Q. We live in Pahrump and our pomegranate tree looks quite dead. We purchased her as a one gallon tree in May of 2008, and planted her immediately. She has grown quite well, to a height of almost 5 feet, and even produced a few fruit last year. But she does not seem to be coming out of her winter slumber. There are no signs of growth of any kind on any of her branches, and she has developed 3 suckers (which she never did before). Any suggestions or advice? We would hate to think we’ve lost her. A. We also had some significant dieback to pomegranate at our orchard as well on some varieties of pomegranate.  We have 12 varieties growing there. This was not due, in my opinion, to unusually low winter temperatures but rather the timing of some winter freezes.  We had two bad ones come through Southern Nevada; one in the fall in November and the other one late spring.  I think the one in November did the most harm.  To my knowledge no one has published the minimum temperature for pomegranate varieties. In a general sense, it is common knowledge that 10F (-12 C) is generally regarded as pomegranates minimum temperature without freezing but this is not correct. It varies among varieties, if the plant had an application of fertilizer late in the growing season or not and what the weather was like prior to freezing temperatures. Like any other plant, its ability to withstand winter freezing has a lot to do with what the fall or spring temperatures were like prior to hitting that 10F and how the plant was managed. Most pomegranates are grown on their own roots and so hopefully you will see some suckering from the base of the plant particularly if it was mulched during the winter.  We also had some dieback to some figs which was unusual for us.

Q. I went and bought the iron chelate stuff you recommended however the instructions were not really clear.  This was for the lemon tree in the whiskey barrel with yellowing and not too many leaves.  Anyway I put about three teaspoons in the barrel and applied water.  I did not know this was going to turn the water red.  It all drained out red.  Hopefully enough stayed in to help the tree.  When should I do this again? A. Well the water coming out all red is not a good indicator of good soil health. It also means that any fertilizer applied is going to run through it as well. I would go to foliar fertilizer applications until you can improve the soil.             This EDDHA iron chelate that I recommend is not a good iron fertilizer for a liquid application to the leaves. Sorry. But it will be great once you improve the soil and it holds nutrients again and you apply it at the right time.             Another method you could use would be to lift out the whole rootball out of the container if it will come out easily for you and in one piece. You can cut around the tree with a shovel and see if you can lift it out of the container. If the rootball wants to fall apart and not come out in one piece, then I would forget lifting it out and replace the soil a bit each year.             If the tree can be lifted out, dump the excess soil left in the container, wash some of the soil from the roots and replant it in the container again after sanitizing it.             You can inspect the roots and cut off any unhealthy roots when it is out of the container. Do not let the roots dry out when you are doing this. Before you replant it, put the tree rootball in a container full of cool but not cold water and let it soak for a couple of hours.             Replant the tree. Stake it for a couple of months and repot the whole thing. Then apply the iron fertilizer you bought to that soil. But you will get very limited results from that iron without improving the soil. If this doesn’t make sense, email me with questions so I know what you understand and don’t understand.

Q. I’m looking to start a small backyard orchard of fruit trees next year here in Las Vegas. I was thinking of about 10 – 12 trees using the recommended varieties from your Xtremehorticulture blog.  I am still in the planning stages and would appreciate your recommendation on whether I should use bare root trees or container trees.  Bareroot fruit tree. Notice the “dogleg” on the trunk where the fruit variety was budded or “grafted” on to an appropriate rootstock. A. Bare root trees are only available during late winter or early spring before the leaves emerge from the tree. Bare root trees are typically small but establish very quickly if planted correctly. Directions for planting fruit trees can be found on my blog by searching “how to plant fruit trees” on the blog search engine.             There is nothing wrong with planting container grown trees provided they have not outgrown the container. If trees are grown for too long in the container before planting, this can lead to future problems.             Rows of the trees should run north and south so they don’t shade each other. However if the trees are planted in a triangular pattern (trees in neighboring rows are offset by half of their planting distance) rather than a square pattern (trees are directly opposite each other in neighboring rows) it doesn’t make much difference which direction the rows are running.             The distance between trees in the rows depends on how big you let them get. If you elect to keep them small so that you eliminate ladders for pruning, spraying and picking then you can plant most of them as close as 10 feet apart. If you do elect to keep them smaller than this it will require more pruning effort on your part.             Of course winter pruning will provide you with fruit wood that you can use for smoking or grilling or chip for surface wood mulch . No, this chipped wood will not cause more insects or diseases.             On larger trees, like apples and pears, make sure you use some rootstocks that help keep them smaller. The rootstocks on my recommended list will do that for you. The distance between the rows should be no closer than 10 feet apart.  Semi or moderately intensive planting of apples on semi-dwarf rootstocks in the former soviet union. The distance between trees is relatively close but because they are using large scale tractors for spraying, cultivating and harvesting the distance between the rows (the picture is between rows) is still relatively large. This could be even more intensive (more $ per acre) if the rows were closer together.             If you want to get some small equipment down the rows then I would put the rows no closer than 12 feet apart and you might even consider 14 feet if you are using a small tractor or larger wagons for harvesting.             Make sure you install your irrigation system and pre-dig your holes and amending the soil there before you begin planting. Plant directly into amended soil and thoroughly wet the soil with a hose several times after planting.             Avoid container trees which have been in the nursery for a long period of time. Any of the nursery or garden centers will be a good place to purchase these plants if they have been recently delivered there.               Buy these trees just before you are ready to plant them. Don’t buy and keep them at home for several days before planting. We all have good intentions but frequently these trees get neglected. When bringing them home, find a shady spot to put them until you are ready to plant. Do not keep them in the sun if temperatures are very warm or hot.

Q. I have a small lemon tree, about 3 ft. high and 5 years old, growing on my patio in a whiskey barrel.  It currently has two lemons growing on it due to the fact that a critter ate all the others.  It has produced since the second year (up to 8 lemons) if the critter does not eat them.  However, the leaves on my little tree are very sparse.  Is this common or am I doing something wrong. I read your blog all the time. A. Thanks for reading my blog and you will see this posting in it soon. When we grow things in containers or pots we have to be worried a bit about the soil “going bad” over time. So if you are not adding compost or trying to renew the soil in some way it will start to get depleted or it will lose its “vitality”.             I assume you are adding some sort of fertilizer to the soil to help the tree but the addition of just a fertilizer will not be enough. Organic matter will be needed as well. It is probably best once every year or, at the most two, that you remove some of the soil from the container and add composted soil.             It is okay if you damage some roots in the process. They will grow back. But my guess is that the soil is starting to become exhausted. If you could replace that soil with composted soil or a soil mix with a good compost in it I think you will see some improvement over time.             Pick a spot in the container, take a garden trowel and dig two or three holes about halfway down and replace this soil. When you pick a compost, pick a good one. It will not be cheap. My guess a good one will run you about $20 or so for a couple cubic feet of compost.             Kelloggs makes some lesser expensive composts that may be okay. Fox Farms makes good compost but it is expensive. Look for Happy Frog or others that are similar when you do this. Replace more soil the next year in the same way.             When containers are used for vegetables or things like strawberries we normally replace the soil after a couple of plantings. Disease and insect problems accumulate and build after a few plantings. It will help if you can cover the soil in the container with a couple of inches of organic mulch that decomposes as well.  I hope this helps.

Readers pine tree Q. Attached are two photos of a pine tree in my front yard.  On closer examination you will see two open wounds in the upper area of the pine tree.  Unbeknownst to me, these wounds appear to have been in existence for some time judging by the amount of pine sap around them.             Staff at a local nursery thought the wounds might be related to little insects called borers.  However, rather than slather the wounds with tree dressing or tar, they suggested that I contact someone who was more knowledgeable than they such as the County Extension Service.  I saw your column in the paper and thought perhaps you might be able to help me.             I did purchase Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed concentrate from the nursery as they recommended sprinkling this powder on the ground extending out to the tree line. Our pine tree is probably 20-25 feet tall and hope it isn’t too late to apply some remedial/medical measures to help save it. A. Borer damage to pines in the landscaped area of the valley is rare but worth checking out. I would pull any loose bark away from the damaged area first. If it is loose, I would want to see what is under it.             If you the bark pulls away from the tree easily then the area under it is dead. Remove all of the loose bark and see how extensive the dead area, if any, might be. If it extends to a very large area around the circumference of the tree you would most likely see dead branches in the tree which it sounds like you don’t have.             If there is just sap bubbling to the surface that usually indicates some damage to the wood and it exudes sap as part of the healing process. Leave it alone and let it heal just like we would any open wound we might get. Pines do appreciate an occasional deep watering unless you are doing that now.             You can tell by looking at the canopy and how dense the canopy is. If the canopy is sparse and you can see through it easily then it is probably not getting enough water to stimulate enough good growth to keep it dense. These large trees require a lot of water, even pines. I hope this helps.

Mid Pride peach with yellowing leaves Q. Could you tell what is the problem with my mid pride peach tree? I sent you pictures. A. You have a great selection in a mid-pride peach. Honestly, I don’t see a whole lot wrong with it. The leaves are yellowish but this is not due to iron. This is actually some sunburn and discoloration to the leaves.             The difference between iron and bleaching by intense sunlight is in the coloration of the leaf. When a leaf is discolored due to high light intensities or sunburn they tend to bronze in there yellowing. This bronzing is over the entire leaf.             Yellowing due to a lack of available iron in the beginning stages of the leaf’s growth causes the yellowing to occur between the veins of the leaf, leaving the veins a darker green color. The term for this is in interveinal (between the veins) chlorosis (yellowing). Closeup of the leaves on this Mid Pride peach             As the lack of iron intensifies, the yellowing between the veins becomes more pronounced. As the iron problem worsens more, the leaf begins to scorch around the edges (it is unhealthy and cannot handle stress as well) and the interveinal chlorosis progressively gets worse. At some time, and in some species, the entire leaf may become totally yellow with scorching on the leaf margins and the veins only with a hint of green in them.           The best type of iron chelate for us is also the most expensive one. But a little bit can go a long way. The only place I have seen this for sale in retail packages in small homeowner quantities (one pound) has been at Plant World Nursery in Las Vegas.

Q. Could you tell what is the problem with my eastern red bud tree? I sent you pictures. Leaf damage to Eastern redbud growing in southern Nevada. Eastern redbud is an understory tree in the eastern US and does not handle harsh environments well A. The redbud problem is pretty common with this tree and our soils and climate. Western Redbud is more tolerant than the Eastern Redbud of our conditions and would be a preferred tree for the Western United States.             Western redbud may not be easy to find in the nurseries but it is worth a look. Another tree that might be even a better selection for you would be the Mexican redbud which looks very similar and would give you a similar impact to the Eastern redbud.             The problem you are seeing on the leaves, scorching and discoloration, will always be a problem in this climate and soils with that tree. Eastern redbud is an understory tree in the eastern part of the United States which means it does not handle full sun very well even in the cooler parts of this country. Think of the problems it will have in our desert climate, high light intensity and alkaline soils.             I usually encourage people to try something new but this is a small tree that you would have to babysit for many years to come even if you’ve found the right spot for it. I would encourage you to look for the Mexican Redbud if this is going into a desert or rock type landscape. See what a Mexican redbud looks like

 The tree on the right is ash and on the left is mulberry. The mulberry has the ability to come back after severe pruning due to some “hidden buds” or what can call undifferentiated tissue that can regenerate new growth while the ash does not and will frequently severely die back. Q. We have two fantex ash trees that are 15 years old. They are spreading out too far. How far can we cut them back without killing them? A. The problem with ash is that it does not have much ability to come back from cut limbs if you cut back too far and into larger wood. You should begin to structure the tree fairly early and stay on top of it but if you let it go too long and then cut it back you may have some problems.             You can cut it back to side branches that are growing in a desirable direction but you cannot prune it back by what we call heading cuts (stubbing it back) and hoping these dead end cuts will resprout. You can cut back into second or maybe three year old wood (there are still side buds remaining that can grow) but if you cut into a limb with no buds present, it will probably die back to a major limb.  Thinning  cut, removal of an entire limb, on a peach tree.             So cut a branch to a crotch going in the direction you want the limbs coming from that crotch to grow. If a limb is a problem, remove the entire limb back to its source. Do not leave any stubs (dead end cuts).             I hope this makes sense. I will put on my blog a picture of a thinning cut made removing a larger limb. 

Salt damage to guava from saline or salty water in the overhead irrigation (water applied to the leaves) Q. I’d like to soften the water in our house, or at least get some of the minerals out of the pipes. Culligan-type water softeners are supposed to release a lot of salt into the ground, which I think is harmful for the plants.  You can separate your softened water from your water for the plants but I’ve heard that is not cheap.  There are other so-called softeners which use calcium or potassium chloride or something else besides salt in the Culligan-type units but it’s more expensive.  What should I do? A. I am not going to talk about the pros and cons of water softened with sodium chloride versus potassium chloride for personal use. This is not my area of expertise but I can speak the subject of watering plants with softened water and your irrigation system.             Normally, softened water starts after the water from the street has been tapped for your irrigation system. If this is done, it should not be a problem for you. It most likely would be a problem if you have tapped an irrigation system from a hose bib coming from the walls of your house. Many houses have their water softener conditioning water going to every water outlet in the entire inside of the house. Salt applied to the ground from saline water applied through drip emitters             This will mean that softened water is delivered to both hot and cold faucets as well as the hose bibs you use for hoses outside the house. So if you have a water softener and you have some sort of irrigation system attached to a hose bib, then you are most likely watering outside plants with softened or saline water.             Whenever you use a hose attached to a faucet coming from the walls of your house, then it will be carrying softened water. If you are watering houseplants from an inside faucet and you have softened water, then you are most likely watering them with softened water. Salt damage to rose leaves from soil salts, not applied to the leaves through overhead irrigation but salt in the soil             Is softened water bad? Yes, it can be. If you are using inexpensive water softening salts then this is most likely sodium chloride or common table salt. Sodium is very toxic to plants and can destroy the structure of soils. Chlorides are essential to plants but in high amounts it can also be toxic.             What to do? As you mentioned, potassium chloride is an alternative water softening salt to regular water softening salt but it is more expensive. In fact, it can be double the price or more. Potassium is a mineral contained in fertilizers and used by plants in fairly high quantities. So potassium chloride would be a better alternative for plants than common water softening salt. Pitting of the sidewalk from water runoff from the lawn of water containing salts             When I installed my irrigation system, I put hose bibs in the landscape that were fed by the pressurized main line of the irrigation system. This way when I watered with a hose I was not using softened water. I avoided using water from hose bibs coming from the house.             When I watered houseplants, I use distilled or RO water instead of water from the faucets. I mixed a very small amount of houseplant fertilizer in the water so that it had some good minerals in it. This avoided the use of softened water on houseplants which can be very toxic to most of them.

Q. I have a large fig tree that gives me small green figs and that is all I get. I think not enough water as you said. I also saw the picture of cuttings to grow another tree?  Can I do that or should I buy a second tree? What about pruning? Is this a good time?  A. I would buy another tree. They are not that expensive and you can get a different type of fig than the one you have now. Variety is the spice of life!             But first you have to figure out what fig you have. Figs are all green when young and turn either yellow, off white, purple, purplish brown or nearly black. The white or yellow types have a more delicate flavor while the darker ones are usually more robust in their flavor. One dark one that has been given some nice reviews from homeowners in the valley is Blackjack and it is a smaller tree.             Just make sure when you prune a fig tree, if you want two crops from it, that you leave some growth present that is last years. If you cut the tree back and take off all the growth from 2012 you will only have one crop, the main crop. If you leave some of this growth from last year you will have two crops of figs.             You can prune as soon as the leaves drop. Figs can handle any amount of pruning you want to give them. I will be giving some pruning classes out at the orchard when I am back in Las Vegas on December 22 beginning at 9 am.