruit. These five applications of calcium chloride applied along with a sticker/spreader when the fruit is still young will help to prevent bitter pit or corky spot from developing.

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Privet Yellowing a Soil Problem

Leave a Comment / black spots on leaves, dieback, privet yellowing /

Q. My Japanese privet was doing great. I gave it your EDDHA iron chelate elixir 6 months ago. I was watering three times a week and have now cut back to once a week. The leaves are now yellowing with brown spots, the same as it did last year. So, what should I do to the green back? Privet with leaf yellowing A. We see this yellowing of the leaves quite a bit in Ligustrum or privet. They prefer moist and enriched soils so I think this is a combination of both a lack of fertilizer and poor soil conditions. They are not a very good desert plant and don’t really like desert landscapes very much.  The yellowing is most likely a combination of high light intensity along with a general decline in health which makes them more reactive to these tough conditions.    Black spots developing on leaves weakened due to poor health. Perhaps anthracnose but should disappear if plant becomes healthy again. This may be too much for you but if you want to reinvigorate them I would go back in with some decent fertilizer such as Miracle Gro or Peters and either or both spray it on the foliage along with a teaspoon of Ivory liquid in each gallon of water. Then I would also follow up with some compost at the base of the plants and wood mulch to a depth of 4 inches or so.  You will probably not see much reaction this time of year since it is going into “hibernation” but should see a difference next spring. Keep the soil moist but the mulch will help to enrich the soil and keep the soil more moist than before.  Make sure it is getting adequate water. I would estimate about ten gallons per each application for that size of plant. That would be a minimum. You could do a bit more even like 15 gallons. They would like to be treated more like a rose bush than a cactus and would, in fact, like lawn watering schedules over tree and shrub watering. They do better in lawns is what I am saying. Don’t forget a fertilizer application along with your iron next February.

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Pick Lemons in December

Leave a Comment / best flavor refractometer, best time, harvest lemons, picking /

Q. How do I determine the best time to pick lemons? Mine are yellow with some being very firm and others feeling “givvy”. This has been a good year and my Meyer lemon “bush” will afford us lemon curd and juice for the next year. Flowers of Meyer Lemon A. I would pick them as they mature which will usually be late November through possibly the early part of January. You should have them all picked however no later than mid-January so you do not interfere with next seasons production. When picking lemons try not to totally remove the stem but leave a small part still attached. This will help keep it from losing moisture in storage and keep longer.             They will keep very nicely for a few weeks in the fridge. I would pick on which is the yellowest and taste it. As it gets colder, more flavors will develop and sugars. Pay close attention to how it tastes now and pick one in a week or so and compare as the season progresses.             Another option is to use a device which measures the sugar content of the fruit. One such device is called a refractometer. Refractometers measure the sugar content of liquid from inside the fruit by passing sunlight through it and detecting how this light is altered. Refractometer running around $50 to $75. Digital versions are more expensive.             They can range in price from about $50 to $200 depending on how sophisticated you want it. You can find them online from companies that sell equipment to orchards.             I am guessing you will hit the peak about early to mid-December. But still the best way to judge is by taste.

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