Q I’ve seen mixed comments regarding purple hopseed bushes being toxic to animals. Do you happen to know if they are or not? Any help would be appreciated! A. Keep in mind that about 60 to 70% of all landscape plants are poisonous in one way or another. Toxicity depends on the dose given. I have never considered hopseed a poisonous plant. I checked with another source of information that I consider reliable, and he does not recognize it as poisonous which agrees with my original assessment. Because this source does not consider this plant toxic and the fact that it was previously used by indigenous peoples as a health remedy, I don’t consider it a “poisonous” landscape plant if eaten in moderation. Not as toxic as oleander, tree tobacco, or yellow oleander for instance which have been grown here by backyard gardeners.

Q. I am losing portions of my pine trees at my home. All ten were planted from “live” Christmas trees we bought in the past either Mondale or Aleppo type. Out of the 10 trees, 3 are starting to show complete limbs that are dying. I trimmed some “dead” out of one tree this week and saw numerous small holes on it, so I hit it on the cement and this “worm-type bug” fell out. What is this creature and how did it arrive? Is it causing the damage I see in my trees? And finally, how do I get rid of them before they kill all my pines?   Flatheaded borer found in pine trees A. Pines are not a preferred tree of flatheaded borers, like the picture you sent. Flatheaded borers are a problem in many plants but usually not pines. Most of the time in heavy sap producers, like plum and apricot trees, the sap floods an area damaged by insects and “suffocates” invaders like these flatheaded borers. I am not sure if it’s an old tale or not, but I understand that sap that oozes from the damaged branches is first cloudy because of insect feeding, and then becomes translucent as the invader or borer is overwhelmed by the sap and dies. Stress the Usual Culprit My guess is that these trees had limbs stressed because of a drought problem and these stressed limbs attracted borers to these living, but stressed, branches. So first make sure that water is being delivered to an area equal to about half the area under their canopy. Next, when water is applied be sure it reaches a soil depth of about three feet to satisfy any drought condition they might be experiencing. Remember pine trees, just like fig trees and palms, like to have their “tootsies” in water. The trees don’t have to be growing in it, but they like to access it during the hot season, even if the water is deep. They don’t like to be surrounded by a “dry” desert soil. I don’t think “borers” are totally responsible for branch death, but finished them off when the trees became stressed. What to do?  Make sure at least half the area under the tree is getting watered. Plant other deep-rooted plants under the tree to deliver water to a wider area and to make sure. Make sure applications of water are to at least three feet deep. Use a four-foot-long piece of rebar after an irrigation is finished to judge how deep the water “wets” the soil.  If increasing the water doesn’t help, apply a soil drench of borer control insecticides to kill existing borers in the branches. Apply it in May after the tree finishes “flowering”. Any soil drench containing imidacloprid in the active ingredients and for ornamental trees and shrubs will work and should be applied after the plant finishes flowering.

I will go to an HOA Condominium Board meeting to talk about how this HOA can reduce its residential water use. I offered my service for free. If they take notes or visit this blog, it will guide them through this nightmare. I have no idea how many parts this topic will have, “How to reduce water use in a condominium HOA”. HOA Water Bill This HOA is concerned about their water bill. In most cases their landscape water use in Las Vegas is about 70% of their total water use. The remainder represents interior use. Some condominiums or townhomes within an HOA have their domestic water use metered and some do not. I would guess (without talking to them) landscape water use represents the highest cost for the HOA on its monthly bills. One thing we know for sure, the cost of water ain’t goin’ down. I believe Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) once remarked, “Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting.”  First, estimate how much water you are using. Yes, it is an estimate. 1. Gather your water bills for the past 12 months and plot this water use, month by month, for the entire year. This represents your total water use (in-house and landscape) and not your landscape water use alone. Your total water use should follow a “bell-shaped” curve with the lowest amounts used during the winter and the highest during the summer. Annual plant water use curve for Las Vegas for averaged three years. Your total water use should follow the same pattern. Notice the bars follow a “bell-shape” from lowest water use values (months 1 and 12) during mid-winter to its highest water use values (months 6 and 7) during mid-summer. Separate out interior water use from landscape water use. Landscape water use represents about 70% of total water use. Younger families typical use more interior water than older families. Measure your irrigated landscaped areas: 2. Measure the square footage of the landscape you are watering. It does not have to be exact but the more exact your measurements, the more exact is your estimate. Actual measurements can be done (most accurate) but these measurements can be taken from an “as built” blueprint or site plan of the landscape or from satellite images (Google Maps). But the measurements should be verified with ground measurements. It is very important that ALL the areas represented by the water bill(s) are included and these are verified. Make sure any landscape plans you use are accurate. Just because it has a scale on it does not mean it is accurate. If a scale is present it must be verified with actual measurements on the ground, called “ground truthing”. In some cases it is more accurate to make the landscape measurements with a “wheel” or tape measure. https://whitefishpilot.com/news/2020/apr/22/planned-condos-get-thumbs-up-from-board-9/ Most landscape plans are drawn to a scale of 1:10, which means that 10 feet on the ground equals 1 inch on paper. For example, a 100-foot driveway would be 10 inches on paper.  Consider any pools to be part of the landscape area. Pool water evaporation is slightly more than the same area covered in grass unless the pool is covered. Water features are tricky. Submeter them if you think it is important to consider. Determine which what category of landscape water use you are in: 3. Use this conversion for changing gallons into cubic feet of water or vice versa.      One cubic foot of water = 7.48 gallons      One gallon of water = 0.1337 cubic foot Landscaped water use categories      0 – 2 feet of water covering the irrigated landscaped area (you are doing a great job!)      3 – 4 feet of water covering the irrigated landscaped area (marginally acceptable)      5 – 6 feet of water covering the irrigated landscaped area (you can do better!) Are you satisfied with your landscaped water use category? Want to save water? If you want to save water, go to Part 2.

A new measure passed by Nevada state legislators will make the Las Vegas metro area the first region in the U.S. to permanently ban “non-functional” grass — purely ornamental lawns common to office parks, street medians, and housing developments that require irrigation, but provide no recreational or environmental benefits. – Stormwater Report This narrow strip of living grass or turfgrass, besides being “nonfunctional”, is difficult to water, mow and maintain. It has no justification in any irrigated landscape. What is Nonfunctional Grass? Sometimes turfgrass is easy to identify as “nonfunctional”, eg eye candy, strictly ornamental and visual. it provides no benefit outside of visual appeal. Sometimes grass is considered functional. Golf courses and athletic fields are considered “essential” because they provide a safe place to play or they return tax revenues to the municipality. Sports fields covered in grass (at least the “functional” part) is considered essential since it provides a safe place to play “rough and tumble” sports like American football, soccer, baseball, La Crosse, field hockey and the like. It might argued that “band practice” on a similar grass covered field does not qualify. Sometimes “wall to wall” grass is hard to justify in the desert. The “functional” grass can be identified and the “nonfunctional” grass removed and replaced with “desert landscaping”. This Las Vegas golf course looks much different now than it did when this picture was taken over 20 years ago. What caused the change? Primarily cost or budget. A golf course or athletic field may have both functional and nonfunctional grass in its area of play. Twenty years ago the cost of watering an 18-hole golf course (small 18 hole is about 120 acres) was about $1 million dollars per year. Elimination of “nonfunctional turfgrass”, or lawn grass used only for beautification, was also one of the seven principles of in xeriscape many years ago. How to keep your lawn in Nevada? Justify it.

 Queen palm is not the best choice when growing palms in the desert. Because of their strong and thick petioles the so-called “fan palms” are probably the best choice. But now that you have it, how do you keep it looking its best?

 The simple answer is no. Most plants dont grow that way. They grow from their growing points or terminal buds. This palm was blown over during a hurricane in the Philippines and continued growing from its tips but continued to lean.

 Whether you are spacing plants from each other or from structures the distance is figured from its mature height. Learn how to do this and more on this episode of Desert Horticulture.

 Grub numbers can be critical in a successful landscape. Learn what this number might be and how to treat for them in this episode of Desert Horticulture.

 This episode of Desert Horticulture insists they do the logical thing to do…accept responsibility for your landscape water use. When occasional water is wanted for a plant then watering it with a hose instead of a controller is a better idea.

I have been asked by many. There is only one place I know about in Las Vegas that has nutrient “rich” compost; Viragrow. What I mean by “rich” compost is that it will fertilize your fruit trees and landscape plants for at least two years. By my calculations, one cubic yard of Viragrow Compost has about $150 worth of fertilizer. That’s alot! You cont want to plant directly into it or apply it a few inches from your plants or it can damage them….it is that rich! Thats where the soil mixes come in. Viragrow’s “Organic” compost. Previously called Viragrow’s “Vegan” compost. Nothing animal or human used to make it. Just sawdust from lumber mills and tree trimmings. Compost vs Soil Mix. What’s the Difference? Compost is made to mix in soil. Soil Mixes are already mixed! Soil mixes are “Hamburger Helper” of the landscape supply world, if you will. Any of the Viragrow composts should be mixed with a soil by about one bucket for three buckets of soil….about 25% by volume. Tractor and bucket filling a pickup bed with soil mix. A small small pickup like the one shown can carry up to about one cubic yard of a heavy soil mix. A standard sized pickup will carry safely about 1 1/2 cubic yards of material. There are four composts sold at Viragrow: Viragrow Compost (aka, 166) is made by composting municipal solid waste (MSW) and screening this compost fine enough for use as a topdressing for turfgrass and lawns. It contains a small percentage of composted human biosolids found in the MSW. Viragrow Compost, aka 166, is a rich compost made and screened at the Inland Empire Composting  Facility in southern California. “Organic” Compost (aka, Vegan compost) is made from waste from sawmills composted with mineral fertilizers. No animal or human waste is used. GS Compost is made mostly from yard waste that is finely ground and screened. It could be classified as a “natural” compost but contains no composted biosolids or MSW (municipal solid waste). Premium Compost is the same as Viragrow Compost (so it contains composted biosolids) but it is not as finely screened as 166. it is screened so the larger pieces of wood are permitted. Soil Mixes  Soil Mixes are made by mixing compost with a special type of sand only available from Viragrow…a screened sand. Other places use inexpensive Reject Sand or fill sand in the soil mixes but Viragrow doesn’t. It costs more but it produces a better backfill for plants.