Xtremehorticulture

Xtremehorticulture of the Desert

‘Iceberg’ Roses are Older But Worth Planting in Las Vegas

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Q. This may be a bit too amateurish for your column, but I need help with ‘Iceberg’ roses. I pulled the rock away and fertilized this past spring. I thought the roses I planted in pots would do better, but they don’t.  I ask the nurseries when I go but get conflicting information. Why are there holes in the flowers?  When I see dark leaves that look diseased, I pull them off.  When I deadhead and trim back (5 sets of leaves), I sanitize the shears to not spread any potential disease from bush to bush.  Is there anything else you see? Iceberg roses are an older rose but still valuable for planting in Las Vegas. A. Whenever I hear roses, my thoughts go to plant location relative to the house and soil enrichment. They are the most important. Make sure that any type of rose is a good 3 to 4 feet from any hot wall. Roses grow best in full sunlight with plenty of air movement or on East or North sides of homes in the hot Mojave Desert.             During the planting season (never summer), the soil should be amended with compost and covered with a 2 to 3-inch layer of wood chips. The best woodchips to use are those that are chipped from local trees rather than a “bark” mulch. The true iceberg rose is a floribunda type that is worthy of containers in Las Vegas. Here it’s planted in a container but the soil must be changed, or at least renewed, every three or four years.             The old-fashioned “Iceberg” rose is a bush rose (considered a Floribunda type), 3 to 4 foot tall and bearing medium-sized, white flowers in the spring and fall months here. Iceberg roses are pruned at the same time as other roses, usually in late January. The iceberg rose has been bred to be a climber (10 to 12 feet) in more recent years with the same color flowers and scent as the original 1958 rose.            I don’t see a problem with this Rose except a lack of fertilizer and water. Diseases and insects of roses in our Mojave desert climate include powdery mildew, iron deficiency, bacterial galls, spider mites, thrips, and cane borers. Try fertilizing 3 to 4 times each year during the cool months, in the first fertilizer application (spring) include an iron fertilizer, and water the plant twice a day during the heat of the summer months and it’s in a small container. If you suspect an insect or disease, ask for a Rosarian on the Master Gardener helpline, describe the problem you are having with your roses and follow their advice.

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Citrus in Las Vegas Nevada

Leave a Comment / citrus, freezes, Las Vegas, Mojave Desert, problems, winter cold /

              I was accused of not wanting citrus in our area. That isn’t true. Nothing wrong with growing citrus here. But I want you to be aware of its problems when citrus is grown here and adjust your expectations accordingly. This is the Mojave Desert. Las Vegas and the high or middle deserts can have cold winters, unexpected early spring frosts and winds. It can survive cold temperatures ranging from the mid to low 20’s all the way to no freeze at all depending on the type of citrus. Sour orange rootstock grows from the base of this orange tree because the top died when it froze leaving the rootstock to grow and produce fruit that has dropped on the ground.             Early spring light frosts can be a problem for all fruit trees including citrus. All it takes is a few minutes of freezing temperatures just before sunrise. If flowers are open or close to opening, part or all your fruit is dead. The fruit or flowers drop from the trees a week or two later even though bees were plentiful. Many citrus are subtropical Citrus originates from different parts of Asia. This means they prefer growing in soils that have some organics in them. Desert soils don’t have any or very little. When soils are covered in rock, the soil organics are fine right after planting and these organics can last last several years. After several years, the soil “organics” used at planting time are depleted and must be replenished. This can be done by raking the rocks back, applying fine wood chips to the soil, and raking the rock back or applying these same amendments over large rock and watering it in. Citrus can yellow and eventually dieback if the soil is not improved when it grows in rock. Citrus can also yellow when grown with woodchips if the woodchips are not thick enough or if planted and watered incorrectly. Most yellow leaves can be turned green again if an iron chelate (I would recommend iron eddha for the chelated iron) is applied to the soil in early spring.             When purchasing citrus be aware that these are fruit trees that are “iffy” when grown here. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. Adjust your expectations accordingly.

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Orange Tree Problems During and Shortly After Rain

Leave a Comment / citrus, Las Vegas, Mojave Desert, orange tree /

Q. What is wrong with my orange tree? It has lots of oranges, but the tips of the trees are dying in some places. Any plants, including this citrus, can have problems after a rain in the desert.  A. Your pictures look like either an insect or disease problem, both I have few skills about. First, I would open the canopy of the tree a bit more by reaching inside of it and pruning the limbs at a joint (where they come together) and remove one of them to make the canopy of the tree more open. That will help air circulation a critical factor for disease control. In some cases, it can remove disease problems when humidity and air movement are factors. Secondly, after the canopy is more open, I would look at the damaged areas. If you bend the branches that remain you can determine if it is an insect or disease problem. The insects will weaken the branches just below the damaged areas and break. Diseases will not unless the area is dead. Look for insect damage or disease problems just below the dead or dying areas. Sorry, but there may not be any chemicals of use. Just plant management or wait for a change in the weather.

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Buy Local as Much as Possible

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National Farmers Market Week 2022  USDA Secretary Proclaims 2022 National Farmers Market Week Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack proclaimed August 7-13 as National Farmers Market Week to champion the direct-to-consumer producers, market managers, and customers that make their communities come alive during market days. Farmers markets have great importance in the larger goals of USDA’s Food System Transformation framework, and continue to be spaces for community engagement and education. Tricia Kovacs, Deputy Administrator of the Transportation and Marketing Program within the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), discusses this in her new blog post. Throughout the week, AMS will feature social media and blog content to highlight the projects and successes of local and regional farmers markets. Follow @USDA_AMS on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date. Grab those reusable bags and see you at the market! Read the Full Proclamation Celebrate National Farmers Market Week at the USDA Farmers Market The USDA Farmers Market is hosting a homecoming-themed celebration for National Farmers Market week on August 12, 2022 from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. In addition to the more than 20 vendors that attend the market each week, there will be a variety of exhibitors from federal agencies and community organizations focused on local food and community connections. There will also be a recipe demonstration at the market’s VegU tent, activities and prizes for kids at the Produce Pals tent, musical performances, and more. Stop by to celebrate the positive impact farmers markets make in communities across the country! Visit the USDA Farmers Market Take Advantage of USDA’s Local Food Directories Since its creation in 2010, the Local Food Directories website has transformed over the years to include information that makes it easy for customers to find fresh, local foods through four main outlets. Recent updates have made the directories even easier to use on the go, on your phone or computer. USDA also launched a new directory for agritourism. As the platform continues to grow, check out this blog post for tips on how to navigate this resource, especially during National Farmers Market Week when supporting local markets can be a few clicks away. Visit the Local Food Directories Page Sharing Findings from the National Farmers Market Managers Survey The 2019 National Farmers Market Survey, conducted by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS), collected data regarding the market practices of managers in 2019 from 10,000 farmers markets. Using trends and statistics found from these efforts, AMS and its cooperative agreement partner, Wheaton College, created five research briefs highlighting results from this survey and sharing insights into the trajectory for farmers markets into the future. For example, did you know that farmers market managers are often volunteers (34%), rather than paid employees of the market (29%). Nationally, 68% of vendors present in 2019 returned from the 2018 season, with more than one-third (37%) of markets experiencing an increase. Additionally, around one-third of farmers markets offered or engaged in at least one food waste and/or conservation program in 2019. For more details on these trends, visit the AMS website for a full set of research findings. Explore the Research Briefs Seeds of Success: Digging into the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program Each month, we’re highlighting the work of Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion grant recipients. Community Foodworks/FRESHFARM Community Foodworks, which later merged with FRESHFARM, received a Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grant in 2011 to start a farmers market in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C., an area of the city with limited access to fresh and local produce. After establishing this market, they received an additional FMPP grant in 2014 to expand beyond the neighborhood. They grew their markets and created a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, building rapport with participating farms and local organizations. In 2017, Community Foodworks applied for a Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) grant to establish the Pop-Up Food Hub (PUFH) program. Community Foodworks launched this project to purchase produce wholesale from farmers and distribute this food to local organizations directly. This bridged the gap between small producers and community organizations, giving both groups a stable and reliable market, and encouraging more local food options.  FRESHFARM currently is continuing to work on farm to school initiatives with public schools in D.C. and nearby Arlington, Virginia while simultaneously working to increase the number of pick-up sites for individuals to collect their CSA boxes. Read the Full Story Seeds of Success: Where Are They Now? The Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) Seeds of Success highlights accomplishments and lessons learned from Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP) grant recipients. During National Farmers Market Week (August 7-13), we are sharing adaptations and successes of recipients focused on farmers market related projects.    Renaissance Jamestown – Chautauqua County, NY As a direct result of community advocacy, the City of Jamestown City Council passed a resolution in 2020 that ensured annual support of and the allowance for the farmers market to operate on public lands and city-owned parks without costly ‘event’ fees or permits. The FMLFPP grant funds helped promote the awareness and perpetuity of this local market that continues to be a vital support system for low-income communities and regional farmers. Read more about Renaissance Jamestown. Franklin County Farmers Market – Frankfort, KY Like many businesses during the pandemic, the Franklin County Farmers Market adopted a hybrid model offering both online ordering with curbside pickup and traditional in-person sales for the 2021-2022 season. They also partnered with Community Farm Alliance to offer FreshRx, a vegetable prescription program for expectant moms and a voucher program to connect produce vendors with local schools. Read more about Franklin County Farmers Market.   Adelante Mujeres – Forest Grove, OR This non-profit organization provides holistic education and empowerment to low-income Latina women, helping with child nutrition and access to locally grown and culturally appropriate food. Their farmers wanted to be able to sell directly to consumers and as a result, created the Cornelius Farmers Market in 2020 with

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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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Does Newtown Pippin Apple Produce Good Flavor in the Desert?

Leave a Comment / clark county, Fruit tree evaluations, Las Vegas, Mohave Desert, which fruit trees are best for Southern Nevada /

Q. How has the Yellow Newtown Pippin apple performed in our climate. I would love to have one if the quality is good here. A. I published a list of recommended fruit varieties for our climate and made available on my blog. These are fruit tree varieties I have evaluated over a minimum of five years of fruit production. It can be misleading to recommend a variety when it has produced for only one or two seasons. http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2011/10/recommended-fruit-trees-for-southern.html I am not concerned so much whether this variety of apple tree will grow here or not. It will. My main concern is the quality of the fruit it produces in our climate and soils. Just because you like Macintosh apple you purchased from a local grocery store does not mean that a Macintosh apple grown here will taste the same. There are numerous potential problems with a Newtown apple grown in the desert. Only time will tell. Yellow Newtown Pippin has not had a long enough performance history in our climate to recommend it for the general public. It ripens a little bit before Granny Smith and a month or so before Pink Lady and this is a good time for apples to ripen in our climate. However, other influences such as our soils and climate while it was growing will impact its quality. Download a copy of my recommended fruit tree list Extra reading about the Newtown Pippin and Yellow Newtown Pippin apples https://www.slowfoodusa.org/ark-item/newtown-pippin-apple http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/newtown-pippin http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/05/dining/it-s-crunch-time-for-the-venerable-pippin.html?pagewanted=all

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Philippine Government Officials Visit Las Vegas on Agritourism

Leave a Comment / agri-tourism, agritourism, Las Vegas, philippines /

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Release Date: November 30, 2015 Kill Date: December 19, 2015 Contact: Robert Morris, 702.630-5173; 702.610-5035 E-mail:  [email protected] Las Vegas Visits Impact Philippine Agri-Tourism Las Vegas – With 32 million credited to the Las Vegas tourism count through September, no one thinks about the agricultural side of the gaming industry. No one thinks of Las Vegas as a place to grow food. They do in the Philippines. Their reasoning: visitors have to eat and the restaurant scene is changing rapidly.         Three government officials representing the Philippine Department of Agriculture recently took note of changes they predict will impact agri-tourism in the Philippines. Most notable is how government involvement can foster or hinder development of this new industry.       The restaurant industry has marketed itself differently in Las Vegas during the past decade paralleling consumer demand. These changes are trending internationally as well. Themed restaurants have emerged which embrace the locally grown food trend, eating healthy and growth of farmers markets.         Philippine government representatives visited several producers of local food in Las Vegas. Here they learned about enticements and barriers producers experienced working with local government agencies to bring locally grown food to area restaurants frequented by tourists.           In a recently published Restaurant Business Online survey, 15 of the top 100 restaurants in gross food and beverage sales are located in Las Vegas. The number one restaurant grossed $47 million in 2014. Tourists visiting Las Vegas spent over 60% of their tourism dollars on food and drink. This equated to about 70% of their gambling budget.         The Philippines is poised to become the next most attractive gambling hub in Asia given its proximity to a range of key tourism markets.  It attracts over 4 million visitors each year with a 40% increase in tourism over the past three years and expected to climb dramatically. Dramatic increases are attributed to increased gaming restrictions in Macau, the world’s largest gaming destination, and the shrinking Chinese economy. ### Robert Morris is an Emeritus Professor with the University of Nevada, Reno and retired Horticulture Specialist with Nevada Cooperative Extension. He is local and international horticulture consultant who contributes weekly with his own byline to the Las Vegas Review Journal. Visit www.xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com If you would like more information about this topic or schedule an interview with Bob please call him at (702) 630-5173 or email him at [email protected]

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Jujube Good Choice for Desert Production, Not Hachiya Persimmon

4 Comments / hachiya grow in las vegas, Las Vegas, Mojave Desert, Will jujube chinese date grow in the desert /

Fruit of one variety of jujube Q. I just bought a new house with big yard at Summerlin. I am Asian and there are three trees I want to plant most but I don’t have any experience; Jujube, Hachiya persimmon and white saucer peach. I read some of your articles and decide to ask your advice before I take the action. A. Jujube, or Chinese date, grows extremely well in our climate and you will have a lot of success growing it here. The biggest problem is its invasiveness. Jujube suckers from its roots in new locations wherever there is water. These can be distances of 5 to 20 feet away from the mother plant. Over time, you could have a forest of jujube from a single plant. Just keep the suckers eliminated when you see them. Sadly, Hachiya persimmon does not perform as well here as Fuyu and other persimmons. We have trouble getting good fruit retention (fruit staying on the tree) after the fruit has set. Plenty of blossoms but the fruit drops when it gets about ½ inch in diameter and the tree produces only a few fruit. I would suggest trying different varieties of persimmons such as Fuyu, Giant Fuyu, Coffeecake, and others). The white, flat peaches perform very well here with a very high sugar content and excellent flavor. I would suggest donut peaches such as “Stark Saturn” or “Sweet Bagel” varieties. These peaches may also be called saucer or peento peach. If you keep your trees healthy by planting with plenty of compost mixed in the soil at planting time and covering the soil surface with wood mulch you will have fewer problems. You can always email me with specific questions.

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Where to Plant Pear, Apple, Quince and Citrus

1 Comment / best place to plant fruit trees in a yard, Las Vegas, Mojave Desert, where to plant citrus, Where to plant fruit trees /

Q. I’m thinking about adding pear, apple, quince, grapefruit and blood oranges to my landscape and I’m wondering if you could give me advice as to the best place I can put these guys. I would like to espalier or trellis the quince. A. The major limitation for all of these fruit trees is going to be winter cold temperatures for the citrus and summer high temperatures and reflected heat and light. In this part of the Mojave desert at a 2000 foot elevation most citrus trees, if not all of them, should be grown with care. This is not citrus country but if they are placed in the right microclimate they can be productive and healthy for many years to come. East is a good exposure for quince because it tends to sunburn and get borers in full sun all day or hot locations.  Pineapple quince with fruit in Las Vegas Any of these fruit trees can be trellised or espaliered and suitable for side yards. Apples and pears can handle full sun in open areas such as backyards if the soil is amended at planting and a four to six inch layer of surface mulch is applied to the soil beneath the canopy. Apple trellised or espaliered in Las Vegas. As far as citrus goes, you need a warm spot in the yard with little winter wind so they are protected from damaging winter cold and hope for the best. All of the citrus you like are tender to winter weather here but you will have the best luck with the most cold tolerant types of citrus such as kumquat, Myers lemon and grapefruit.  Go to this website to learn about citrus varieties for the desert Southwest

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What Lawn Grasses Can You Grow in Las Vegas?

Leave a Comment / desert, Las Vegas, Selecting a lawn grass, selecting turfgrass, starting a new lawn, which grass is best /

Here is a chart of turfgrasses that can be grown in southern Nevada at the lower elevations. Not all of them will be available locally but many can be ordered over the Internet. Hopefully this will give you a basis for comparison when selecting a lawn grass. If you have any further questions on selecting a lawn grass for our area, send me an email at [email protected] For instance, be very careful if you are selecting Buffalograss.

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