Xtremehorticulture

Xtremehorticulture of the Desert

Hedge Needed for Dog Area

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Q. I need a hedge to block the dog area from view. Are there any drought tolerant, full sun bushes that can handle extra nitrogen in the soil from the dog urine, or something I can add to the soil to balance that kind of nitrogen? I saw additives that claim to increase the beneficial microbes or bacteria or something like that to help the nitrogen cycle. A. All plants are damaged if the urine from a dog (male or female) is in contact with any part of the plant. Water to dilute the urine or urea is what is normally recommended. You just have to catch it in time which means following the dog with a hose.  Roots are the most tender parts of plants Generally, plant roots are more tender than the stems. Usually leaves of plants are about as tender as the roots. The plant grows back from damaged stems if dog urine is sprayed directly on the leaves or roots. Having soil around the roots makes them less susceptible when in direct contact with dog urine. How much less susceptible depends on the plants. But nearly all leaves are damaged. Stems will grow new leaves when damaged. Roots will grow new roots when damaged. Differences in Varieties of Texas Rangers Any of the Texas Rangers will work (aka, Texas Sage). ‘Green Cloud’ or ‘Grey Cloud’ varieties of Texas Rangers get about 10 feet tall and should be planted no closer than 8 feet apart or 8 feet from a solid wall. There are shorter varieties of Texas Rangers, like ‘Compacta’ (5’x5’ and 4 to 5 feet from a solid wall) and ‘Cimmaron’ (3’x3’ and 2 to 3 feet from a solid wall) that use less water because of their size and have a height more appropriate for some sites. They are still Texas Rangers so how often they are irrigated is the same just give them less water each time they are irrigated. All plants use water. Big plants use more water than little plants. The more plants you have, the more water is needed. But there are two caveats. Remember ALL plants use water and the more plants of a larger size you have in your landscape, means it can cost more (in water or pumping costs) to irrigate them. The second caveat is that “people schedule when to water plants, plants don’t.” It begs the question, “Are plants responsible for water use or are people?” You can give low water use plants more water than they need, and they won’t care. Marketing? Be careful of marketing claims of products. Sometimes they are correct and sometimes they stretch the truth. In your case, I think you are talking about rejuvenating or renewing the soil rather than the plant. Soil renewal is a totally different issue than plant renewal. Protecting the soil won’t protect the plant from urine damage.

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Practice Watering and Managing Plants with a Hose and Lopper? Try Jojoba.

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Jojoba (Simmondsia californica) Do you want practice managing a plant that does not need much water by pruning it? Try this Sonoran Desert native plant, Jojoba, and see how you do. I was introduced to this plant in the mid-1980s when it was getting popular as a source of oil. It’s again popular but this time because it doesn’t use much water. Like most desert plants, it responds to watering by growing. This was a picture of Jojoba taken by Andrea Meckley and posted on my blog in 2014.https://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2014/09/desert-plants-jojoba.html You can read more about this plant here in a post by Andrea Meckley I published on this blog in 2014. Details about Jojoba Growth of this plant is tied very closely to watering frequency; 1 to 2 inches of water, 3 to 5 times each year. It has the potential for saving water in the landscape if you know how to water and prune it. Most fruit trees require about 50 inches of water each year. This plant grows with 5 to 8 inches of applied water. If you water it with your controller this is what you are likely to get. This is a jojoba on an irrigation timer.https://www.public.asu.edu/~camartin/plants/Plant%20html%20files/Irrigated%20jojoba.jpg ·       Unpruned height is nearly 20 feet tall. It grows this tall slowly. Height can be kept 5 to 6 feet tall if pruned once a year or every other year. Don’t prune it from the top with a loppers or hedge shears. Get on your hands and knees and prune it with a loppers or hand shears at the base.  Can it be grown taller and pruned into a small tree? Perhaps. I haven’t tried it. Pruning the lower limbs from this giant shrub(above) might make a nice small patio tree. ·       Evergreen plant unless it gets very cold (lower than 20F) and then it drops its leaves and becomes deciduous. At very cold temperatures (below 15F) the top of this plant may die to the ground. ·       Cold temperature limits: 20°F ·       High temperature limits: 125°F + ·       Irrigation: 5 to 8 inches of water each year. Give it 1 to 2 inches of water in the spring, do that twice in the summer months and once in the fall. Apply this water in a basin or donut surrounding the tree to contain the water and reduce water waste. Do not put this plant on an existing irrigation system or you will be sorry because of it’s growth. ·       Planting location: east side of a building or wall is best but tolerates full sun (south or west sides) if planted at least 5 feet from a hot surface. Tolerates planting of rock mulch on the surface of the soil. ·       Spacing from each other or walls: depends on plants mature height. If grown 20 feet in height than planting distance is no closer than 15 feet apart (8 feet from a wall). If pruned to 6 feet height, then plant them no closer than force feet apart (2 feet from a wall). Male and female plants are wind pollinated much like date palms and corn. If they are propagated by the nursery from seed, then you get 50-50 male and female unless there sexed. If plants are vegetatively propagated (no sex involved) then they will be either all-male or all-female if they came from the same plant. Male plants may cause a pollen problem. Female plants produce the fruit and oil. If these plants are watered too often or the soil has poor drainage, watering frequently on the controller may cause root problems, yellowing and plant death. Directions for planting Jojoba: 1.     Pick a location for planting, preferably on the east side of your home. The north and south sides are okay as well but the east side is preferred. Pick a spot that is at least half the distance from a wall equal to the height you want it maintained at. 2.     Plant Jojoba (Simmondsia californica) without any drip or supplemental irrigation. It’s okay to put it into a rock landscape. Build a level basin or donut around the plant 4 feet in diameter that can hold 2 inches of water. When watering with a hose, fill this basin or donut only once. Reestablish the irrigation basin when it no longer holds enough water. 3.     Make the hole for it wide and the same depth as the container or roots. The roots of this plant need places to spread horizontally easily. 4.     Stake the plant to establish the roots without wind for one growing season and then remove the stake. 5.     After planting in the spring or fall, wet the soil thoroughly to remove air pockets and establish the roots. 6.     Fertilize this shrub lightly once a year in the spring or fall or when needed. 7.     Manage this plant’s growth by watering its basin. 8.     Prune this plant at its base or bottom. Never prune this plant at its desired height. Prune this plant from your knees. Prune this plant by removing long stems (usually 2-4) near its base (renewal or rejuvenation pruning). Do not prune once a year. Usually not necessary unless it’s being watered too often. Every two years, or whenever needed. Where to get Jojoba? Check with your local nurseries and see if they haven’t first. They usually have some sort of guarantee if it fails. Don’t forget to check Lowes or Home Depot as well. Online nurseriesCalifornia online native plant nursery, Las Pilitas     Arizona online nursery, Desert Horizon Nursery Listing these online nurseries is not an endorsement of any specific nursery. I don’t know them. It’s just a suggestion.

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Buying and Planting Citrus in the Las Vegas Area

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 Buying and planting citrus, subtropical and tropical trees, in the Eastern Mojave Desert can be a challenge. First is finding a good location then amending the soil, staking the tree and watering it. Learn how it is best done in this episode of Desert Horticulture.  Citrus selection can be tricky in the Las Vegas area due to our winter cold temperatures. Citrus with a think rind can indicate a potassium deficiency. Always use a citrus fertilizer once a year in the spring.

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Why ‘Improved Meyer’ Lemon instead of ‘Eureka’ Lemon in St. George Utah

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Q. I am writing regarding the purchase and planting of a ‘Eureka’ lemon tree. Of main concern to me is where to plant the tree, where to purchase the tree, what sized tree should I purchase, how often should it be watered and fertilized, and how big should I make the planting hole? Meyer lemon tree growing in a container in Las Vegas. A. a ‘Eureka’ lemon is not a preferred lemon for our area due to its low tolerance of our colder winter temperatures. Meyer lemon begins its cold winter damage at about 25F or a bit less, but ‘Eureka’ lemon starts getting damage at freezing (32F). That’s a 7°F difference in cold tolerance not even considering wind damage! ‘Meyer Lemon’ is not a true lemon like ‘Eureka’, but the flavor is very close. Eureka lemon in Las Vegas             If freezing weather threatens, wheel the tree and container into the garage until the freezing temperature is over then wheel it back out. You can try covering it with a frost blanket. This gives the tree about 5°F of added protection (to about 27°F depending on the wind). You can try Christmas tree lights that radiate heat (it may help a few degrees) but again it depends on the wind. Large unknown lemon grown in Lake Havasu, AZ.             The rest of the information you asked about is the same regardless of the variety. Depending on which variety you want, you may have to purchase it from an online nursery. Select an average sized tree, about 5 gallons in size, and plant it in the warmest microclimate you can find surrounding your house (usually it’s on the south or west side). Amend the soil with compost at planting time and dig the planting hole three times the width of the roots. Plant it 8 to 5 feet from a warm wall and protect it from the wind. Stake it for at least one year if it is a 5-gallon size or larger. Plant wet. Cover the soil with woodchips when finished. Protect it from rabbits.

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Wet the Soil First Before Digging the Planting Hole

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Q. I’m finally having my empty backyard landscaped. It’s the typical subdivision super hard “soil”. Should it be amended somehow before the new plants are added? More than just in the hole where the plant goes, I mean. Wet the soil first a few days before digging. Moist soil helps to make it softer. Mix compost with the soil taken from the hole by about 25 to 33%. A. Some of the landscape soils are hard, hard, hard! Wet the area to be planted with an hour of sprinkler water from a hose and sprinkler a few days before digging. This water will help make it softer to dig. I would recommend amending the soil in the planting hole with compost or another amendment a few days after it is wetted. Amend it between 25 to 33% with compost (one shovelful of compost to 3 or 4 shovelfuls of soil). The hole for the plant should be dug and amended to a width three times the size of the diameter of the container or roots. Then check it for drainage. The hole should drain water overnight. Wet amended soil should be at least chocolate brown in color. Holes located where fruit trees are to be grown are wetted and amended with compost by about 25 to 33%.             The hole does not have to be dug deeper than the container but should be dug three times the root width of the plants. Amend that soil taken from the hole. The only time the soil needs to be dug deeper than the container is when the soil is very bad at draining water. If a planting hole is filled with water and it drains this water overnight, then the drainage is good enough; three times the width of the roots/container is enough soil preparation. Younger trees are planted in wet, amended soil, covered in woodchips and staked to prevent them from blowing over in strong winds.             If the water does not drain from the hole overnight, you should plant on top of an embankment or a small hill. If you are planting a medium sized shrub (6 to 10 feet tall) in this spot, then the soil in the amended mound or hill should be 12 inches tall and about three or four feet wide. If the tree or shrub is 20 feet tall then the soil mound should be 18 inches high. Cover this soil with a mulch of some sort, either woodchips or rock depending on the type of plant.

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Wind is Damaging to Plants

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Windy Weather Windy weather, like we had over a past weekend, is very damaging to plants. (Notice I said “is” and not “can be”?) Light winds cause very little damage. Moderate winds cause moderate amounts of damage. Strong winds cause lots of damage. Why? I can think of at least two reasons; extent of damage and water use. Shallow rooting of tree because of annual flowers planted at its base. Vegetables and Wind             Vegetables grow the best when located closest to the downwind side of a windbreak. Plants don’t care if the windbreak is living or not, they just want the wind slowed. For this reason, the best windbreaks are not solid walls (e.g., block walls) but perforated walls (e.g., chain-link fence with slats inserted in them). Solid walls cause the wind to swirl. Perforated walls cause the wind to slow. Science has shown us the best windbreaks are about 80-90% solid, not 100% solid. Windbreaks for orchard in a canyon Wind Damage and Fruit Trees             Examples of damage include leaf and flower damage with small fruit ripped from the tree with some types of fruit trees. Plants grown in windy spots are smaller than plants grown in protected areas. In strong windy locations I have seen fruit trees that lean away from the wind. Wind damage to fruit trees is the worst on trees closest to the wind. Wind damage lessens on the second and third row of fruit trees. Plant fruit trees in blocks so they give each other wind protection. Locate fruit trees that tolerate wind damage the most on the windward side of the block. Examples of wind tolerant fruit trees are pomegranates, apples, and pears. These trees will protect the less wind tolerant fruit trees. Fruit trees less tolerant of wind include citrus, plums, apricots, and peaches. Wind and Water Use             Plants during windy weather use more water. If the winds are strong and continuous, they use more water! Wind is a strong predictor of plant water use. In fact, along with how bright the sun is shining it is one of the strongest predictors of plant water use.  Pay Attention Go outside in the morning. Look at the weather. Is it bright and sunny with very few clouds in the sky? Winds is a major predictor of high-water use. Look at the trees. Are the leaves moving? Look at a flag flying on a flagpole. Is the flag barely moving? Is the flag flapping a lot? Is the flag rippling because of the wind? Those are indicators of wind strength. Bright, cloudless skies and strong winds equals high water use in our desert climate. It’s time to water during bright windy weather.

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Will a Caper Bush Grow in Las Vegas?

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Q. Will a caper bush (Capparis spinosa) grow in Las Vegas? Where might I buy one? I called a local nursery and got nowhere. A. Briny capers are the unripened flower buds from a wild spiny plant that grows in the Mediterranean region and parts of Asia. Immature flowers from these plants are dried and then put in a brine solution for preservation. Their lemony, floral hints might remind you slightly of green olives since they are added to food as a condiment. More on Capers from Wikipedia             The plants are usually started from seed but I’m sure some entrepreneurial online nursery grows them as plants to sell. They are about 3 feet tall and wider than they are tall since the stems tend to lay down if given a lot of water.  I have never tried to grow them in our climate. They have enough cold tolerance and they are Mediterranean. I would try it on the Eastern side of a building with soil improvement and additional water at the time of planting. I’m no expert but if this plant grows in the dry, hot Mediterranean region, it has a good chance of surviving our desert climate as well.  The information I saw maintains they are good down to winter temperatures of about 20°F when they get older and larger. If temperatures get in the low 20s this plant suckers from its base. Think Bay Laurel, oleander, Italian Cypress, and you’ll get an idea of the climate and soils they like.

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Finely Ground Eggshells are Okay for Desert Garden Soils

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Q. I read somewhere that putting crushed up eggshells is good for the garden, so I have been doing that. I also throw tea leaves and coffee grounds on the garden which I know is good, but I was wondering about the eggshells. Are they helpful and I should continue or forget it and throw them out? Eggs and bananas at our farm in Batangas, Philippines. Ground up eggshells are better chemically for the soil in out tropical, high rainfall soil than in the desert where there is plenty of calcium. Banana peels release more nutrients than the eggshells.  A. They do two things; organics improve the structure and texture of the soil and add to its chemistry. Warm wet soil decomposes the smallest stuff first. Put eggshells and tea leaves in a blender with some water before composting or adding them to a soil. Coffee grounds are already “ground up” so it’s not necessary to use a blender.  Any kind of “organic” breaks down in the soil through the action of organisms where it turns into “Black Gold”, improving soil structure and slowly releasing the chemicals they contain. There is a lot of information available on the chemicals released by eggshells, tea leaves and coffee grounds. But get them small if you want them to be released quicker. When adding stuff to the soil it is better to add a whole bunch of different stuff than just one thing like all eggshells or all banana peels. Eggshells are mostly calcium, the same kind used to increase alkalinity in soil  It is better for soils that are more acidic such as higher rainfall areas. But still eggshells are not bad for the soil. 

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Garage of Old Fertilizers – What to Do?

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Q. What do I do with all the partially used chemical fertilizers in my garage? Chemical storage. A. Most mineral fertilizers can be applied as the fertilizer bag recommends. They dont go bad unless they get wet.  Some fertilizers that contain pesticides must be disposed of properly. If your fertilizer does contain a pesticide then ask me how to get rid of it. If permitted and you no longer want or need these types of fertilizers, give them to your non-organic neighbors for application. It’s best to use them up as normal applications rather than put them out as garbage.             The mineral fertilizers considered “hazardous waste” usually have a weed killer or insecticide that is no longer permitted to be applied by homeowners. These fertilizers should be considered hazardous waste and disposed of according to county regulations that are intended to protect our water supply. Other types of mineral fertilizers can legally be applied. But ask to make sure.

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