Q. In late February I planted in containers three Hawaiian tomato plants which grew to three feet, produced an abundance medium-sized sweet tomatoes.  By the end of July plants showed signs of dying.  Being from New England I assumed it was the end of the plants life and removed from pots.              A friend told me I should have slightly cut back the plants and continued watering. These plants would have made a comeback and produce new flowers and fruit during our fall season.  Would you elaborate on this subject?  I have never heard about tomato plants producing 2 crops. A. Tomatoes stop setting new fruit as soon as temperatures get into the upper 90’s and so you will harvest these early fruits until usually in July and then it produces no more new fruit until fall again when the temperatures drop back into the lower 90’s.             I often recommend cutting tomatoes back in late summer when it is no longer producing if you have a warm microclimate in your yard. If you do not have a warm location free from strong winds you probably shouldn’t bother.             It is very touch-and-go when we do this at the orchard since we are fully exposed to cold northwest winds. Just depends on whether we have a warm fall or not. Late summer is when we begin some of our fall crops and is a good time to plant corn (bet you didn’t do this either in New England).             So here we can have two springs, one before summer and one after summer (actually fall but acts like spring sometimes). I frequently call our summer “Las Vegas winter” since this is the time of year so many things struggle due to heat and lack of humidity.             Winter can be a fabulous time for growing fall and spring crops again if you have a protected location or provide some protection if it is exposed.             Cutting tomatoes back for fall production usually begins in late July or early August. The plants are trimmed back to invigorate new growth and reign them in if getting too large. A small amount of fertilizer is applied at this time to invigorate new growth.             Foliar sprays are usually best since they don’t last very long but a small amount of quick release fertilizer (straight nitrogen) will work. Let them grow and begin flowering again and set fruit when temperatures drop.             Be careful not to overfertilize. You should get a nice fall crop of tomatoes. If there is a threat of a freeze in mid December (usually) then cover the tomatoes at night if it is to be a light freeze with a light covering like a row crop cover or old sheet. Remove it in the morning when danger of frost has passed.             If it is projected to be a hard frost pull the entire plant and hang the plant in the garage or sheltered area and let the tomatoes ripen on the vine in the garage. They will ripen more slowly if not removed from the vine allowing a more sequential ripening than if  you removed them all. Or use green tomatoes.

Q. Could you send me a couple of directions relative to pruning Persian lime and apricot?  Also, any schedule of classes on pruning that might help me.  I am a chef and have some limited time. A. I will give you my best shot at it without seeing it. Pruning is not a hard science and there are a lot of decisions that have to be made that are very specific to each tree. Apricot spurs             Apricots fruit on short flowering branches called spurs. It is important not to remove these short shoots. You will want to open the tree canopy to admit sunlight into the interior. You do this by eliminating the trunk at about 4 feet off of the ground.             This should result in about eight or so major limbs that come from the trunk. These major limbs should originate from the trunk starting at about the height of your knee and ending around 4 feet off of the ground. These limbs should radiate from the trunk, ideally, so that about two limbs occupy about one fourth of the canopy (about eight total limbs).             These limbs should radiate from the trunk in a pattern similar to spokes on a wheel so that they do not shade each other. The spacing of the major limbs coming from the trunk is such that hopefully there is at least a foot or more between limbs that originate on top of each other to prevent shading. Young apple tree showing how limbs radiate from the trunk using a birdseye view of the young tree. Yes, we prune apple trees in our moderately high density orchard in an open center fashion.             These major limbs may have fruiting spurs coming from them but their primary purpose is to support smaller limbs that have the majority of the fruiting spurs. These smaller limbs should be at a 45° angle, as close as possible, from vertical. This provides the perfect angle for creating flowering spurs.             Limbs that grow mostly up or mostly down should be eliminated at their source leaving no stubs. As you are finishing your pruning these major limbs should resemble a fan that radiate from the trunk in a fashion so that they do not shade each other, give balance to the canopy and allow filtered light to penetrate to the interior.             Persian lime is also known as Tahiti lime or a selection of Tahiti called Bearss which is nearly seedless. Regarding the lime, it should be pruned in a similar fashion but the fruiting does not occur on short spurs. Rather, the fruiting occurs on new growth, frequently in the spring after new growth begins to emerge but it can flower later in the year.             The biggest problem you might have will be protecting the tree from early freezing temperatures and the loss of fruit production because of these freezing or cold temperatures. The concept will be similar in arranging your major limbs to the apricot.             Citrus usually does not require as much pruning so after you get the major structure established on your tree, you will mostly remove growth which is growing downward, upward or crossing each other besides any broken or damaged branches, limbs or stems. I hope this helps.

Q. My husband and I spend four months away from the Valley during the summer. When we returned in late September we could not believe the number of flies in our yard…..and because we are used to leaving our doors open….in our house. We have always bragged to those less fortunate than we are and live elsewhere in the country, mainly in the East, how we have virtually no flying insects in Las Vegas. I’ve had to eat my words this fall….along with some flies. I have not been able to even sit outside and read without being bombarded in the face with these nasty insects. We live in Sun City Anthem….the far southern end of the valley. Is there something blooming/growing in my yard that flies really like? Has anyone else noticed this proliferation? A. Yours is the first report I have seen about an increase in flies this year. I do not know the products that are used for flight control, which is not an area of expertise for me. I would suggest however that somewhere, someone may be using a source of compost or manure products that are attracting flies. The best advice I can give in the safest is to find out what is attracting them and where and address the problem there. If you do not do it this way and simply spray to control flies or use some sort of sticky trap you will not solve the problem but just work on the symptoms of a problem. I hope this helps.

I have several different questions that I would like assistance with. We have 3/4 acre lot in Las Vegas near the airport, it is sandy, and we have our own well so water is not an issue. 1)      We have just cleared the lot of sticker bushes and various types of weeds, what do you suggest we use to apply to the ground to prevent the weeds from reoccurring? A. Mulch. Anything that provides complete shade on the ground. 100% shade prevents most weed seeds from germinating. If you want to use plant material and water is not an issue, then turfgrass makes the best groundcover to prevent weed seeds from germinating. 2)      We have just burnt tree limbs. Can we use the ashes to put around trees, and bushes, etc? A. Yes. It is high in potassium salts. I would not worry about reports that suggest that you not use it. 3)      We would like to grass most of the lot, what type of grass seed do you suggest for sandy soil and well water and when is the best [or latest time] that we should sow the seed next year. A. This is a loaded question and one I do not like to answer because it can be complicated. Hybrid Bermudagrass. It is not started from seed but from plugs, sprigs or sod. Plant from April to June. You can use common bermudagrass which is started from seed if County regulations allow you to plant it. I don’t know where you live but if you are allowed to burn outside then do not overseed it in the fall and burn it back in late winter or early spring just prior to new growth, March or early April. 4)      We will be gone from January – April, can we cut back the tree in January before we leave, they are tall and full and we generally cut them way back in March so not sure we can do it earlier.  They are California peppers and approximately 5 years old. A. You may prune anytime it is dormant and should be done before new growth in the spring. (Before February)

USDA Research Demonstrates New Breeds of Broccoli Remain Packed with Health Benefits OCTOBER 13, 2011.—Research performed by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and published recently in the journal Crop Science has demonstrated that mineral levels in new varieties of broccoli have not declined since 1975, and that the broccoli contains the same levels of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium and other minerals that have made the vegetable a healthy staple of American diets for decades. “This research provides data on the nutritional content of broccoli for breeders to consider as they further improve this important vegetable,” said Edward B. Knipling, administrator of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA’s principal intramural scientific research agency. “The research demonstrates how ARS is helping to find answers to agricultural problems that impact Americans every day, from field to table.” A team of three scientists evaluated the mineral content of 14 broccoli cultivars released over a span of more than 50 years: ARS geneticist and research leader Mark Farnham at the agency’s U.S. Vegetable Laboratory in Charleston, S.C.; plant physiologist Michael Grusak at the USDA-ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center (CNRC) in Houston, Texas; and Clemson University scientist Anthony Keinath. The researchers grew the 14 cultivars in two field trials in 2008 and 2009, and harvested florets for testing. “Our studies show that not much has changed in terms of mineral content in the last 35 years in a crop that has undergone significant improvement from a quality standpoint and that was not widely consumed in the United States before the 1960s,” said Farnham. Broccoli florets in the study were tested for levels of calcium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, sodium, phosphorous, sulfur and zinc. Results indicated signifi- cant cultivar differences in floret concentrations of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, sodium, phosphorous and zinc, but not of potassium, manganese, molybdenum or sulfur. There was no clear relationship between mineral concentration and release year. “For broccoli cultivars grown during the past 35 years, when hybrids became the standard cultivar, evidence indicates that mineral concentrations remain unchanged,” said Farnham. “As broccoli breeders continue to improve this crop in the future, data from this study can serve as a very useful guide in helping breeders understand the variation in mineral concentrations they should expect among their breeding stocks and also provide a realistic baseline that should be maintained as other characteristics are manipulated in the future.” As USDA’s chief scientific research agency, ARS is leading America toward a better future through agricultural research and information. www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2011/111013.htm

Q. You had a timely article for me on the mimosa tree. Mine started to struggle with leaf scorch. I started deep watering and I added iron, zinc, used a 15-15-15 fertilizer. After about three weeks and I had new growth on all branches and no scorch on new growth. I should have started when the Silk tree growing in rock mulch will always struggle temperature increased. Why never plant them in stones? My mimosa is in an area of about 250 square feet with stones surrounding it. A. I think you just proved my point. Mimosa is difficult to manage in a rock landscape because these rock landscapes add nothing back to the soil. Over time, the soil becomes depleted of nutrients and organic acids because nothing is added back to the soil. The organic acids from decaying organic material help these nutrients to become available to plants. With organic mulches they are constantly decomposing and replenishing the soil with nutrients and helping to stimulate important soil microorganisms and even worms. So by adding iron, zinc and the 15-15-15 fertilizer you began to replenish those nutrients that were depleted from your soil due to the presence of the inert rock mulch. Some plants just do not do well under rock mulch and mimosa is one of them. Your other option is to add these fertilizers every year and in some way try to compensate for having that rock mulch. Either way is fine. Your choice. But you will have to add your fertilizer combinations annually for your mimosa to do well.

Q. I wish to transplant a lilac bush.  It is facing west and struggles during the heat of the summer. I believe a better spot is on the north side of a south wall with more shade. I would like to transplant now while it is cool, so I can continue my landscaping.  Is this the time? A. In cooler climates, lilac can be planted in full sun and withstand full sun all day long. You are right, your lilac in our climate will do better in a different location. But if it is too shady, it may not bloom very well, if at all. Morning sun is typically less damaging to plants than afternoon sun during the summer. Plants that produce flowers typically need more sunlight than those plants which we appreciate just for their foliage. If it is possible, try to find a spot where the plant can receive full sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon. Regarding transplanting this time of year, we would like to have some root  growth after transplanting. Root growth is very dependent on soil temperature with very little of it occurring when these temperatures drop into the 40’s. It is getting late for that right now and you are moving the plant from a place that has warmer soils than its new home. Plants are easier to move by hand if they have been in the ground less than three years. It seems to me, that once they hit that three year mark, the root system can be very established and make the plant difficult to move. Plants watered with drip irrigation with emitters close to the trunk are easier to move since most of the roots have restricted growth. Unless you can be sure that you can take a very large root system with the plant, I would wait to spring. What you can do this time of year which will make moving the plant in the spring more successful, is to root prune now. Take a sharp shovel and slice the root system with this shovel just to the inside of the root ball that you will move in the spring. This will sever the root system, causing its regrowth closer to the plant. Be careful not to cut any drip lines. This is kind of a judgment call this time of year. It is on the tail end of transplanting season. I hope I have given you enough information to make a decision regarding your situation. Be careful when you buy lilacs. You have to plant lilacs with a low chilling requirement if you expect them to bloom in our climate. Common lilac may not bloom in the lower elevations of Southern Nevada because they do not get enough cold during the winter to form flower buds. Low chilling requirement common lilacs such as ‘Lavender Lady’ or ‘Angel White’ will bloom here. You may also want to select Persian or Chinese lilacs instead of common lilacs.

Q. Please advise me on how to trim roses properly. Also if you have any other suggestions regarding growing roses. Yes, these roses are growing in southern Nevada A. That’s a whole treatise in itself. The basics of rose growing are the following. Fertilize in January with a good rose fertilizer or flower fertilizer plus iron.   Follow it up with fertilizer applications about every 8 weeks, avoiding the hot summer months. Use compost applied to the soil around roses and make sure it is watered in well. Use wood mulch around roses to a depth of three to four inches. Water as you would any other nondesert shrub. Enough water should be applied each time to wet the soil to a depth of 18 inches. Use at least two emitters if using drip irrigation. Remove old roses from the bushes as the flowers are spent. Prune roses in late January after the worst of the winter is over. Here are some great roses to plant in our hot desert climate from Weeks Roses. Open publication – Free publishing – More care

 Volunteers planting garlic We planted garlic at the Orchard about two weeks ago. It should be in the ground and irrigated by mid-November. Garlic is planted in the late fall when the soil is still warm but the air temperature is dropping. The concept of late fall planting is to produce roots but keep the top growth from getting away from  you. Just as a side note, we are always looking for volunteers out there. The Orchard has a “learn-by-doing” philosophy.  The soil was prepared for garlic with compost and a good starter fertilizer high phosphorus. Rocks larger than a golf ball are being removed from the planting beds. Since garlic is a root crop, we must have good drainage. The soil is being prepared to a depth of 18 to 24 inches to accommodate for these root crops. Other planting beds are being prepared to a depth of 12 inches. Garlic plots at the orchard mulched with straw The garlic commonly found in the grocery stores is a mild form that accommodates for the taste of the general public. However, if you like to experiment with food, the garlic palette is huge. But planting garlic from selections at the store will give you some hands-on experience if you have never grown garlic before. You can produce a lot of garlic in a very small area and it is relatively easy to grow. They can also be produced in containers. Pick up some garlic bulbs from your local grocer and separate it into cloves. You can leave the papery outer covering still attached to the clove when planting. Next year you can order some from online vendors but for now, just get the experience of working with garlic.  One of our specialty garlics pushed for size As I’ve mentioned before, the hardest part about growing garlic is the soil preparation. You cannot skimp on this part of the growing procedures. I like to soak the cloves for a few hours before planting if the cloves look a little dehydrated. The bottom, flat plate of the clove should be pointing down when planting. This means the pointy end is up. Space the cloves about 4 inches apart and about 2 inches deep. Firm the soil above the cloves but do not compress it with your feet. In fact, never put your feet on the prepared rows. Mulch the soil with straw or shredded paper to help keep it moist. I like to give garlic a small amount of high nitrogen fertilizer once a month during its growing season and hold off on it the last two months before harvest (April and May). Make sure they don’t go dry between irrigations when the bulbs are expanding (when you see new growth in the spring). You should be harvesting late May or June depending on the variety. When the plant browns about 1/3 of its height then use a spading fork and lift them from the ground.

Sapsucker damage on almond (Neplus) not borers and not my neighbor’s drill Q. I have a nine year old semi-dwarf green gage plum tree in my yard. About a month ago I noticed about 20 small holes grouped together on one of the limbs. Each hole is a little less than 1/4 ” in diameter. I can see no other holes on the tree. It is as if someone had taken a drill and drilled several small holes on the limb, and deep enough to get through the bark and slightly into the flesh of the tree. Any idea what may be causing this? This has never happened before. I did dormant spray the tree in early January. Do I need to spray the tree with insecticide? A. This is most likely sapsucker damage to the tree. Sapsuckers are birds in the woodpecker family of birds that make holes in trees and feed on the sap or look for insects. I believe they are migratory here and cause damage as they pass through this part of the country. There’s the varmint! Who, me?  If I am seeing the image in my mind correctly this is not due to insects or borers. This is what the damage looks like. The best control is to protect the trunk or limbs with wire cloth or chicken wire. We have trees that get damaged in the orchard by these birds and they have survived this way many years as long as they are healthy. It is definitely not good for the trees but there are not many other alternatives They seem to like some varieties of fruit trees more than others.