Xtremehorticulture

Xtremehorticulture of the Desert

Multiple Trees Together Better Choice Than Multi-Budded Trees

Leave a Comment / multiple budded tree, multiple fruit on a single tree, multiple trees in a single hole, planting trees /

Q. I lost two fruit trees this winter because of an irrigation problem. I would like to replace them with 4-in-1 pluot and plum tree. I’m hoping it’s not too late to plant. Two-in-one hole fruit trees…one Santa Rosa plum and pluot by reader.  A. It is not too late to plant fruit trees in containers but it is too late to plant them bare root or sold in packages. I am not a big fan of fruit trees that have more than one variety on the same tree. In a few years the more aggressive varieties dominate and kill the weaker varieties. In a very short time the tree is dominated by one or two varieties instead of four. I prefer separate trees planted very close to each other and managed as one tree. I would plant these trees about 12 to 18 inches apart; one on the east side of a large hole and the other on the west. In the case of pluots and plum, the plum tree should be a Santa Rosa which is a good pollinator for pluots. Pluots are self-pollinating in our climate but having a Santa Rosa plum tree close may help with fruit set and increase yield. Two rules should be followed when planting trees close together; never let them grow back into each other and keep them both pruned and trained to the same size.

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What Causes Holes in Cactus?

1 Comment / holes in cactus /

Q. My neighbor has a cactus that has these holes on one side. I am hoping you can tell us what is causing this and if this plant is doomed to die. A. Nothing substantial came to me regarding the holes in your cactus. Generally speaking, these holes can occur from overwatering. They can also be from a disease problem if the humidity has been high or there has been rain. My first suspicion was a bacterial disease that causes holes in some cacti but I don’t think that is the case with yours. Usually this would occur during wet or humid weather. Not if the plant has been dry. The only thing I can tell you to do is be careful how often you water. Make sure the plant has good drainage. If the hole does not have any soft tissue around it just consider it a temporary thing and not get too excited about it. If the tissue around the hole is hard and not soft then it is most likely not getting any worse. Here is a link to a publication from the University of Arizona on diseases of cacti and succulents

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What to Use When Amending Raised Beds

Leave a Comment / amending raised beds, what to use /

Q. What should I use to amend raised beds? Mine need to be rejuvenated. Sulfur, rock dust, chicken manure, worm castings, I am not sure which ones to use or to use them all! Raised beds are probably the best alternative when you are faced with using “fill” that was put in by the developer or builder of the home. A. There is a lot of hype on the Internet regarding soil amendments. I can understand why it’s confusing. Sulfur, rock dust, coconut coir, worm castings, chicken manure all make promises of miracles. Stay with the basics if you are just starting out. Amend your soils with compost each year, and your raised bed will be productive every year. The best quality compost is rich in nutrients, consistently black or dark brown in color and a pleasing aroma. Composts that deviate from these characteristics are poorer in quality. Compost made in Amargosa, Nevada, by a dairy operation using the “windrow” method. Composts work best if they are mixed with soil…. even desert soil. Many of the subdivisions have extremely poor soils because “fill” was used around the homes rather than soil. In many cases, raised beds filled with soil mixes is the least expensive option to having a garden. Perlite is one of those amendments used as a soil amendment. It is used mostly for propagation and interior plants. If compost is applied to these soils every year most of these amendments are usually not needed. Adding compost and growing a productive garden helps to lower its the soil pH so sulfur is usually not needed. Compost added to the vegetable plots every year at the University Orchard in North Las Vegas Over a year ago I tested three different rock dusts in several locations around Las Vegas and found no benefit to these additions as long as the garden soil was amended with compost. The type of compost, whether it is traditional compost or compost made from worms, is up to you and your personal preference. Certainly, if you sleep better at night by adding these amendments to your raised beds by all means apply them. They will not hurt anything as long as you don’t apply too much. Red wigglers used in worm composting…vermiculture…in a plastic bin and food scraps Virtually all of the animal manures are effective if they are composted correctly. The only additions I would suggest when first starting off with raised beds are inocula for legumes such as beans and peas. The type of fertilizers to use are your personal preference but organic fertilizers typically add more to the soil than conventional fertilizers but cost more. However, if your soil is amended properly at the beginning of the season then small amounts of conventional fertilizers would benefit the plants. 

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Oleanders as Small Trees

Leave a Comment / oleander pruning /

 I read with interest your article in the Review Journal regarding turning Oleanders from bushes, into trees. I have been attempting to do this with my Oleanders for the last year or two and they appear to be doing quite well. I am glad that I have been doing most of the things that you recommended in your article. I have attached a couple of photos and hoped you would give me your opinion of whether they will continue to do well, or if I should be doing more to them. The photographs were taken in February when it was still rather cool, but now they are starting to bloom. Thank you for all the help you give us amateurs with our plants, trees and gardens etc. I’m sure we all appreciate it, Mr. Morris. Reply: Great job, Bill. The only thing I would recommend is to try and get the canopy to occupy about 2/3 of the tree and the trunks 1/3. It is more pleasing to look at. It might be a bit difficult to do that with your limited space but they look nice and make a nice small tree with flowers and is evergreen.

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Plant Recommendations Colorful, Fragrant, Heat Tolerant

Leave a Comment / desert landscape, desert plant selection /

Q. I am fairly new to the Las Vegas area and have a 23′ x 3′ area on the south side by a cement wall that gets some shade. I’d like to plant some type of bushes that are colorful, fragrant, heat and drought tolerant, need minimal upkeep and will grow approximately 6-8′. I have enough oleander.  Any suggestions? A. I will assume from your email you want plants that stay about 3′ wide, low maintenance, evergreen, and will accept some sun.  Flowers and fragrance would be preferred.  I see you want 6-8′ tall   The plants listed below all stay around 3′ wide. These are all medium water use plants that grow about 3′ x 3′: Dwarf Bottlebrush Callistemon ‘Nana’ Dwarf Youpon Holly Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana’ Gulf Stream or Moon Bay Nandina Nandina ‘Gulf stream’ or Nandina ‘Moon Bay’ Box-Leaf Euonymus Euonymus microphylla Low water use plants that grow about 3′ x 3′: Blue Texas Ranger Leucopyllum zygopyllum Brittlebush Encilia (2 varities available) Autumn Sage Salvia greggii Taller growing plants to consider with some trimming to stay 3′ wide: Heavenly Bamboo Nandina domestica Dwarf Xylosma Xylosma c. ‘Compacta’ Baja Fairy Duster Calliandra californica (deciduous) Classic Myrtle Myrtle communis A good source for plant information is snwa.com under ‘landscapes’ and then ‘plant search’.   You could look up plants above and decide which are best for you. Hope this helps.  Get back to me with any further comments or concerns. Andrea Meckley, CH

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Bugs are on the Attack; Fruit Trees and Vegetables

Leave a Comment / insects on fruit in March /

Many questions sent to me right now are about bugs appearing on fruit trees and vegetables. Remember, never apply sprays of any sort while fruit trees are blooming. My first recommendations for pest control are natural or organic spray remedies. If my recommendations are not natural or organic, I will tell you they are conventional spray remedies. Yes, it will cost you more money but always use a wetting agent combined with any sprays used for controlling insects, diseases and weeds. A wetting agent is not needed when applying insecticidal soap sprays. Soap sprays can be combined with other insecticides and act as a substitute for a wetting agent. Insecticidal soap commercial size             Big problems right now are aphids on all fruit trees as well is young vegetable transplants. Aphids inhabit the undersides of leaves where it is darker and less obvious to their predators. Aphids are now feeding, colonizing and building their populations exponentially. They are sucking plant juices from the leaves and excreting a sweet, sticky substance called honeydew. Apricot leaves with aphid honeydew             Soon aphids will attract ants that collect this honeydew. Ants then climb the tree in long, continuous rows that go back and forth from the aphids to their nest which is usually in the ground. Many people will try to control the ants but ignore the aphids. To control ants, control the aphids. Aphids and ants together with aphids only there due to the presence of aphids Soap and water sprays are very effective if sprayed directly on the aphids. Please use either a commercial insecticidal soap or an unscented liquid detergent that contains no hand care products. I prefer a liquid Castile soap for insect control but it can be more expensive than purchasing and insecticidal soap. Some people use Dr. Bonners. Aphids and ants on the same apricot leaves Horticultural oils are also effective and can be safely used after bloom and until temperatures reach about 85° F. Horticultural oils are refined mineral oils. Neem oil is an oil spray and can be used as a substitute for horticultural oils if you choose. Horticultural oil commercial size If you have nectarine, Western flower thrips are likely attacking the fruit right now. They have been attacking the flowers even before they were open. These tiny winged insects are poor flyers but able to go the short distances between fruit and attack them, ripping at the skin of the fruit causing it to “bleed” sap which they use as food. The ripping of the skin causes it to scab, become deformed and ugly. Western flower thrips are responsible for the ugly, deformed appearance of nectarine fruit. Thrips damage to immature apricot Spray the fruit now with an insecticide containing Spinosad listed in the ingredients. Direct your sprays primarily at the fruit because that’s what you are protecting. One spray application of Spinosad is not be enough to protect the fruit from scarring. You must spray it multiple times as the fruit is developing if you want it unscarred. Alternate Spinosad sprays with soap and oil sprays weekly.

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Mulch Can Create Problems for Peach Trees

1 Comment / Branch die back, problems with mulch, what killed my peach tree /

Q. I bought a Babcock peach in the summer of 2014 and planted it at about an elevation of 3700 feet. I planted it as you recommended including a 4 inch layer of mulch on top of the soil around the tree. The tree budded nicely but I noticed most stem ends just died and dried up this past winter. Two-year-old Babcock peach Dieback on Babcock peach stems from a lack of water A. When stems die back like you describe it is usually a problem with water or freezing temperatures. Unless temperatures dropped down to 15° F it is most likely water related.             Water related can mean either too much or too little water because both can result in stems dying back. It is obvious that a lack of water can cause something like this but less obvious if it is from too much applied water .             Giving a plant too much water can mean either two things; either applying too much water each time you irrigate or giving the plant water too frequently. The first one, applying too much water each time you irrigate, usually doesn’t create a problem for the plant, it just wastes water. But the second one, watering too often, can be far more dangerous to a plant. Collar rot or crown rot on honeysuckle because of wet mulch in contact with the stems             Watering too often can fill the soil around the roots with so much water that the roots cannot “breathe” and they begin to suffocate. Allowing the water enough time to drain from around the roots allows air to enter the soil again and roots can breathe.             Unless a plant is growing in pure sand or in a small container, withholding water for a few days before the next irrigation gives roots a chance to “breathe” again. There is enough water left in the soil to last a few days after an irrigation in normal soils. Apple growing in wet soils with collar rot             There is another possibility. You mentioned you have a 4 inch layer of mulch on top of the soil surrounding the tree. This will really help your trees, however do not allow this mulch to rest against the trunk of new trees. Always keep mulch away from the trunk of trees while they are young. At least 12 inches. Wet mulch can “rot” the trunk where it is in contact with the wet mulch. This “rot” is a disease called collar rot. Collar rot disease will “choke” the trunk and prevent water from moving from the roots to the top of the tree. The symptoms are identical to a lack of water and this is a strong possibility in your case.

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After Agave Blooms It Will Die

Leave a Comment / do agaves die after the bloom, Octopus agave /

Q. I bought this plant 4 years ago and was told it is an Octopus agave. I was advised it might take 40 to 50 years to bloom and afterwards the plant will die. The stalk coming from the center of the plant grew to about 12 feet in 2 weeks. I really do not know what I am looking at or what to do. A. This is not Octopus agave. Compare it to pictures of Octopus agave on the Internet. Yes, that is a bloom spike. The plant will die after it flowers. The mother plant should have small offsets or pups at the base of the plant prior to blooming. You may not see them until after the mother plant dies and is removed. These pups can be replanted in new locations or given away to friends. Pups growing at the base of American agave. When planting agaves and cacti, amend the soil with compost at the time of planting and mixed with the backfill around the roots. They will grow better. Be careful how frequently the plant is watered. Do not water them more often than every three weeks but give them 5 to 10 gallons when you do. Some information on Octopus agave from Master Gardeners at the University of Arizona Agaves look better when they are either planted in groupings of three or five with enough distance between them so they can spread out or planted singularly as a focal point in the landscape. When planting in groups, use odd numbers of plants and plant them at different distances apart to make them more appealing to the eye.

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