Xtremehorticulture

Xtremehorticulture of the Desert

Growing Blueberries in the Desert

Leave a Comment / alkalinity, container, location, pH, soil /

Q. Can we grow blueberries here? How difficult is it? Yes, these blueberries were grown in Las Vegas. But at what cost? A. It is one of those questions that “we can but with what degree of difficulty?”. I am a lazy gardener and don’t like to put a lot of effort into “out of place” plants. I have a saying, the more out of place a plant is in its needs, the more time, money, and effort we have to put into it to get it to grow or produce. Take mangoes for instance. We can grow them here but what would be our “cost” of production? Yellowing of the plant leaves is just one of the hurdles that must be overcome when growing blueberries in the desert.             We know that blueberries prefer soils that are lower in pH (about 4.5) and don’t care much for the highly alkaline soils (closer to 8.0) of the desert. That’s a 1000 percent difference! Soil pH is our first hurdle to overcome. Are we willing to monitor the soil and amend it year after year? Use very fine ground (injectable) soil sulfur, not granular or “flowers” of sulfur for lowering the soil pH. I didnt get a picture of blueberries growing in a container per se but if you look closely you can see that this blueberry is growing in a container in Las Vegas. More than a curiosity? I wouldn’t go into commercial blueberry production in the Mojave Desert. Use containers so the soil is “contained” and easier to amend. Plants need good drainage. Use pine bark for good drainage and amend it with a very small amount of sand for stability. Blueberries have shallow roots so containers should be shallow; 10 inches deep. Place plants on the east side of a building so they get shade in the afternoon.  Southern highbush blueberries can tolerate the heat but not direct sun. Blueberries need at least 6 hours of full sun every day.             If you are willing to monitor and amend the soil annually (and grow blueberries as a cuiosity) then grow at least one of the Southern Highbush blueberries such as ‘Reveill’, ‘Sharpblue’, ‘Misty’, or ‘Southmoon’. Many of the Southern Highbush blueberries are self-fruitful but you may get larger berries and increased production if they can cross pollinate. But stay away from commercial production unless you do it (and is cost effective) in a greenhouse.             Apply fertilizer once every two months when they are growing to get good crops. The biggest hurdle to overcome when grown in our climate and soil is the soil pH.

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Containers for Vegetable Gardening Offer Options

Leave a Comment / container, vegetables /

Q. We are planting a family vegetable garden. Would a container/raised bed do well in this environment? We’re used to summers in Colorado, and wondering if there are specific tomato, cucumber, pepper, and lettuce varieties that do well here? Will root crops like carrots and radishes do well in containers? The west side of our house gets late afternoon shade from the neighbor’s house, and that is the only space we have. Would this be okay? When is the best time to plant? Soon? A. I sent a vegetable growers Bible written by Dr. Sylvan Wittwer when he was growing vegetables in southern Nevada. Anyone interested who wants a copy can ask me for it and I will email it to you. It contains a planting calendar. He is a traditional gardener and not organic. Substitute organic alternatives if you want to use a different soil, fertilizer, or pesticide. Container vegetable gardening offer several alternatives when growing vegetables. When possible, use older varieties that are known successes until you get the hang of growing vegetables in this climate. When using raised beds, use compact varieties that produce fruit quickly and then throw them out and replant. Plant cautiously any new varieties. They sound cute. That’s a marketing gimmick. Sometimes they perform well in the desert and sometimes they don’t. Plant new varieties for three years in a row before calling them a “desert success”. Want to try some root crops like radishes or beets? If planting a “viny” plant, let the “vines” sprawl. The roots are important to the plant, not the “vines”. Keep weeds under control. Weeds breed bugs. Bugs eat plants or spread diseases. “The success of a garden equals the time your shadow passes over it.” Inspect and walk it at least daily. Strawberries, yellow peppers, and herbs are just a few of the suggestions. I like containers. Double pot them so they don’t get so hot when the sun shines on the outer walls. Use five to fifteen gallon nursery containers and fill them with your favorite soil to within one inch of the top rim. Put a three-inch layer of gravel in the bottom of the outer pot to keep them from lodging. If you are using tap water, filling these containers within one inch of the top will have some water coming out the bottom. This helps remove salts when you irrigate.

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Making Bearss Lime Fruit Larger

Leave a Comment / container, fruit, increase, lime, patio, size /

Q. I have a Bearss Lime tree that produces small fruit that looks more like lemons than limes. What can I do to make them larger and not yellow but green? Bearss lime fruit which is a Persian lime.https://gardencenterpoint.com/persian-bearss-lime-tree-usda-organic/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAt8WOBhDbARIsANQLp97s4-qWtbHVFj7aiuxxXvsfTMjxhAadSA6uqUn-uavMRAA4XQCTFFsaAjbaEALw_wcB A. Your Bearss lime is classified as a type of Persian lime or sometimes called Tahiti lime. It’s different from other types of limes so make sure you are comparing the same varieties. They make good patio trees if potted and can be moved when it gets too cold. They will freeze any time the air temperature is below freezing. The fruit normally gets between two and 2 ½ inches in diameter. To get large fruit requires removal of about one third of the fruit in about April in a growing operation called thinning. Thinning is removing of some fruit so the remaining fruit get larger. They wont get any larger than they can anyway so removing lots of fruit does not increase the size of the remaining fruit larger than is genetically possible. In the case of Bearss lime, you will not get much larger fruit than about 2 1/2 inches long. The earlier thinning occurs then the larger the remaining fruit. Remove about one third of the fruit if the crop load is heavy. If the crop load is “light”, then you may not have to remove any to get their maximum size. Limes take 3 to 4 months to become ripe. Because the fruit size is smaller than some other citrus, it is harvested earlier, usually sometime in late summer or fall. But if it flowers and sets fruit later in the spring or early summer then the fruit is ready to pick later as well. Bearss lime starting to get overripe on the left. Ready to pick on the right.                                            https://tastylandscape.com/2013/12/26/growing-bearss-lime-tree/ When the fruit is overly ripe it turns yellow like a lemon, and the interior flesh slowly becomes drier and not juicy anymore. The color of the fruit is normally green; dark green when it’s young and turning a lighter green as it nears its harvest time. It’s important to remove it from the tree before it becomes overripe or yellows. If it starts flowering then it is time to finish your fruit removal. Leaving fruit on the tree when it is flowering can interfere with the next fruit cycle. Check the ingredients of a plant tonic to see how much nitrogen fertilizer is being applied with a normal application.  You know the risk involved when growing tender, subtropical citrus in Las Vegas? The perfect climate in the United States for growing citrus is found at the lower elevations in Southern California, Salt River Valley and area around Yuma Arizona, lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas, and the bottom half of the state of Florida. I’m not against growing citrus here but realize its limitations when grown in this climate. Don’t blame the nursery. You bought it.

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Got Wind? Consider Windbreaks for Fruit Trees in Containers

Leave a Comment / container, fruit trees /

Q. We are wanting to grow a couple of dwarf fruit trees in pots. We live on a hill quite a ways above the valley floor. Our backyard faces south with nothing to block the wind so it gets very strong especially in the spring. We want to place the pot in an area off the patio between our house and the neighbors. The sunlight would be somewhat filtered there part of the time. Our first question is what kind of potting mix to use. Also, how big should the pots be and what kind of trees would work the best?  Wind damage to ornamental plum A. Sounds like you’ve got several questions wrapped into one. This could be a fairly involved response. I don’t want to make this decision for you but you should be aware of all the factors involved that I can think of. Persimmon leaf wind damage Wind is not good when growing anything. I would strongly suggest you consider constructing a windbreak on your property to protect the patio area and any gardening that you’re doing. I’m sure it’s a beautiful setting but open areas with a beautiful view have its drawbacks when it comes to growing things. Wind damage to plum leaves Wind picks up speed as it moves between two homes. This is called wind channeling. Think of how a slow-moving, wide stream increases in speed as the stream narrows. The same thing is true about wind. Not a good location for a patio or fruit trees unless there is a windbreak. Container mixes are light in weight because containers are usually meant to be moved otherwise you would plant the trees in the ground. Light weight soil mixes are good for containers if the containers are meant to be moved. If you use a heavier soil mix that will hold water, don’t expect to move the containers. This is the trade-off when selecting lightweight soil mixes. If the containers are too small and you select trees that get large, they will blow over in a wind. If you select smaller containers, then select fruit trees that mature smaller in size. I would use containers that hold at least about ½ cubic yard of soil. This would be about 800 to 900 pounds of soil mix, maybe 600 pounds of potting soil. A combination of wind and freezing temperatures can be a big problem for citrus. I would stay away from citrus in Las Vegas unless your neighbors have success with it. This is what I would do if I were you. See if you can find an acceptable compromise between building a windbreak and still protecting your view. If this is not possible, be prepared that growing vegetables, fruit trees and even ornamental plants will be a bit of a challenge in that location. It’s not impossible to have both, but you need a talented landscape designer or landscape architect to help you figure that out. You will need at least six hours of full sunlight or maybe about ten hours of indirect light for flowering or fruiting trees in containers. Moving on with your idea, select smaller sized fruit trees suitable for containers that are not citrus but are able to handle the wind. Some fruit trees you might consider are the miniatures. These are not semi dwarf or standard trees on dwarfing rootstock. These are genetic dwarf trees. There are too many to list but they are out there. They are usually not the best fruit that you can grow but they’re okay.The line of Bonanza peach is one example. Another option is to select a full-sized fruit tree that is smaller at maturity. This might include pomegranates or persimmon for instance. They can withstand the cold. Pomegranate also withstands the wind better than most fruit trees. Persimmon will hold on to the fruit in windy locations but it gets a lot of leaf wind damage. Select a soil mix rather than a planter mix. Soil mixes are usually heavier and hold more water after an irrigation. Places like Viragrow in North Las Vegas handle high-quality soil mixes.

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Oleanders In Containers Not Blooming

Leave a Comment / container, How to get Oleander to Bloom, Oleander not flowering, pots, produce flowers /

Q. I have two pink dwarf oleanders planted in 18 inch clay pots which are healthy looking but very few blossoms. One of my “expert” friends says simply that “oleanders don’t like pots”. Another “expert” says that I’m watering too much. Are either of these guys right or do you have any suggestions that might get some some blossoms? Oleander flowers A. We have dwarf oleanders at the Research Center in containers and they bloom just fine. The usual reasons for a lack of flowering are not enough light and pruning them incorrectly. Oleanders use a lot of water when it’s present. There might be a couple of things you could try. Oleanders should be in full sun. They love the heat, and they love water and fertilizer to perform their best. If the container is smaller you might have to water more often. 18 inch containers are not that large and don’t contain a lot of soil. If the soil volume is not large, the plant may not have enough water in the soil to last between irrigations. Oleanders that are not getting enough water will look normal but have a very open canopy and not bloom well. Containers are not very forgiving when it comes to water. The water in that soil can be used up fairly quickly. You can try using a soil moisture meter that you can buy from the nursery for about $7 and check the soil moisture before you water. Water when the meter is about half way between wet and dry, do not let the soil go totally dry. Next, use a fertilizer like Miracle Gro or Peters and water it into the soil about once every six to eight weeks. Oleanders growing in the ground do not need to be fertilized as often. Next, cover the soil in the container with mulch to help keep the soil moist. About three inches would be enough. If oleanders are young or if they are pruned with a hedge shears they will not produce any flowers or very few. Don’t prune it with a hedge shears if you want flowers, contrary to how you see it done around town. 

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Oleanders Will Grow in Containers

Leave a Comment / container, no flowers, oleander /

Q. I have two pink dwarf oleanders planted in 18 inch clay pots which have very healthy looking foliage but very few blossoms. One of my “expert” gardener friends says simply that “oleanders don’t like pots”. Another “expert” says that I’m watering too much. Are either of these guys right or do you have any suggestions that might get some me some blossoms? Dwarf oleander A. We have dwarf oleanders at the Research Center in containers and they bloom just fine. Thge dwarf oleander might be a better selection for containers. There might be a couple of things you could try. If the container is small you might have to water more often to compensate for the small soil volume. Plants in containers need to be repotted every two or three years. Very small containers, every year. Large containers might make it up to five years. Dwarf oleander pink flowers. Oleanders that are not getting enough water will look normal but have a very open canopy and not bloom well. Oleanders are high water users and love fertilizer. They do not like to be watered daily but will not do their best if the soil starts drying too much between waterings. You can try using a soil moisture meter sold for houseplants that you can buy from the nursery for about $7. Water when the dial is about half way between wet and dry, do not let it get totally dry. Next, use a fertilizer like Miracle Gro and water it into the soil about once every six to eight weeks. Cover the soil in the container with mulch to help keep the soil moist. About three inches would be enough. If oleanders are young, or if they are pruned with a hedge shears, flowers will be delayed or produce very few. Don’t prune with a hedge shears if possible. They should be pruned with pruning shears but not hedged or gimbaled.

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Pick Fruit and Check for Circling Roots When Repotting Lemon

Leave a Comment / citrus, container, desert, girdling roots, Las Vegas, Mohave Desert, Mojave Desert, nevada, planting, pot bound, potbound, replanting /

Q. I purchased a lovely Meyer Lemon tree in a one gallon pot in middle of the spring. It already had 6 lemons on it. I have the original fruit, have new fruit growing, and still am getting blossoms. Should I transplant it now into a larger pot or wait until after the fruit ripens and is used? A. Remove any mature lemons from the tree.  Lemons should not remain on the tree longer than about late December and possibly early January at the very latest.  Check for circling roots in the container before planting. This is early enough you might be able to correct it.             Leaving lemons on the tree can disrupt the flowering fruiting cycle for the next season.            If you are planning on putting it in the ground then I would just wait until you have that spot prepared if it is this spring. If you are planting this fall then you might want to repot it into a larger container and wait for fall planting. When circling roots get to be this far along they can no longer be corrected.             If you do repot, check the roots for circling inside the container. This is a common problem in nursery grown trees, called “potbound”, sold in containers. Planting a tree with roots circling in the container and not trying to fix this problem before planting can lead to some serious problems down the road.

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Growing Fruit Trees in Containers and Transplanting Into the Ground

1 Comment / apricot, citrus, container, container trees, pluot, pomegranate /

Q. I would like to plant some trees in containers until I can plant them in my yard in a few years. Can they stay in containers if I’m careful with them?  I’m thinking about apricot, pluot, orange and maybe a pomegranate. A. If you have purchased these in containers you will probably not want to keep them in the same container more than perhaps that single growing season if you plan to plant them in the yard. Generally speaking, if you plan to replant them then they should be moved into progressively larger containers or the roots will be permanently damaged. Eventually, the containers you’ll need will have to be large, whiskey barrel-sized or larger. 15 year old Gold Kist apricot at the orchard with minor pruning for size control             Once these trees start to get bigger they will transplant into the yard with more and more difficulty. This just means they are more likely to suffer from transplant shock and recover from this shock more slowly when moved. I would recommend that if you want fruit trees in containers then keep them in the container permanently. When you are ready to plant in the yard then purchase trees specifically for the yard.              Of the group you mention, citrus is probably the best choice for a container. Try to locate a citrus on a dwarfing type of trifoliate orange rootstock. Trifoliate orange rootstock is very cold tolerant which you will need in our climate unless you can protect the plant from freezing temperatures. There are a few selections of trifoliate orange rootstock that are more dwarfing than others. Focus on these if you can find them.             My next choice for a container might be one of the smaller pomegranates like the variety ‘Sweet’ which would be a better choice for containers as opposed to ‘Wonderful’. The fruit is excellent, as good as or better than ‘Wonderful’. Read about Sweet pomegranate at Dave Wilson Nursery             If you select an apricot then I would pick one of the miniatures like ‘Pixie-Cot’ or a standard sized tree like ‘Gold Kist’ which tends to stay smaller when on Nemaguard rootstock at least. Read about Pixie cot and Gold Kist at Dave Wilson Nursery             Among the pluots for a container I would probably pick ‘Flavor King’ which stays naturally smaller than some of the other pluots but it will need a pollenizer tree such as ‘Santa Rosa’ plum. Read about Flavor King pluot at Dave Wilson Nursery             Don’t expect these trees to be long-lived if you keep them in containers. I hope this helps.

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