Consider planting perennials instead of annuals
This is one of those weeks when we can't decide if it is winter or spring. Here are some questions I encountered.
Question: Are there any perennials we can consider? I hate planting annuals two to three times a year.
Answer: I can't see why more people don't use perennials instead of annuals. Here are some to consider: autumn sage, bearded iris, black-eyed Susan, brittlebush, bush morning glory, candytuft, mum, columbine, daylily, dusty miller, four-o'clock, gaillardia, geranium, globe mallow, lantana, lavender, liriope, marguerite daisy, Mexican honeysuckle, penstemon, Peruvian verbena, potentilla, autumn joy, Shasta daisy, snow-in-summer, sunray, red-hot poker and rosemary. This list is from "Beginning Desert Gardening," which is loaded with excellent tidbits for newcomers. Call 257-5555 for your free copy of the booklet.
Q: Is it too late to spray my fruit trees with dormant oil?
A: Once the blooms begin opening, it's too late. To get the greatest control from dormant oil, drench trees so that the oil sticks to the plants on a calm day. This spray gets the insects before they hatch.
Q: When do I start my tomatoes?
A: Moapa farmers direct seeded their tomatoes in early February. Think about it, the first thing coming out of a seed are roots, and they reach deep before top growth emerges. This way you have a vigorous and larger root system and you'll have fewer tomatoes splitting. It's still too cool for plants to set fruit, but your plants will develop a vigorous vine with many more flowering sites for more fruit. Or start them in your house now to plant around St. Patrick's Day.
Q: When do I fertilize my fruit trees?
A: Do it now. Add a balanced fertilizer with nitrogen in it. Place the fertilizer where you irrigate and follow with a deep irrigation to move nutrients into the rooted area. Make a second application in six weeks.
If you are still watering fruit trees next to the trunk, make a wider basin to encourage roots to reach out more. Ideally, you want roots spread to the tree's drip line and beyond. For those who have trees in lawns, spread twice as much fertilizer as you normally would under the tree's drip line and then deep irrigate to move it to the tree roots.
Q: Aren't oleanders illegal in Las Vegas?
A: No, but some people wish otherwise. Oleander is a love-or-hate plant (I love it). It's taken some knocks because it's poisonous, but so are ivy, boxwood and jasmine, and they are in our yards.
Allergy sufferers accuse it of causing allergies, but it can't. Oleander pollen is heavy and sticky so it doesn't fly like mulberry pollen. I think the rough surfaces of oleander leaves trap other pollens, which in turn aggravate people's allergies. Correct this by washing off the plants frequently.
I love oleanders because they come in such a wide range of colorful flowers, on plants ranging from knee-high to 20 feet tall. Also, they are prolific bloomers through the heat until the weather cools and give off a sweet fragrance.
Q: How do I groom my shabby-looking bear grass?
A: What a great accent grass for our landscape. I can just see a cuddly bear nestled in its long-arching grass blades. It's easy to prune; just remove the lower, dead basal leaves back to the trunk. After plants flower, remove the towering stems. Do not tip-prune this plant, as this distracts from its beauty.
Q: Crabgrass was a severe problem last year so how can I prevent it this year?
A: Fertilizer companies sell a product that both prevents crabgrass and fertilizes. You need to feed your lawn around Valentine's Day, and crabgrass germinates soon after, so use these feed-and-weed products as directed on the label and you'll control the weed. Make a second application six weeks later to catch those late germinating seeds and ensure continual control.
Q: Why aren't my feathery cassia bushes blooming like those at the Springs Preserve?
A: You may have planted a late bloomer, as many varieties are just starting to bloom; look for flowering buds forming on the bushes. If you pruned them into contorted shapes, you may have removed the flowering wood. Always prune them after they bloom. Or your shrubs might be too young and still in the development stages.
Linn Mills' garden column appears
on Sundays. He can be reached at
linn.mills@springspreserve.org
or 822-7754
