Xtremehorticulture

Xtremehorticulture of the Desert

‘Interlaken’ Grape is a Close Alternative to Thompson Seedless

Leave a Comment / blackberry, desert, grape, selection /

Q. Can ‘Interlaken’ grapes take eastern, southern or western exposure?  What about blackberries? ‘Thompson Seedless’ dessert grape. Sorry, no pictures of ‘Interlaken’ but similar. Blackberries popping up through the mulch, after removal, where ever there is irrigation. Could be ‘Womak’ or possibly ‘Rosborough’ two varieties I would recommend for our climate. A. Both grapes and blackberries should be grown in full sun, away from hot walls, along with soil improvement, irrigation, and mulch. Put them at least 10 feet from hot west and south-facing walls so the heat from the wall during the summer doesn’t hurt them. Blackberries are more of a colder climate type compared to most grapes. Neither grapes or blackberries will do well in hot locations without the air mixing so it’s not so hot. ‘Interlaken’ grape is a seedless desert grape, similar to ‘Thompson Seedless’. In fact, ‘Interlaken’ grape has ‘Thompson Seedless’ genetics in it! For that reason, it should do well in Las Vegas. All blackberries like the cooler climates of the Pacific Northwest and do quite well there ripening in about one week or less. Research done in Yuma, Arizona, by the University of Arizona points out that a few blackberries have grown well in hot desert climates.   Based on that research I grew several varieties of blackberries. Both blackberry varieties ‘Womack’ and ‘Rosborough’ did the best in our dry intense heat. ‘Brazos’ was also recommended for desert climates but it developed leaf scorch during our hot summers. But ‘Womack’ and ‘Rosborough’ varieties didn’t. All suitable blackberries for our desert climate ripened in one day in May.

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How Does ‘Little Miss Figgy’ Perform in Southern Nevada?

Leave a Comment / desert, Figs, Little Miss Figgy /

Q. I just purchased a dwarf fig tree (“Little Miss Figgy) at the fall plant sale at the Springs Preserve. I was planning to put it in a planter on the north side of my house which in the summer gets full sun, but which now is getting a lot of shade. Is that a dealbreaker for the fig? I have never grown Little Miss Figgy in our climate but, like most figs, it should do well. It is smaller and may be suitable for container growing. The trend now is for smaller plants and earlier production.  A. It should be fine with that amount of light on the north side of a home. All fruit trees require at least six and prefer to get a minimum of eight hours of sunlight every day when in production. That includes fig trees. It is a small tree (suitable for container production, 6 to 10 feet tall by 4 to 8 feet wide) and develops dark purple fruit with red “pulp” or interior. It was a chance mutation of ‘Violette de Bordeaux’ fig from South Carolina. I have not grown that variety, but all varieties of figs seem to do well in our climate. At that size, a 15-gallon nursery container should be adequate. Most people growing fig trees in the ground don’t water it often enough when it starts into its second batch of fruit and temperatures are higher and therefore its water use is higher as the season gets warmer. Because it’s smaller, it should use less water (but not watered less often) when planted in the ground and can rely on other sources of water that the soil might provide.

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Hot Locations are Tough for Fruit Trees and ALL Plants

Leave a Comment / backyard, battery operated, desert, fruit trees, recording thermometer /

Q. I have a very hot location I want to plant. It’s facing West. I had a ‘Pink Lady’ apple tree in that spot but I think it was just too hot for it. It died in a couple of years. What do you suggest? Hot locations are tough on fruit trees. Afternoon shade is better for the plant. A. Hot locations are tough. From the look at the picture you sent there does not seem to be much air movement. Just a lot of reflected heat from high walls. In my opinion, that area will get super cold in the winter as well. I know you are in a hurry want to get it done. But do you want it to survive? I would put a waterproof, recording thermometer in that area to track temperatures both during the heat of the summer and cold of the winter. High/low battery operated recording thermometers have been around for decades. Not having much air movement can have both good things about it and bad things. The main advantage to that “hot” location is blockage of the wind.             In spots like that I would recommend first to cut back on reflected heat. Cover this area with about 50% shade cloth until the tree gets grows enough to cast its own shade on the walls and soil. While shade cloth is provided, grow a deciduous vine that likes the heat, such as catclaw vine, so that it covers the wall. Covering the wall during the heat of summer reduces the reflected heat to that area. Provide shade for that spot for about four to six years if the tree grows quickly. The fruit tree should start producing in the second to fourth year depending on what is grown.             Let the temperatures recorded there dictate what to plant in the future. Personally, I think apples, pears and other related fruit trees may be a poor choice for that spot due to excessive heat. Most citrus, except Myer lemon, grapefruit, kumquat, and tangerine may work if the winter temperatures are warm enough. Apricot or pomegranate are better choices.

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Pines and Eucalyptus With no Water Growing in the Desert

Leave a Comment / desert, irrigation, tree growth, water /

Q. I have pines and eucalyptus that are not being irrigated at all. There is no irrigation applied but these trees are tall and healthy. What gives? This eucalyptus has on applied irrigation in the desert. Sometimes trees can access underground water and survive. A. Trees need water to survive. And large trees need more water than smaller ones. Some trees like your eucalyptus and many pines can grow deep roots. But trees need a minimum amount of water, or they won’t thrive otherwise deserts would be filled with tall, healthy trees like yours. They are getting water from somewhere. Large trees use more water than smaller trees. Such is the case when the water was turned off to this mulberry.            Plants are lazy, like us. Tree roots take up water where its easiest to survive. If they want to reproduce, then they need more than enough to survive. If the deep water is easiest to follow, then it will use it, if their roots can reach it.            Tree roots don’t “seek” water in dry soil. They chase it. They “sense” water is there (compared to dry soil surrounding their roots) and grow best where water (and air) are abundant. If it can get lots of shallow water, like growing in a lawn, then that’s where tree roots grow abundantly as long as they can get air as well. If the water is deep, then that’s where roots grow if the soil is moist often enough to attract tree roots and they can “breathe”.            Established pine trees grew “without water” at the El Rancho on the Las Vegas Strip after its fire. The property was abandoned, and the irrigation was turned off as well. Pine trees had to survive on only the deep salty water that their roots could get several feet below the Strip. This available water used to be considered a “nuisance” until developers saw its value in the desert. As Mark Twain used to say, “Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over.”            Both established pine trees and many eucalyptus have the potential to develop deep roots if given a chance and find a deep source of water.

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Elephant Ears Not an Easy Choice for the Desert

Leave a Comment / alocasia, colocasia, desert, elephant ears, taro /

 Q. What went wrong after I planted Elephant Ears (Colocasia spp.) in my back yard planter? I planted Elephant Ears last summer and at first it appeared to flourish. Very soon thereafter it began to wilt and appeared burnt. Then of course it died. The planter is covered in river rock. The irrigation to it, I believe, was sufficient for the plants. The planter also holds one lemon tree and two very tall queen palms, and they were fine.  I was wondering if the river rock created too much heat? Taro (Colocasia esculenta), called gabi in Filipino, as it appeared at our farm in Batangas, Philippines, is a close relative to Elephant ears (Colocasia spp.) Elephant ears is an ornamental type grown for its big “ears” or leaves. A. The river rock had nothing to do with it. Colocasia or elephant ears has a lot of things going against it in this climate; it is tender to any kind of winter cold, it is an understory plant so it does not like direct sunlight, desert soil doesn’t have enough “organics” in it so it must be amended, and the soil should stay moist because it likes wet areas.        This particular elephant ears is a close relative to taro and yam. Another plant closely related to it is Alocasia spp., which also has big leaves and is sometimes called elephant ears as well. All elephant ears require a lot of babysitting in our desert climate because they are really tropical plants. Just Because its Tropical Doesn’t Mean it Cant Grow Here The best spot for it is in partial or filtered shade, planted in soil high in “organics” and kept moist. Move it into a garage when winter freezing temperatures threaten it, similar to banana and plantain. Elephant ears is grown for its roots and leaves, not flowers so it can grow in lower light levels than fruit trees like lemon. Sounds like a lot of work to me. It did well in the spring and would do well in the fall because of cooler weather, but struggles during our hot, dry, windy summers, and freezing winters. Lemons have a better chance. ‘Meyers’ lemon tolerates some freezing winter cold temperatures better than other lemons. Queen palms don’t like our dry winds. They get ‘ratty’ looking. If you want to try it, grow it only on the north side of a home in bright sunlight under shade cloth. Amend the soil with compost. Keep the area moist as it will not like dry soil at all. You must address all these problems; cold winter temperatures, amend the planting soil, provide a location where it can get as much protection from the sun as possible without a lack of it, keep the soil moist and windless as much as possible. It is not like a citrus or queen palms where you have fewer things that are a challenge for it here. The more a plant is grown out of its native environment, the more time, emergy and expense is need to keep it healthy.

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Planting During our Desert Heat

2 Comments / desert, heat, leaf scorch, planting /

Leaf scorch can be a reminder that the plant might be in a hot location, soil not amended properly or it was not surrounded by wood chips when it should be.  Avoid planting anything during our desert heat. All planting should stop if it’s windy or temperatures are above 100°F. Sometimes you must plant but think about other times. They will be better and you will have more success. Planting during cooler weather is better for the plant. Planting during cooler weather and you will have more success. If you must plant during the heat: Plant in areas of the landscape appropriate for the plants. Some plants tolerate desert heat better than others. No plants like heat. They prefer growing at temperatures they like (45F to 85F depending on the plant). Dig planting holes and amend the soil a day ahead. Fill the planting hole with water when you’re finished. Plant only during early morning hours. Avoid planting on windy days. Check your phone weather app. Have water ready and available. Would you like some coffee you like some coffee no? Always plant in a “wet hole”, never a “dry hole”. Plant as soon as you get home. Never wait for tomorrow. Keep plants roots wet. Feeder roots in without moisture die within 15 seconds. How many roots die determines the degree of “transplant shock”. Transplant shock isn’t “normal”.

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Weed Control Around Saguaro

Leave a Comment / desert, Weeds /

Q. I have a 25-foot Saguaro cactus with at least 7 arms in my Palm Springs landscape. My gardener just put Roundup around it to control weeds. We had this done a few years ago, and since then the Saguaro leans dramatically.  I didn’t want him to put it there. Saguaro cactus in a Sonoran landscape in Parker, Az. A. I wouldn’t spray Roundup close to it unless you protect the Saguaro. It says on the label to protect anything green because it is a general killer. It was developed originally is a grass killer but it will kill nearly everything if you apply the right concentration. The base of Saguaro will develop tough brown “bark” areas as it gets older. Even though it might be there, protect the base with cardboard when spraying systemic weed killers like Roundup.             An older Saguaro like yours should be developing some woody brown areas towards the base as parts of it remain green but that’s not enough. Anything you don’t want damaged or killed, protect it. An easy way to do that is a cardboard barrier to protect the Saguaro. After you’re finished spraying you can either remove it or just use it as a shield when you’re spraying Roundup close to it.

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Holly and Caroline Cherry Burning Up as a Screen in Full Sun

Leave a Comment / desert, hedge, mesic, scereen, xeric /

Q. I planted hollies and Carolina cherry as an evergreen visual screen between our house and our neighbor’s house. The hollies burnt to a crisp and the Carolina cherries look bad. I need evergreens that can withstand full sun all day and give me privacy. Does something like this exist? Carolina cherry laurel with yellowing leaves when planted in full sun and in our desert soils A. Both of these plants will grow in our climate but not in the locations and perform in our desert the way you want or for that purpose. They are not desert plants. They can handle our desert soils and climate but they must be planted in protected locations with relief from afternoon sun to thrive. That’s why they are burning up. Carolina cherry laurel planted in rock mulch starting to yellow. If it is planted well it will take about five years before this happens in our soils and extremes.             A privacy hedge should be evergreen and retain leaves through the winter. If it’s a warm winter, they may stay evergreen. Some evergreen plants drop their leaves in the winter and become deciduous if it gets too cold. Colder temperatures than this, they will freeze back. Accepting this should get you through most winters here without being too upset.             Do your homework on these and shop around because not all of these will be available from local nurseries. Non-desert plants should be watered more often than true desert plants. This means they should be on the same valve as other non-desert plants.             Some of the best reviews of these plants are from Arizona State University in the Phoenix area but Phoenix has warmer temperatures than we do. So be careful of winter freezing temperatures. In the Las Vegas Valley, aim for winter temperatures in the low 20s for long-term sustainability and expect that they may not be evergreen or may have some dieback during very cold winters.             Here are some true desert plants you might consider for that purpose. They can handle full sun in harsh locations. They are true desert plants originating from our Southwestern deserts and include hopseed bush, Arizona rosewood, creosote bush, jojoba, yellow bells, and little leaf cordia. Even though they are desert plants, I would still amend the soil with a decent compost at the time of planting and plant them wet. Just because they are desert plants doesn’t mean they don’t like a little TLC.             Don’t forget standard oleander. It’s not a desert plant but can handle extreme desert conditions like ours. This means they should be on the same irrigation valve with other non-desert plants.

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Early Summer: Too Late to Plant?

Leave a Comment / desert, planting, transplanting /

Q. I was going to plant some Cypress trees a month ago but was called away on a family matter. Is it too late to plant cypress trees and a few fruit trees this time of year or should i hold off till next year? A. Now is not the best time to plant in our hot desert climate. It should be done in early spring or even better, mid fall when temperatures are beginning to cool off.             It should be okay to plant now but make sure to dig the hole, and amend the soil going into it, before planting. Water the hole thoroughly and transfer the plant into the hole as quickly as possible to minimize transplant shock. As you are adding amended soil back into the hole, make sure everything in the hole is wet.             Put a basin around the plant and fill it for three consecutive days before turning it over to the irrigation system. Little known fact: The most important roots during planting, feeder roots, are small and delicate and can die within 10 to 15 seconds when exposed to the outside air. The more that die, the more “shock” the plant has and recover time is longer.

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Hibiscus Grows Differently in the Desert

1 Comment / desert, Hibiscus, management /

Q. My hibiscus plant, transplanted from a pot to my outdoor flower bed, is blooming like it should. But the leaves are not getting any bigger than 1 – 1½” long and ¾” wide. The new leaves also only get to that size. I water and fertilize if with Miracle Grow regularly, but that does not help. Any suggestions? A. The appearance of plants will be different when grown in different climate zones. I am now on my farm in the Philippines where we have Roselle hibiscus (commonly called Red Zinger) growing. I checked the size of the leaves in response to your email. I normally don’t pay much attention to leaf size just flower production. Roselle growing on our Family Farm in the Philippines             The leaves of our Roselle vary in size from the narrowest at about 3 to 4 inches in length and about 2 inches wide to the largest being 6 to 8 inches long and 4 to 5 inches wide. The largest leaves are growing in partial shade. The smaller leaves are growing in full sun. Tropical hibiscus growing in the Philippines in a tropical climate.             Appearance can also be impacted by your management practices. Let’s cover a few of these.             Climate and microclimates. Plants grown under high light intensities have a different appearance than plants grown under lower light intensities. The principal differences are in leaf size, color and thickness.             Leaves growing under higher light intensities, provided they are getting enough water and nutrients, will be dark green, smaller, thicker or tougher and develop a thick waxy coating on the leaf surface.             The same plant growing under lower light intensities will have larger and thinner leaves with a waxy coating that is not as thick. If light intensities get extremely high then we will see leaf discoloration, yellowing or bronzing, on some plants because the light intensity is actually damaging the leaves. Red hibiscus growing in rock mulch in Las Vegas             If the same plant does not receive enough light then the plant will become “leggy” with large distances between the leaves and thin stems that will not support its own weight. The plant will become “floppy”.             Our job as a manager of this plant is to find a good location in our landscape that provides the right microclimate which provides enough light for flowering and an appearance close to what we expect.             Because we are in a desert, Hibiscus will not look similar to those grown in semi tropical or tropical climates but we can approach that look if we are careful where we plant it.             Soil. Organic matter such as compost mixed into the soil at the time of planting and applied annually to the soil surface surrounding the plant will encourage larger and healthier leaves. I have seen this numerous times on a number of plants particularly in parts of the plants that are shaded such as lower leaves. Red hibiscus growing in rock mulch in Las Vegas showing signs of leaf drop, leaf yellowing and branch dieback.             Fertilizer. Fertilizer will influence the kind of growth. We know that phosphorus fertilizers are very important for flowering, fruiting, root development and production of oils in plants. If not enough phosphorus is present it will impact these types of growth.             We do not need to apply phosphorus to a soil very often unless it is extremely sandy or growing in hydroponics.             Nitrogen is different. Nitrogen is important for developing dark green color in leaves and stems and for “pushing” new growth. It is important in producing good leaf size and in the number of leaves and supporting stems produced.             Nitrogen in soil available to plants also dissolves easily in water. Nitrogen is easily does not dissolve in water easily and is slowly released to plants.             In your case you want to make sure that nitrogen is applied regularly through the growing season to maintain dark green color and “push” new growth. Combined with moderate amounts of shade, nitrogen will encourage more leaves and larger leaves.             What should you do? Understand that if your hibiscus is in a very hot, bright location that this location will limit the plants ability to produce larger leaves. Moderate amounts of shade will encourage larger leaf development, particularly in a microclimate that gets morning sun but afternoon shade.             Apply a 1 inch layer of compost and scratch it into the soil surrounding the plant as much as you can. When you’re done doing this, apply another 1 inch of compost to the soil surface and thoroughly wet the soil deeply. Apply a 1 inch layer of compost to the soil surface every year.             Apply high nitrogen fertilizer at the beginning of the growing season. Apply a high phosphorus fertilizer after it is finished blooming. If you apply fertilizers at other times of the year, apply liquid fertilizers to the leaves.             Do not apply any nitrogen fertilizers to the soil after August 1 if you are concerned about winter freezing damage. 

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