Xtremehorticulture

Xtremehorticulture of the Desert

Part of My New Ocotillo is Dying

6 Comments / ocotillo dead, ocotillo dying, planting ocotillo /

Q. My Ocotillo appears to be dying. It was planted this year and the left side has lost all its green leaves but the right side looks perfectly okay. Do you have any ideas what happened? A. Yes, I have seen it before. It is probably because it is watered too often, the soil didn’t drain water fast enough and consequently some roots rotted. Common problem with some desert adapted plants. They don’t like soils that are kept wet. Visit planting suggestions for ocotillo in Arizona A healthy ocotillo survives.             When roots begin rotting on one side of a plant, it can lead to dieback in the tops. If leaves first came out and then died, it means water stopped getting to the leaves because roots died. If roots are dead when it is planted, leaves may come out and then die back or the entire plant can die. Why is it sometimes ocotillo lives and sometimes dies? It is usually because of water. In some way, the problem is nearly always associated with water.             Roots can die after it has been planted or they can be dead at the time of planting. Partial root death can be caused by poor storage and handling conditions at the nursery. But the usual reason is because it is watered too often after planting.             Let’s cover the basics of planting an ocotillo.              Dig the hole three times the size of its roots. Amend the soil with compost, about 50/50, and use this soil for planting. As you are planting, add water to the soil in the hole to settle it and remove air pockets.             Cut it loose. Ocotillo stems are tied together so they don’t get damaged when they are in storage and transported. After planting, cut the stems loose and let them spring outward.             Stake it. Ocotillo has very small roots compared to its top. Grow enough roots so it can support top growth. Frequently the plant will not stay upright after planting because it is top heavy. Use rebar to stake the plant in three locations to immobilize roots. Tie rebar tostems so that the roots can’t move. You might have to leave it staked for over a year.             Water it. Water it no more than once a week. At first, water near the base of plant to supply the roots water. Use a 2 – foot diameter basin to hold the water near the roots. As the plant shows signs of growth, apply water further from its base. This encourages roots to grow outward, away from the base, and support the top.             Don’t plant it in a low spot. This is where water collects and will kill it. The soil must have good drainage and become dry after it is wet.             Some people will spray the stems with water daily after planting. They claim it helps establish the plant. There is no solid evidence to support this idea but it may help.             Once established, ocotillo should be watered more often than cacti but less often than nondesert plants. Remember, they don’t like wet soils! They are a desert plant. Watering daily would be a big mistake. See http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2012/04/planting-ocotillos-so-they-dont-die.html http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2014/04/planting-and-watering-ocotillo.html http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2014/08/ocotillo-two-years-and-not-green.html http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2014/04/ocotillo-watering-should-be-infrequent.html

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Bug Problem Confusion on Pomegranate

Leave a Comment / green lacewing, katydid, leaf footed plant bug, leaffooted plant bug, pomegranate insects /

Q. I have a pomegranate tree that bears fruit with dark red seeds. I have been fighting a bug that turns the inside pale white, almost gray. I also have a big, slow flying bug that sits on the fruit and puts its tail in it, splitting it for the birds. We also have the Katydids which I didn’t know were harmful until recently. I tried to be as organic as possible. leaffooted plant bug shot from reader. Not sure where it is…..? A. Thanks for the follow-up pictures to help me identify problems. The katydid is a problem on pomegranates in California but I had never heard of it reported as a problem here. The picture you sent to me is not a katydid but a green lacewing which is a “good guy”. Their young are probably after aphids or immature whiteflies. Confusion of green lacewing with katydid by reader Katydid on pomegramate             I did not get a picture of the second insect and I do not know what it is. But be careful in identifying insects so you don’t confuse the “good guys” with the “bad guys”. Pomegranate pest management in San Joaquin Valley              The leaf footed plant bug is a perennial problem on pomegranates, other fruit and nut trees and vegetables. Organic sprays such as soap and water are effective when they are very young but not so when they are older such as now. Control of these critters should start in about April.             Conventional pesticides like synthetic pyrethrins are the only way I know of getting some control this time of year. http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2014/08/understanding-and-controlling.html http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2017/04/traditional-pesticides-to-control-leaf.html http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2014/04/expect-those-ugly-bugs-on-pomegranate.html

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Whats Causing Leaf Damage on Creosote Bush

Leave a Comment / creosote bush, leaf cupping, leaf distortion /

Q. Two creosote bushes in my landscape have distorted leaves and very thin foliage. Both bushes receive light, supplemental water and have for the past ten years. I noticed a Midge’s gall on each bush.  Can you give me recommendations on bringing them back to health? A. It may be impossible to tell you exactly what caused these distorted leaves on your creosote bush but I put these types of problems into two categories; insects and environmental. I would rule out diseases.             Judging from the pictures, most of the leaf distortion seems to be “cupping”. I see a few leaves with brown tips. I also saw in one picture some very light “webbing” and leaf tip dieback which makes me suspicious of spider mites. Online reference to this article             It’s a common misconception that native plants like creosote bush don’t have pest problems. They do. Many of our native plants have insects and other animals that coexist together. Some of them cause damage and others feed on these bad guys. That, and limited new growth, keep them in check. But, seldom does it get out of control.             When leaves cup, some part of the leaf becomes damaged as it was growing. As the leaf continues to grow, the undamaged part of the leaf continues to grow normally while the damaged part doesn’t. This causes the leaf to “cup”.             There are several native insects that already have a relationship with creosote bush and have the potential to cause this kind of damage; the Creosote Bush Stink Bug and the Creosote Bush Plant Bug. Both insects have piercing sucking mouthparts and can cause this type of damage which gets hard to find as leaves get bigger. Diseases can cause this type of damage, but probably less likely. Creosote Bush Stink Bug Creosote Bush Plant Bug             If I follow the KISS principle when diagnosing problems. My best guess is probably insects because of their abundance with this plant. Check this plant for spider mites. Although they are not technically insects, they fall into a general “insect” category of damage.             Spider mites are very tiny and hard to see. Take the stem of a plant still attached and slap it hard against white paper. Look for crawling dots the size of a period at the end of a sentence. If these tiny dots are moving, then you’ve nailed it.             Brush your fingers across these dots and they will smear on the paper. Because I’m curious, I also look, with a hand lens, for tiny translucent balls on the leaves. These are their eggs. Plants oftentimes appear extra dusty when they have spider mites because of all the dead spider mite carcasses on the leaves.              I think the succulence of this plant growing in a landscape was probably a huge magnet to plant feeders like a spider mites and other “bugs” looking for food. Plants like this with extra succulence are like a smorgasbord to plant feeders.             What to use? Washing the plant with a stream of water helps to keep spider mites from getting established but once established they are a continuous problem during hot weather. There is a lot of anecdotal recommendations out there but most of them are untested in the field.             Soap and water sprays, if you do it two or three times a week, will oftentimes get them under control. Make sure you spray the top side and bottom side of leaves. But it doesn’t do much about the insects with piercing mouthparts. You’ve got to spray them directly with soap and water to kill them. And it will kill them but it must be a direct hit. Some organic sprays might work for you such as neem oil.             Traditional pesticides used for insects oftentimes make a spider mite problems worse. Bad spider mites are usually kept under control by good mites. Spraying a traditional pesticides to control mites will wipe them both out. However, if it’s really bad then go ahead and apply a miticide from your local nursery or garden center. But first try to wash them off with a stream of water and soap and water. Link to some predatory mites             Try irrigating your creosote bushes less often and creating less succulence. Water them like cacti after they get established. Watering them every three weeks once they are established should be enough.

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Brown Spots in Lawn Probably “Frogeye” Disease

Leave a Comment / disease, Fusarium, grass, insects, irrigation, lawn, turfgrass /

Q. I have some large dead areas in my lawn. I don’t think it’s an insect problem. Watering is at 2 AM and 7 AM. This was my first lawn problem in 16 years! Unusual pattern for dead grass. Too random for irrigation I think. This picture you start to see the “frogeye” disease pattern. Looks like it could be a chemical spill. Here is where “frogeye” starts to make an impression. But its over.  A. I looked at the pictures you sent, but the last picture was the most “telling” to me. I think your lawn had a disease problem that is now finished. Don’t do anything now! Let me tell you why I came to that conclusion.             Insect problems here are not like those “rolling back like a carpet” problems described in books and online. Those descriptions apply to Kentucky bluegrass damaged by white grubs. We have grubs, but we don’t have much bluegrass anymore. Our lawns are 95% tall fescue and tall fescue reacts differently to insect damage. It pulls out like loose hair from an old animal skin. Plus, the pattern of dying grass does not resemble insect damage. Rolls Back Like a Carpet             I first thought the brown spots were an irrigation problem, but the pattern doesn’t fit an irrigation problem. With irrigation problems, dead or damaged areas are in a pattern that relates to the location of sprinkler heads. I didn’t know where the sprinkler heads were, but the damage was irregular, so I ruled out irrigation. Irrigation problems are nearly always easy to see how they connect to the sprinklers.             The pattern does, however, resemble a chemical spill flowing downhill and damaging the grass in its path. It was a possibility, but the last picture looked like advanced stages of a disease problem. We used to call this disease Fusarium blight or “frogeye”. This disease has since been renamed Necrotic Ring Spot. I thought “frogeye” was much more descriptive. Seldom will you see it this obvious but this is frogeye. See how it got its name? In advanced stages these dead areas can become one but you still look for little patches of green grass that would still be there. Sometimes its hard to see them.             What led me in the direction toward disease were the small patches of green grass still alive but surrounded by dead grass. These small green patches of grass are how “frogeye”, now Necrotic Ring Spot, got its name.             From the pictures, it looks like the disease has run its course and the grass that’s alive is healthy. I say this because the grass surrounding the dead areas appears healthy. This is the way lawn diseases usually work. They have a window of opportunity, when the weather is right for the disease to spread, and it takes off. The weather changes and the disease stops.             You would be wasting your money to apply a fungicide now that it’s over. But, don’t disturb the brown, dead grass and leave it alone until fall. If you remove it now, it opens the soil to invasion by Bermudagrass. Bermudagrass loves sunshine, bare soil and water. It hates shade. Wait until the weather cools in late September or October, remove the dead grass and either seed or sod these areas.

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