A fertilizer high in the middle number — phosphorus — should be fine for jasmine.
Bob Morris
Bob Morris is a horticulture expert living in Las Vegas and professor emeritus for the University of Nevada. Visit his blog at xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com. Send questions to Extremehort@aol.com.
Q: I planted a sweet lavender plant last year and it grew great until this August and then suddenly died. It was getting about 2 gallons per watering via two emitters. I would like to replace it with another lavender. It gets morning sun and afternoon shade. What variety of lavender would you recommend we try?
The temperature of compost when it’s cooling is only about 105 degrees. The center of the pile might be hotter, but it’s not hot enough to damage plants.
Plants like mesquite, palo verde and acacia are xeric in their water use. They use less water than alternative trees and shrubs and are controlled with applications of water.
Plant several types of tomatoes rather than focus on one variety. Cherry, grape and pear tomatoes are the easiest to grow and set fruit the easiest.
By delaying the final pruning of grapes until March 1 before new growth begins. This helps reduce disease problems from developing on the grape bunches later.
This is the time of year that leaf-footed plant bugs increase in numbers and infest your fruit trees and your vegetable garden. Cordless hand vacuum cleaners work great for sucking them up.
Although large pine trees provide shade, they require excessive watering to remain healthy.
Q: I have a small crape myrtle tree with leaves that were constantly wet this year. The ground and plants underneath were always wet. Now that the leaves are gone. I can see the branches are also wet. Another tree I have is perfectly dry and normal. What’s causing this and how can I correct it?
Q: I have one pomegranate tree in bad shape. The leaves are turning yellow and then brown; yet underneath the veins are pink. This is one tree out of my 50 that looks like this. The other trees look great with a lot of new growth. Any ideas what could be happening with this one tree?
This is the time of year we see a rise in humidity along with a threat from afternoon rains. This rise in humidity and high nighttime temperatures can also bring plant disease problems. You can do something now to prevent diseases before they occur.
Q: I was reading up on controlling the leaf-footed plant bugs on my pistachio and almond trees and came across a recommendation by the University of California to use a pesticide containing bifenthrin. I see some Ortho products for lawn and garden contain bifenthrin. Is this a pyrethrin or something similar like you are recommending? Could this be used to spray the almond and pistachio every two to three weeks until it gets hot?
Question: I have a recently planted ocotillo. It is tied together by wire. When should I cut the ties? Also, I heard that I should spray the plant with water frequently. What’s frequently?
Question: This question is regarding our bottle tree. Should we trim and shape the tree? It has grown to a considerable height. The wind, appearance, and health of the tree are our concerns. Does the cracking on the trunk need addressing? And should I wrap the trunk in winter?
Question: I live in Summerlin and have a Bartlett pear tree. I wish to plant an apple with a harvest time far from the Bartlett pear so I don’t have too much fruit at once. Which apple varieties would be best? I have received conflicting information from local sources.
1
2
3
4
5
Slots player turns $25 bet into $1.2M at Nevada casino
I-15 reopens after closure, barricade event in North Las Vegas
Fill a truck for $100 at Tropicana liquidation sale
California power outage? It’s planned, so be ready for it
Las Vegas mobile home park resident: ‘Your seniors out here are mistreated’