Xtremehorticulture

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

Vegetable and Herb Presentation to Arizona Master Gardeners Read More »

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 [email protected] 266E Loftsgard Hall Dept 7670, PO Box 6050 Fargo, ND 58108-6050 Fax: 701.231.8474

Do You Love Magnolias? Read More »

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. 

All Rosemarys are Not Created Equal Read More »

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.

Spittle on Rosemary a Common Problem Read More »

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. 

More Rosemary Dying Read More »

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 Dying Usually Soil Problem Read More »