Q. Last year we planted a yellow bells plant. It appears to have died over winter. Do we need to trim it back to bring it “back to life”, or just be patient and wait. A. You should have seen it coming to life by now if it was not damaged heavily by winter cold. They can be cut back hard and they will come back if they appear dead but just have died back for the winter.             They are a bit tender and in the wrong spot they will freeze out due to winter cold. If this was the case you might find a warmer microclimate in the yard and replant and pick a different plant for that spot. I want to see what yellow bells looks like             They can get ten feet tall and three feet wide just so that you remember to give them enough room. If it freezes back each year but comes back in the spring it will never get that big or if it does just keep it cut back during the winter.

Q. I have a patch of grass in my back yard and I would like to put plants, shrubs and flowers around the perimeter. Can you tell me what type of plants to put since they will be getting their water from the sprinklers?  I follow the watering schedule for my area and during the summer months there will be a lot of water so I would need to know what plants and shrubs like a lot of water. A. This is not how we should be thinking of watering in the desert. Plants that grow on the perimeter of a lawn survive because of the over irrigation of the lawn. If we give the lawn precisely the amount of water which it needs, there will be very little water left for plants growing along the perimeter of it. This Siberian elm has died back because it was surrounded by grass and now was replaced with desert landscape and rock mulch             Lawns should be irrigated so that the water supplied to them is adequate and no more. Plants growing along the perimeter of a lawn should be watered so that they get precisely enough water as well. This would require that these perimeter plants be irrigated with their own irrigation system, not with water coming from the lawn.             Lawns are watered frequently and with small volumes of water because of their shallow root system. Other shallow rooted plants, like annual flowers and vegetables, are watered in the same manner and require the same frequency of irrigation.             Deeply rooted trees and shrubs are watered less often but with a higher volume of water so that their entire root system is wetted when the irrigation has been completed.

Q. I have read your blog extensively.  I really like that you have stuff on there month to month so I know what to watch out for. Inspired by you, I have planted a tree from your recommended tree list and another that I don’t think is in there, a Meyer lemon. I planted a lemon after seeing other people in the valley having success with it. I would like to know what precautions I should take growing a lemon tree here. The orange tree died back and the sour orange rootstock took over. Notice there is no trunk left on this tree. A. I have not included citrus on my list because it is too cold at the Orchard in North Las Vegas to grow citrus. However, there are numerous microclimates in backyards that will support citrus in the Las Vegas Valley. It is not a crop to be grown commercially here but you certainly can grow a few here and there including some of the more tender types of citrus.             We have very few citrus problems here. The biggest problem is winter cold and freezing or dieback. Fertilize citrus just as you would any of the other fruit trees. Allow lemon fruits to mature into late November and December and then pick them. You should be getting the fruit off of the tree no later than early January as this may interrupt production for the coming year if you don’t.

Q. I have read your blog extensively.  I really like that you have stuff on there month to month so I know what to watch out for. Inspired by you, I have planted a tree from your recommended tree list and another that I don’t think is in there, a Meyer lemon. I planted a lemon after seeing other people in the valley having success with it. I would like to know what precautions I should take growing a lemon tree here. Sweet orange died back and the rootstock, sour orange, took over. The indicator is no trunk left and sour fruit. A. I have not included citrus on my list because it is too cold at the Orchard in North Las Vegas to grow citrus. However, there are numerous microclimates in backyards that will support citrus in the Las Vegas Valley. It is not a crop to be grown commercially here but you certainly can grow a few here and there including some of the more tender types of citrus.             We have very few citrus problems here. The biggest problem is winter cold and freezing or dieback. Fertilize citrus just as you would any of the other fruit trees. Allow lemon fruits to mature into late November and December and then pick them. You should be getting the fruit off of the tree no later than early January as this may interrupt production for the coming year if you don’t.

Q. Do I fertilize my peach tree even though it looks like it’s doing great? If so, what type of fertilizer and concentration would you use and how often? A. You adjust your fertilizer application according to how the tree is growing. If your tree is growing well, then reduce the amount you apply but do not eliminate your fertilizer application.             If the growth is lush, then cut way back on the amount of fertilizer that you apply. If you’re growth is skimpy, then increase the amount of fertilizer that you apply. By cutting back I would reduce it by half. If you’re increasing the fertilizer, then increase it by half the amount.             You can increase the amount of fertilizer you give a tree by increasing the amount you give it in a single application or, a much better approach, apply it more often in smaller amounts. You can accomplish the same thing by switching to slow release fertilizers. They are more expensive but they release fertilizer more slowly over time and so require only one application each year.             Begin fertilizer applications in late January and continue them into July if you want to but use very small amounts of fertilizer at each application. You can apply fertilizer as a single application in late January and not fertilize again for the rest of the year if you want to. That will also work. Do not skip your iron applications regardless of your other fertilizer application.

Q. Do I fertilize my peach tree even though it looks like it’s doing great? If so, what type of fertilizer and concentration would you use and how often? Peach tree with this much new growth will require less than half the fertilizer that was applied last time A. You adjust your fertilizer application according to how the tree is growing. If your tree is growing well, then reduce the amount you apply but do not eliminate your fertilizer application.             If the growth is lush, then cut way back on the amount of fertilizer that you apply. If you’re growth is skimpy, then increase the amount of fertilizer that you apply. By cutting back I would reduce it by half. If you’re increasing the fertilizer, then increase it by half the amount. I would use a fertilizer specifically formulated for fruit trees. If you do not know how to choose a fertilizer then this is the safest way to select one.             You can increase the amount of fertilizer you give a tree by increasing the amount you give it in a single application or, a much better approach, apply it more often in smaller amounts. You can accomplish the same thing by switching to slow release fertilizers. They are more expensive but they release fertilizer more slowly over time and so require only one application each year.             Begin fertilizer applications in late January and continue them into July if you want to but use very small amounts of fertilizer at each application. You can apply fertilizer as a single application in late January and not fertilize again for the rest of the year if you want to. That will also work. Do not skip your iron applications regardless of your other fertilizer applications.

Harrison’s bananas forming Harrison’s banana male flower (actually located under the purple bract) Ann’s Cavendish banana in Las Vegas Ann’s Banana another view

03/21 Free Stall Dairy Equipment Outfit your barn with galvanized equipment. 03/28 Raised Beds & Composting Increase yields while decreasing your carbon footprint. 04/05 Drip Irrigation Systems Conserve water one drop at a time. 04/11 Greenhouses vs. High Tunnels Which structure is best for your growing needs? Visit FarmTek to register http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/ExternalPageView?pageKey=EXTERNAL_PAGE_2001

I have accepted a post with the University of California, Davis, as their Deputy Chief of Party for establishing and extension program in Balkh Province, Afghanistan. The program is funded by USDA and involves currently UC Davis (lead) as well as Purdue and Washington State University. I will be leaving some time in April, 2012. My blog and newsletters will continue with perhaps some interesting posts from my new location. My newspaper column will continue with submissions from me from over there as well. You can still reach me by my email addresses with questions. So stay tuned! Afghanistan Agricultural Extension Project (AAEP) This project is designed to assist Afghanistan s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock to deliver more effective, demand-driven extension services to producers and other rural clientele. Anticipated results of the project include a cadre of extension staff with the technical expertise and appropriate methodologies to effectively extend information and knowledge; increased public accessibility to, and use of, government extension services; development of extension training modules and educational materials based on high-priority needs; targeted agricultural universities, vocational high schools, and technical institutes with increased capacity to prepare future extension personnel; improved services for women working in the agricultural sector; and a pluralistic approach to extension that responds to farmers needs for research-based technologies, builds upon the innovations of Afghanistan farmers, and promotes coordination among the various entities providing extension-related services.

One of our Orchard volunteers, Matt Heff, started a small orchard in West Texas, near the panhandle a bit south and west of Odessa. One year later his Orchard in now on its way with 100 fruit trees using two or three of each variety. He writes: Hi Bob! Matt Heff here. Attached our Texas orchard pics 1 year later. Wanted to show you the difference by planting clovers to recharge the Texas alkaline soil just like you and Jon told me to. The orchard was covered in peat moss, Texas compost, manure and tons of clover seeds (different varieties). Over 1,000 worms happily living in west Texas- notice the difference between worms and no worms photo? We broke bud 2 weeks ago. Very early  and trees are very much Alive.