Home and Garden

Apriums, like apricots, need lots of heat to ripen and sweeten to their highest quality. They did not get it this year.

The general recommendation is to not have rocks greater than golf ball-sized so that lawn grass roots have a place to grow. Trees and shrubs have similar guidelines.

Strong winds are particularly damaging in the spring when leaves are new and tender. Strong winds equal increased water lost by plants. The sudden death of leaves right after strong winds signals a need for water.

Black spots on a pluot could be either from the sun (sunburn on the fruit) or, more likely, a nutritional problem.