Xtremehorticulture

Xtremehorticulture of the Desert

Winter/Spring Flowering Plants to Attract Bees

Leave a Comment / honeybees, mustard, rock, rosemary, texas ranger, water, yellowbells /

Q. I’ve been trying to attract bees to my garden and thinking about a hive at some point. Need to put in some year-round flowering plants first. Rosemary comes to mind. Any thoughts or literature that comes to mind. Rosemary flowers during the winter and spring when honeybees are active and looking for open flowers. A. Rosemary is a good choice; it flowers during the winter and is lower in water use since it is a Mediterranean plant that is smaller. Any plant that has conspicuous flowers during early spring and is cold hardy will work. That is one reason roses work so well. Other plants to consider that flower during that time and are cold hardy for our climate include the different Texas sage and Tecoma types. Tecoma stans and Texas ranger also flower during the winter or spring. Don’t forget a mixture of annuals and perennials that have brightly colored flowers. Use many different colored flowers like mustards, clovers, desert bluebells and blue eyes, and the like. Scratch the seed into the soil with a rake and start watering them twice a month in December and January with 15 minutes of water from a sprinkler. Turn off the water when your fruit starts flowering. Flowering mustards, many are winter annuals that flower during the late winter. Don’t forget water. Honeybees like to haul water during the winter as the hive starts to warm up. Bird baths and plastic troughs dug in the ground help attract bees and other critters. Don’t let the bees drown. Put rocks in the water so bees have a place to land. Honeybees are active during the daylight anytime temperatures are in the mid-50s, clear and sunny and little to no wind. Night flowering plants such as some cacti don’t work because bees need to see the sun to fly. Honeybees are supplemented with sugar water when they can’t find flowers they like. Feeding the colony with sugar water helps to keep the population alive during the coldest parts of winter. Honeybees like to haul water in the summer to cool the hive. Give them a chance by putting some stones in the water and give them clean water to use.

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‘Red Push’ Chinese Pistache Damage

2 Comments / organics, pistache, planting, Red Push, rock /

Q. I have two ‘Red Push’ Chinese pistache trees planted about three years ago and doing well. Recently one was shocked and I’m not sure what happened. This occurred almost overnight. I gave it a few extra gallons and added two drippers to each plant. I don’t use any Round up or anything like that. Can it be saved?  ‘Red Push’ Chinese pistache are damaged with high winds A. It will take a while, but the tree should be fine. The tree will use its stored energy to put on new leaves and replace the dead ones. In the future it’s important to note the weather occurring during that time because we did have some strong winds a few times this summer.  Strong Winds are Damaging and Trees Use More Water Strong winds are particularly damaging in the spring when leaves are new and tender. Strong winds equals increased water lost by plants. Sudden death of leaves right after strong winds signals a need for water. But that water application is usually just once.  However, frequent watering coupled with poor drainage might also cause this problem. My guess is that leaf death was coupled with the wind. So be careful with applying water to landscapes. It can be the “giver of life” in the desert, but it also can be the “giver of death”.  Established Trees Have Stored Food A three-year-old tree like ‘Red Push’ has stored “food” in its branches that it relies on when pushing new leaves. It takes a bit longer for the tree to respond during the spring and early summer months because it has “used up” all its “spring” buds putting on new growth. It’s like a double whammy. It may take the tree a bit longer to produce new buds and new growth.  Chinese Pistache is Mesic not Xeric Tree response to leaf death occurring in late summer and fall is much more rapid since the buds are already formed and new growth happens much faster. Remember that any of the Chinese pistache trees are mesic in their water use; they can tolerate desert soils but need a little bit of irrigation help. They grow best when surrounded by other plants that require water. As with most mesic trees, they can tolerate lawns when there is decent drainage.

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Can Myers Lemon Do Well in Rock Mulch?

Leave a Comment / desert landscape, fruit trees, rock /

Q. I live in the far western area of the Las Vegas valley.  I have a good sized area covered with rock mulch. A flowering plum tree (soon to be removed) is struggling in this area. Can a Myer’s lemon tree do well in a rock mulch setting? Loquat in rock mulch A. I would not recommend it. It might do okay for a few years, maybe 3 to 5, and then it will start to take a dive. You will have much better luck if you can pull the rock away from fruit trees, including your flowering plum, perhaps 6 feet or so from the trunk and putting down wood mulch instead of rock.             If you decide to plant some citrus, I would highly recommend adding a lot of compost to our desert soil at the time of planting. It is much more effective to mix it in the soil then it would be to try to add it to the soil after it has been planted.

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