Xtremehorticulture

Xtremehorticulture of the Desert

July todo: harvesting grapes

Leave a Comment / brix, refractometer, sugar content, when to harvest /

This is Italia, a seeded grape that can be used for wine or fresh eating. Note the berry color change from a green (not pictured) to a yellow green indicating time is near to harvest. Pick Grapes. The easiest way to know if grapes are ready to pick is to taste them and look at them. If they are sweet, go ahead and cut off a bunch. Dark colored grapes are easy to tell if they are close to being ready. Green grapes are more difficult but there is usually a slight color change from green to more of a yellow green color.           Grape bunches on the same vine are not all ready at the same time. You should be able to selectively harvest grape bunches over a period of about two weeks if you continue to irrigate the vines. Withholding water from a vine helps to push the harvest days closer together. You begin to withhold water when you see the color change in the berries. Handheld refractometer for measuring sugar content of fruits and vegetables           In this heat and intense sunlight, grapes will add about 1% sugar content every 2 to 3 days. With table grapes we will harvest them at around 20 Brix. With wine grapes on the other hand we like to see at least 24 Brix. One Brix is equivalent to about 1% sugar by weight. The higher the Brix reading, the higher the sugar content.           But most people are pretty accurate with sweetness just by taste. The device which gives sweetness A numerical value is called the refractometer. Refractometers can be purchased at many places on the Internet.

July todo: harvesting grapes Read More »

July todo: Pick figs

Leave a Comment / kadota, ripe figs, when to harvest figs /

Two crops on one branch: the early crop or Briba crop is attached to wood produced last year (dark) while the main crop or later crop is attached to wood produced this year (green). Check figs. There are two crops of figs in our climate; the early crop born on last year’s wood and the main crop which is produced on wood that grew this year. They will be coming on in July. They do not ripen once they have been removed from the tree. What you pick, is what you get.           So figs must be picked when they are fully ripe. How do you know? Two ways; one visual and one by feel. Figs that are ready to pick will be soft to the touch and no longer hard. These kadota figs have changed color from green to yellow and the neck on the two ripe ones is now bending indicating they better be harvested NOW           The narrow part of the fig which attaches to the tree is called its neck. Figs that begin to soften will no longer be erect but their necks will soften and they begin to droop. Look for figs which have necks that can no longer support the weight of the fruit. These are ready to pick.

July todo: Pick figs Read More »

July Todo’s: Irrigation of fruit trees

Leave a Comment / how much to water fruit trees, how to water fruit trees, irrigation in the desert fruit trees, July orchard todo /

Basin irrigation of fruit trees Irrigate. If your fruit trees are being irrigated by drip or bubbler with a basin around the tree it will be critical to make sure they are getting watered regularly. We are usually irrigating three times a week when temperatures break 110°F or if it has been unusually windy.           This just doesn’t mean you’re irrigation clock is set correctly but that you also make sure that drip emitters or bubblers are not plugged. Most emitters and bubblers can be cleaned. Turn on your irrigation system and walk your irrigation lines looking for diminished flow rates or possible plugging. The inside of this bubbler is plugged with irrigation glue. Someone did not flush out the irrigation line after making an irrigation repair.           Under our desert environment, the soil surrounding your fruit trees irrigated by a basin or drip will be totally dry. These dry soils surrounding your plants “pull” water away from your trees and in competition with them. But surface mulches help reduce this problem.           If your fruit trees miss an irrigation, expect to see leaf yellowing and leaf drop the week or two after the water shortage. This can be very dangerous to fruit trees. Leaf drop opens the canopy for intense sunlight and sunburn on the fruit and limbs. If limbs are sunburned this makes them very prone for borer attacks.           This is the worst time of the year to miss an irrigation or cut back on your watering.

July Todo’s: Irrigation of fruit trees Read More »

July Todo: Pick up fallen fruit

Leave a Comment / bugs, infested, insects in fruit, July orchard todo /

Confused sap beetle, one of these varmints that gets into your ripe fruit. He or she is about 1/8 inch (3mm) long. Photo courtesy UC Davis IPM website. Pick up fallen fruit. Decomposing fruit, you could argue, is like composting… it adds nutrients back to the soil so why should I pick up fallen fruit? Well, how does fruit fallen from the tree decompose?           The insects that begin the decomposition process are some of the same insects which can attack the fruit on your tree. You leave your fallen fruit on the ground and these scavengers build communities out of the fallen fruit. Insects like the dried fruit beetle or confused sap beetle multiply their populations rapidly. In a couple of weeks this population of scavengers are looking for new food supplies. More information on these pests, click here.           The food supplies they find are the fruit on your trees and now you have a problem with tree ripened fruit – fug infested fruit.           You thought the birds were bad, at least you could cut around the bird-pecked areas. You can’t do that with fruit infested with these varmints. And watch out for your compost pile. If you add fruit to your compost pile, these varmints will invest the fruit there as well and spread to the fruit on your trees. Make sure fruit that is added to the compost pile is well covered and not exposed.

July Todo: Pick up fallen fruit Read More »

Utah Sweet Pomegranate Good For Our Area But Be Patient

Leave a Comment / pomegranate not setting fruit /

Utah Sweet Pomegranate photo courtesy Joe Real and Ed Valdivia Q. I have, as you suggested, a Utah Sweet pomegranate in Henderson, Nevada.  The bush is dropping all of its blossoms and if this continues I will get no fruit from it this year.  Any suggestions as to how I can help it retain its blossoms and fruit? A. Make sure you use a surface mulch and watch your watering. Make sure it is watered deeply but not too often and even more importantly the soil does not go dry between waterings. May 1 you should be irrigating deeply twice a week.             If this is a small plant (five gallon) then five to ten gallons of water at each watering is plenty. Depending on the variety, some pomegranates will set fruit when they are young and others are slower to set fruit. There is a definite difference among varieties in how young they start setting fruit. One of the earliest to set fruit is Sharps Velvet, also a good variety for our area. Stay calm and patient. This is an excellent variety for here.

Utah Sweet Pomegranate Good For Our Area But Be Patient Read More »

When Are Different Fruits Ready to Harvest in Southern Nevada?

Leave a Comment / fruit tree harvest schedule, Mojave Desert, when is fruit ready to harvest /

Q. Do you have a rough timeline of peach production for different varieties.  I would like to go out to the orchard to try some of the different types you have out there so I can decide what I want to plant next spring.  Do they keep track of what they pick and have to sell at the stand so I can know?  When are pluots generally ready for harvest?  Is there a source or another newsletter for the orchard of what is producing and ready for purchase?  Also, will you or someone be organizing a bare root order again this fall? A. There is a great timeline for most fruit tree varieties which can be found on Dave Wilson Nursery website at http://www.davewilson.com/homegrown/promotion/chart.html Dave Wilson bare root fruit trees arriving at the Orchard in North Las Vegas             We have matched our production dates at the Orchard in North Las Vegas with those on this chart and they are usually within two to three weeks of these production dates. You will find on this chart many varieties of peaches, apricots, plums and many other fruit tree varieties and when they produce their fruit. Download it, it is a pdf file and you can enlarge it to see it better. There is no flier or newsletter notifying you when fruit is ready at the orchard.             As far as whether the orchard will be carrying bare root fruit trees it is best to contact the Master Gardener helpline, 702-257-5555, and find out. If they are putting in an order for fruit trees it will be in September so don’t wait until December to order. It will be too late.

When Are Different Fruits Ready to Harvest in Southern Nevada? Read More »

The Proper Way to Prune and Hedge Oleanders

Leave a Comment / formal hedge, how to, informal hedge, pruning a hedge, types of hedges /

Formal oleander hedge, no flowers Q. Would you please comment on the proper method and timing to prune and hedge oleanders.  This is two questions. A. There are two types of hedges; formal and informal. You have to make up your mind which kind you want. Formal hedges are pruned with a hedge shears while informal hedges are pruned with a loppers or even a pruning saw. Formal hedges are supposed to be pruned so that the bottom is wider than the top but they are maintained in a tight boxy shape. To maintain them properly, formal hedges need to be pruned two to three times during the growing season to keep the new growth restrained and maintain that boxy shape. Oleanders flower on current season or summer wood             Informal hedges can be pruned every two to three years, most of the pruning is done at or near the soil level and is done during the winter months. Formal hedges are best done on nonflowering plants that have small leaves. Informal hedges are best served by other types of plants, particularly those that flower during the summer. You can prune any plant used for hedging in any manner you want but there are some big advantages in picking the right type of hedge for the right plant.             Oleanders flower on new wood. In other woods after the winter rest its new growth supports the flower throughout the summer. Formal hedges, since they are pruned to maintain that boxy look, are pruned during the time of year when it is growing. If it wasn’t pruned then, in a few short months it would no longer be in that boxy shape. The problem you can see right away is that in picking a formal hedge for oleander you will prune off most of the wood that supports flowering so it will be pretty much a green hedge. Shubs in this streetscape are “hedged” for no apparent reason other than creating more income             If you want to enjoy the flowers then convert it to an informal hedge. The problem is that 95% of the maintenance companies DON’T KNOW HOW TO PRUNE FOR AN INFORMAL HEDGE.  And it is very simple, there is far less mess, the cleanup time is very short but you ONLY HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY TWO TO THREE YEARS.  Now if I were a maintenance company, which type of hedging would I like to charge for. Hmmmm…. Once every two to three years or two or three times a year….             Now if I really want to do a lot of work then why not make ALL the plants in a landscape boxes! That way I would have to prune them several times a year rather than once every two to three years! If I can’t make money mowing a lawn any more then lets charge for making all the plants in a yard into boxes… or gumdrops.             Pruning for an informal hedge is quite simple. During the winter, once every two to three years, remove one third of the plant at or near the soil level. Pick 1/3 or ¼ of the largest stems and cut them off. This will only work on shrubs that have lots of stems coming from the ground. On plants which have a single stem or only two or three coming from the ground then you have to move this technique higher in the plant and inside the canopy.

The Proper Way to Prune and Hedge Oleanders Read More »

Loquat Turning Brown in Rock Mulch

1 Comment / covering wood mulch with rock mulch, desert landscape, heat, loquat leaf scorch /

Andy’s loquat Q. I planted a five gallon loquat in my front yard three months ago in April .  It seemed to be taking just fine at first.   A few weeks ago I noticed that the older leaves were beginning to turn brown and  the newer leaves seem to be shriveling up.  When I purchased it I was told it was OK to plant in full sun.     During this heat I drip water it every two days.  I estimate it receives about six gallons per watering.   I check the soil regularly to make sure the soil is not drying out.  Any thoughts. Attached are some photographs.  -Andy Closeup of Andy’s loquat A. Andy, As you found out Loquat will not like it in rock mulch in full sun. It will do all right in full sun in a mixed planting with lots of other greenery around but it will actually do better in a more protected location. If you can put it in an area with protection from late afternoon sun and surround by other plants it will perform better. Loquat does tend to get borers easily if heat stressed.

Loquat Turning Brown in Rock Mulch Read More »

Some Cacti Can Be Grown for Fruit

Leave a Comment / cereus fruit, eating cactus fruit, pitaya fruit /

Nopal fruit or tunas Q. I would love to put op-a-la-ah (not sure of spelling) cactus. the kind that looks like mickey mouse ears and grow red cactus pears aka prickly pears. several of my neighbors have them. the problem is the tiny stickers on the fruit. I have heard that there is a variety that does not have stickers. please advise me what they are called and where to get them. A. I am sorry but I could not figure out what cactus you mean. However, I have grown cactus for their fruit. The fruits that we see commercially typically come from Opuntia cactus. These fruits, called tunas in Mexico, are harvested ripe from the pads. Typically we can see both red and yellow or green fruits. If you have the right type of cactus or selection they can get pretty high sugar content. Dragonfruit orchard in Vietnam             I don’t know of any totally spineless ones that have good fruit but there are some which are nearly spineless but you still have to prepare them with caution. Wear gloves or use newspaper to protect your hands and use a sharp knife. If you look at the harvested fruit it resembles a barrel in shape.             The ends of the barrel are cut off and the sharp knife then cuts down the fruit lengthways (barrel end to barrel end) just below the skin of the fruit. The skin is then peeled back exposing the inner pulp. The pulp is full of hard seeds but the pulp is sweet.             Other cacti can be grown for their fruit as well such as the vine cacti like the pitayas and dragonfruit, some columnar cacti like the cereus.

Some Cacti Can Be Grown for Fruit Read More »

Using Herbicides Can Reduce Landlord’s Weed Problems

Leave a Comment / benefits of mulch, pre-emergent, preemergent herbicides, weed killers, weed suppression /

Q. Please tell me if this is not the correct way to send you a question, your blog is great.  We are still trying to move out from New York, the house we own out there has a good size back yard, and with tenants in the house until we can move, the weeds are not usually pulled, so although I hate to use pesticides I think we need to.             When should we use pre-emergent and post emergent pesticides for the greatest effect?  We want to keep the weeds down, but don’t want to poison the trees or shrubs (or the ground) any more than absolutely necessary.  thanks very much. A. Yes, you can reach me at [email protected] or through my blog or newsletter. Herbicide damage to a lawn. Herbicides were applied to the shrub area and water moved the weed killer into the grass where it was not supposed to go. Pre emergent herbicides are applied to the surface of the soil and watered in lightly. They kill germinating weed seeds by putting down a barrier poisonous to many different weeds that germinate from seeds.             The timing of this is usually in the spring, with applications scheduled about the first of February for many weeds. The barrier must be in place and active when the seeds germinate. The soil is cleaned up of any existing weeds and the pre emergent weed killer is applied. Once the barrier is put down the soil should not be disturbed or you will disturb this barrier.             There are several weed killers to pick from in the nursery or garden store. Read the label to find out how to use it best and any potential dangers. Wood mulch applied to fruit trees to reduce the weed problem             Post emergent herbicides are applied to weeds when they are present. These are chemicals like Roundup that are nonselective and so will kill many different types of weeds but not all weeds. Round up will kill or damage anything that is green and sprayed. Direct it on to the weeds, not plants you value.             Timing is critical and these weed killers work best when weeds are actively growing and not during times of stress like from heat or drought.             One very effective method of weed control are mulches. This is a thick layer of wood mulch or rock mulch that covers the soil surface and helps prevent weed seeds from germinating. Post emergent weed killers are then used to kill weeds that emerge from the mulches.

Using Herbicides Can Reduce Landlord’s Weed Problems Read More »