Q. I watched your pruning videos on YouTube and learned a lot! Is it possible to reduce the size of a standard sized apple tree to a dwarf size this way? “Dogleg” where scion was grafted to the rootstock about a year earlier A. Probably not. Standard sized apple trees may grow to 35 or 40 feet in height. You might be able to keep a standard sized tree under 20 feet tall (maybe 15 feet if you’re really aggressive) through pruning but I don’t think you will get it to eight feet tall which is what I aim for in pruning semi dwarf trees for backyards. I call the size of these fruit trees “ladder less”. The standard sized apple tree is just too vigorous for pruning to short heights. Dwarfing Rootstocks             Standard sized apple trees normally grow 30 to 40 feet tall. Buying these trees on semi dwarfing rootstocks will keep them smaller than this but it depends on which semi dwarfing rootstock the tree has been grafted onto. I have found that the M111 semi-dwarfing apple rootstock is probably the best semi-dwarfing apple rootstock for backyards in our climate.             Using this semi-dwarfing rootstock, I have been able to keep Pink Lady and Mutsu apples, for instance, pruned at eight feet through appropriate pruning methods. Apple trees grafted onto M111 rootstock will normally get to 80% of its mature height if left unpruned. Nursery Tags            Nursery tags on a fruit tree from Dave Wilson Nursery showing the rootstock (other color) and the scion (white tag) Nursery tags from Dave Wilson Nursery on a fruit tree of the rootstock and the scionrseries sell fruit trees with a tag that calls the tree a “semi dwarf” because most people don’t know the different kinds of semi dwarfing rootstocks. In our area an apple that is labeled as semi dwarf is most likely grafted on to M111 rootstock. There are online stores for fruit trees, such as Grow Organic and Bay Laurel, that specify the rootstock used and the most common semi-dwarfing rootstock available on apples for backyards in the Western US is M111.

Q. I have a 9-year old apricot tree that produced a bumper crop of delicious apricots each year.  However, this year there is an abundance of fruit set, but not many leaves. Unless the number of leaves increases significantly, I doubt if all the fruit will mature. I fertilized this apricot tree the last week of January using 10-15-15 fertilizer spikes as I do every year. Early apricots produce fruit first A. It is not uncommon for early apricots to set fruit first, followed shortly thereafter by leaf and shoot growth.  Apricot Flower Production Is Early The tree “invests” in its fruit production early by shoving stored food reserves into fruit production. You’re right. At some point the tree will not “invest” anymore and it will expect the leaves to start contributing. But that shouldn’t be for a few months.             Later in the year the apricot tree recovers its stored food investment plus more because of the new leaf growth combined with the presence of fertilizer in the soil. Fertilizer is applied just before growth starts happening. So, in mid-to-late January (very early Spring) is a good time to apply fertilizer. Look at Leaf Color             Over the next couple of weeks observe the new growth. Look at the color of the leaves and the strength of growth. Dark green leaves mean the nitrogen fertilizer is inside the leaves and ready to push new growth. If we experienced cool weather earlier, then growth is slow until it gets warmer and then the tree should grow like gangbusters! Nitrogen Produces Leaves and Stems             If you’re established tree is not putting on some new growth by April 1, apply a high nitrogen fertilizer around the tree such as 21-0-0 or a rich compost which does basically the same thing. Spread one bag of rich compost, or about 3 pounds of 21-0-0, in a circle around the tree 18 to 24 inches from the trunk. Water it a few inches deep into the soil by hand or sprinkler. It’s important not to apply fertilizer or rich compost too close to the trunk or it could cause the fruit to drop or damage the tree. Mulch Conserves Water             Secondly, spread a 3 to 4-inch layer of woodchips on the surface of the soil around the tree and out to at least the edge of its canopy. Keep woodchips away from the tree trunk a few inches to avoid inciting a disease called collar rot. This mulch layer helps keep moisture in the soil and enriches it as well. You should see the tree explode with new leaf growth in about a week or two.

Since most people are staying at home during these times and many are feverishly gardening now, you might want a raised bed or two at the Provident Garden Community Garden. Plots are $10 per month and ready to plant which includes your irrigation water. Members are avoiding contact with each other but still gardening! Many have not gone to the grocery stores in weeks! Provident Community Garden is located at 6001 W. Oakey, behind the Mountain View Church.  They have several 4′ x 8′ raised beds available.  The one time fee of $75 is currently being waived!  The only cost is $10/mo billed quarterly for maintenance which includes water. The Provident Community Garden is located near the cross streets of South Jones Blvd and West Oakey in Las Vegas. Contact me if you’re shy and I will forward your contact info. http://www.providentcommunitygarden.com/aboutus/

Q. I have mature Texas Privets that I neglected to prune back during the winter. They are now sprouting out new growth. If I trim them back now, will that prevent future new growth this year? Japanese privet, like the Japanese Blueberry, it comes from the great Japanese desert (joke). Avoid planting it here unless its on the cool side of a landscape AND the soil covered in woodchips. Always use compost when planting it. A. No, it won’t. You can prune now without any problems. What I worry about when it gets hot is sunburn. Now it’s not a problem. This is what it does when you plant it in rock after a few years. There is plenty of stored nutrition inside the larger stems for future growth. Japanese privets are versatile plants in the landscape and used either as small trees, shrubs or grown as a hedge. You didn’t say how you are using your plants. Privet used as a hedgerow (hedge) for privacy.             If you are using Japanese privet as a formal hedgerow then pruning with a hedge shears is appropriate. Pruning plants with a hedge shears is not appropriate for any other type of pruning.             Hedgerows are created by spacing plants slightly closer than their mature height. When pruning plants as a formal hedge, the top of the hedge should be pruned slightly narrower than the bottom of the hedge. Informal hedgerows are not pruned with a hedge shears but a hand shears, a.k.a. hand pruners. Informal pruning is best left to the commercial experts.             When pruning with a hand pruners or loppers, pruning cuts are made deep inside the plant canopy removing only a few of the larger stems to reestablish their size.

Q. I grow a lot of different plants in nursery containers in my yard. This past spring I found  three white grubs in the soil in one 5-gallon container! I also found them in the soil in my yard when planting new roses and trees. I’ve been manually picking them out and tossing them on the driveway for the birds to eat when I see them. Are they a threat to my flowers and veggies? Should I take any action against them? A. Finding large white grubs in the landscape where soil has been improved is normal during the spring months. However, finding a lot of white grubs in landscape soils is not a good thing because they can eat the smaller young roots of plants as well. Personally, I wouldn’t be overly worried if I found one white grub in a 5-gallon nursery container full of soil but three is excessive. I would take some action.             This is the immature grub of a scarab beetle, sometimes called a June beetle. When temperatures begin to warm they pupate in the soil and emerge in summer as a flying adult seeking the opposite sex and a place to lay its eggs if it’s female. Your landscape sounds like it’s a playground for these guys! Green metallic june beetles devouring Kadota fig             Probably one of the most frequent “June beetles” we see flying in the summer months is the metallic green June beetle. When flying out and about they love to eat white Kadota figs and just about any soft fruit that’s ripe! But we also see during summer months the brown June beetles as well which are another type of scarab beetle. Ten lined June beetle in the orchard another chafer or scarab beetle             Adult female beetles lay eggs in mid-summer. The female picks spots to lay her eggs where there’s plenty of food for her young to eat. She hones-in on soils that have been amended with compost since these young white grubs favor ripe or decaying organic plants mixed in the soil. Young tender roots of plants are mingled with decaying soil organics and they’ll feast on both. That’s the problem. Another June beetle picture sent to me by a reader             Traditional pesticides like Sevin insecticide applied to the area as a soil drench will easily kill these grubs if you lean in that direction. Sifting through the soil when you’re planting and handpicking them like you’re doing will get rid of most of them if you are organically inclined. Using Milky Spore bacterium for biocontrol only works if these white grubs are related to Japanese beetles. Most of our white grubs are not.             A preventive measure for future years is mixing beneficial nematodes into the soil that pursue various types of white grubs and not just the Japanese beetle. Your local garden center may carry beneficial nematodes, but they should be refrigerated when buying them. The best time to apply them is usually around August after egg laying has finished and the young grubs are starting to gain some size.             Beneficial nematodes should be kept in the dark and in the refrigerator until they are ready to be mixed in the soil. They will have directions for their use on their label.

Q. Is there any risk to my Chinaberry tree from the ivy that has grown exponentially through the canopy of this tree during the past few years?  It was kind of charming when there was just 4 or 5 feet of ivy on the trunk but now it looks a little too successful. Should I rip it off and if so, how? The Chinaberry tree is more important to me than the ivy, FYI. A. I looked at the pictures you sent to me and you’re right, the vine is an ivy. Probably English Ivy. Two things you should be thinking about with English Ivy growing in the Chinaberry is what kind of damage it can create for your Chinaberry and, secondly, how much shade it might produce if it gets a foothold throughout the tree canopy.             From the pictures it’s obvious to me that both plants are successful in that spot and it does look nice to have the ivy climbing on the tree. Congratulations.             Is that a single vine climbing that tree trunk or are there multiple vines? If there are multiple vines coming from the soil around the tree then pull the oldest one, or the one with the thickest stem, off the trunk. Cut it two or 3 inches above the soil. This will cause the vine to grow multiple shoots up the trunk and keep it young.             When you pull English Ivy from anything, it leaves woody aerial roots behind still attached where the vine was attached to the tree. That’s normal for Ivy and it’s one of its problems when it’s allowed to climb things. But the new growth of the young vines will cover anything unsightly left behind on the trunk when it’s pulled off.             If the vine is starting to climb inside the canopy of the tree,  prune this growth back to the largest limbs or the trunk. You don’t want the vine growing inside the canopy and smothering the tree. That will happen as you suspected. You might have to carefully prune it back two or three times a year to keep it under control.             If there is only a single vine climbing the trunk of the tree, then I would cut the single vine two or 3 inches above the soil and allow it to regrow up the trunk from several locations rather than just one. After it climbs the trunk you can pull off a larger vine like I described earlier and still allow others to grow on the trunk.

Q. I have an 8-foot x 8-foot raised bed garden about 3 feet deep. I used a soil mix with a rich compost about three years ago. I added rock dust and steer manure to the soil over the last two years. I would like to test it now before adding anything more. Are there any local soil testing laboratories I can use? A. There are at least two Las Vegas soil testing laboratories that can do this kind of work, but they specialize mostly in soils for construction and environmental protection. http://geoscience.unlv.edu/ESAL/ESAL.html https://www.ssalabs.com/services/ Las Vegas is not an agricultural community. I think the local laboratory is more expensive compared to existing agricultural soil testing laboratories and you must specify with them what you need done. Plus they have a minimum numbers of samples that must be submitted for the quoted price. It would be a good idea to do some comparison shopping.             When shopping for a soil testing service, know what you want done. They analyze a soil for its structural and chemical properties. For a small fee they include a computer-generated response about results, how to correct the soil if there are problems and what to add to it if it’s lacking something. I would recommend getting it.             Select a soil testing service that does a lot of desert agricultural soil testing. Selecting an agricultural soil testing service in Florida for instance may not give you desert appropriate feedback. I am comfortable with soil tests from A and L Agricultural Soil Testing Laboratory in Modesto California, IAS or Motzz Laboratories in Phoenix and Waypoint Analytical in Los Angeles. I’m sure there are others as well. Any of them would provide good information.             Some people may cringe when I say this but if you are careful and have analytical skills, the home soil testing kits are not bad and give you a rough approximation of nutrients and the chemistry of your soil.             My last piece of advice when taking and submitting a soil sample is, “garbage in – garbage out”. You must sample the soil from several random locations in your raised bed and mix them together. Use extremely clean tools and soil sampling containers. Sample the soil to a depth you know is actively supplying plants with nutrients. In your case, if you’re growing vegetables and herbs I would sample to 12 inches deep only.

Q. I have 13 Japanese blueberry that have been planted for quite a few years. They have grown tall but only one filled out from the bottom to top because of some shading. This shading is now gone. What can I do and when to stimulate the growth and hopefully have them fill out all over?  I have railed against this plant before in other posts here: https://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2015/07/more-problems-growing-japanese.html Why nurseries are selling it for desert landscapes is beyond comprehension. A. You cant just plant Japanese Blueberry anywhere you want in a desert landscape. They are not desert plants. Japanese Blueberry became popular in the Las Vegas Valley and used inappropriately in my opinion as a visual screen between properties because the plant is evergreen.  Hopefully most people have steered clear of this tree for this purpose because it’s not suited for desert climates. Using it as a screen in the desert is questionable because it uses a lot of water (probably as much as a mulberry tree) and requires quite a bit of future maintenance (think pruning and leaf cleanup).              Japanese Blueberry will grow to heights of 35 – 40 feet. The planting spaces between them should be 15 to 20 feet wide. If planted as a screen it would be a tall one at somewhere around 15 to 20 feet. Planting distances to walls or foundation should not be closer than perhaps 8 to 10 feet.              As these trees get bigger they will naturally shade each other. Parts of the tree that receive light will sucker and grow new branches when they get some. If planted closer than 15 feet apart consider removing every other tree as they start growing together. This will provide more light to the bottom of the canopy and help them fill in down there.  Pruning to reduce its height through a method called “drop crotching” should help keep it around the 15-foot-tall in height and encourage them to fill the spaces between them and grow wider.              This is a tree that should be used as a medium-sized specimen tree in a cool part of a landscape if used in our climate at all.  The soil should be heavily amended at the time of planting and the tree grown in an area where woodchips 3 to 4 inches deep improve the soil surface.

Q. I have two very old Olive trees and I would like to plant some greenery around the extensive roots at the base of the trees. Something low to the ground. Plant at the base of olive trees but mimic their need for water and root depth. A. There are many plants to pick from so let me give you the guiding principles when making a choice. Olive trees are Mediterranean in their climate preference. They like hot dry weather but are not desert trees. Technically they are classified as mesic (nondesert) in their water use, not xeric (desert). They can handle desert landscapes well but are not desert trees like Mesquite or Palo Verde. Dwarf oleeander is Mediterranean in its water use and would be a good pick for planting beneath olive.             Secondly, olive trees are irrigated to a depth of 18–24 inches deep. The watering area of older trees should extend from 2 to 3 feet from the trunk out to a distance nearly equal to the spread of its canopy.             When selecting plants to grow beneath an olive tree, try to mimic these two features as much as possible. Selecting small flowers to grow beneath them requires frequent irrigation which olive trees will not like. Selecting larger desert shrubs (xeric) may cause these shrubs to grow excessively because of the more frequent watering needed by the olive.             Some smaller, Mediterranean, deep rooted shrubs include petite oleander, Cistus (sometimes called Rockrose), dwarf myrtle, Euphorbias, rosemary (and other large perennial herbs), and even roses! Because these are Mediterranean plants I would use woodchips or decorative would mulch and not rock.              I would look for a small to medium sized Mediterranean flowering shrub or groundcover since olive is also Mediterranean that thrives with a similar irrigation. Both plants will benefit from their close companionship.

Slicing tomato brought to the University Orchard several years ago. Might not get the same production year after year when planting unproven varieties.            The choices you make when fertilizing tomato plants right now might be the difference between having tomatoes to eat or not. If we have a long drawn out cool spring with temperatures in the 80’s, it won’t make much of a difference. You just might have an abundance of tomatoes. If we have one of those springs that jumps from cool weather to hot weather you will have fewer tomatoes. Tomatoes stop setting fruit when daytime temperatures are consistently well above 90° F. But you can harvest into June. Nitrogen Fertilizer Management             It’s all about nitrogen fertilizer management. High nitrogen fertilizers, like 21-0-0 or fish emulsion, guano or blood meal can cause tomato plants to grow abundantly with dark green leaves during warm weather but push flowering and fruit production a little longer than necessary in the spring. Once flowering and fruiting begins, rampant growth subsides usually keeping tomato plants from growing too rapidly. However, using high nitrogen fertilizers soon after planting can cause a lot of top growth and, along with that, delay flower and with it fruit production. Start With a Pre-Plant Fertilizer             If you are planting into a dark, rich soil mix then don’t fertilize with anything. If this soil mix is one year old, I would use a starter fertilizer  at the time of planting and not fertilize again until flowers and small fruit are seen. Those who use conventional fertilizers might use 16-20-0 as a starter fertilizer. Ideally we are looking for a fertilizer that contains about twice as much phosphorus as nitrogen and still delivers some potassium. In fertilizer lingo this would be as close to a 1-2-1 ratio. Organic Fertilizers             Those who prefer organic fertilizers might use bone meal mixed in the soil at the time of planting and follow that with an organic foliar spray when needed. Fish emulsion mixed with water or compost tea sprayed on the foliage when tomato leaves become light green.              The same principle holds true with garden soils. If you mixed in a rich compost before planting, then don’t fertilize with anything more until fruit is first seen. If the garden soil is a little worn out from last season’s harvest, then use a starter fertilizer at planting time.