Home and Garden

LOCAL EVENTS

February 4, 2010 - 10:00 pm

Feb. 6

What: New Year, New You: Becoming More Organized. Eight essential steps to help you get started will be presented by Dawn Reitz of A More Organized Residence

Where: Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson

When: 2-3:30 p.m.

Cost: Free, but advance registration required

Info: 617-2607

Feb. 9

What: Sunset Garden Club. The monthly meeting will feature "Growing Up in Vegas" presented by Peggy Cummings, who is the awards committee chairperson of Nevada Garden Clubs and treasurer of Growers Study Guild. Her presentation will focus on vertical gardening

Where: Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson.

When: 9:30 a.m.

Cost: Free

Info: President Marci Brown, 269-9631

Feb. 11

What: Sustainable living: Go solar. Experts from Bombard Renewable Energy will teach participants how to lower their energy costs by using solar power. Information about the benefits of solar power, how to reduce your carbon footprint and what's involved in going solar in terms of installations, materials and costs also will be provided. Bring a recent power bill (both pages) for a free power-bill analysis.

Where: Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd.

When: 6 p.m.

Cost: Free

Info: 822-7700

* Please e-mail calendar events to hsaylor@reviewjournal.com

Higher temperatures demand more water for fruit production to continue. (Bob Morris)

Fig trees need ample water while producing fruit

By Bob Morris Gardening

June 15, 2024 - 6:00 am

We are quickly approaching temperatures (and wind) that require watering figs three times a week. The higher temperatures demand more water for production to continue.

Expect to pay about $45 for parts and to spend about an hour installing a new outlet. (Getty Im ...

Can I use existing electrical outlet to power a new one?

By Mike Klimek / RJ

June 15, 2024 - 5:30 am

Placing the new outlet between the same two studs as the existing outlet will simplify the project.

Bird pecked peaches. The birds know when fruit is ripe enough to eat. Start harvesting them the ...

Help! Birds are eating figs and peaches off my trees

By Bob Morris Gardening

June 10, 2024 - 8:56 am

Peaches are a lot easier to protect than figs. Figs must be picked when they are ripe. Peaches will ripen off the tree.

Composted soil and wood chip mulch are very important for gardenias -- fertilizer alone is not ...

What can be done to help ailing gardenia?

By Bob Morris Gardening

June 1, 2024 - 6:00 am

Gardenias have similar needs as roses. Their health and growth respond best to wood chip mulch decomposing on the soil surface.

Fire doors with self-closing hinges are important, but they can also be a pain. (Getty Images)

Why won’t the door that leads to my garage close anymore?

By Mike Klimek / RJ

June 1, 2024 - 5:30 am

You have a hinge problem on your fire door, which is required to have a self-closing mechanism. Although these doors are important, they can also be a pain.

Tomato disease, possibly late blight or Septoria leaf spot. (Bob Morris)

What’s to blame for sudden demise of chitalpa tree?

By Bob Morris Gardening

May 25, 2024 - 6:00 am

My guess is that this tree was infected by this bacterial disease. I would not replace it. I would pick a different tree.

Watering an established tall fescue lawn with stationary pop-ups usually lasts 12 to 15 minutes ...

How do you figure out adequate watering times?

By Bob Morris / RJ

May 18, 2024 - 6:00 am

Do you have any thoughts on watering times and durations for lawns, fig trees and palms? What time of day should I set my sprinklers?

When patching stucco, avoid the premixed kind because often it’s just not the right text ...

2 key things to keep in mind when patching stucco

By Mike Klimek / RJ

May 18, 2024 - 5:30 am

Water spraying out at high pressure can leave a beautiful arc across the base of a house. But it’s probably not a look that most homeowners want to keep.

For a Meyer lemon tree, the first thinning is done when fruit is about the size of your thumbna ...

Should I thin out flowers to produce bigger lemons?

By Bob Morris Gardening

May 11, 2024 - 6:00 am

My Meyer lemon tree this year has hundreds of buds and flowers. Many on the same the branch or twig.

Petunias are not known for handling summer heat. They typically prefer cooler temperatures. (Ge ...

Some petunia varieties can stand up to our summer heat

By Bob Morris Gardening

April 27, 2024 - 6:00 am

There are lots of different kinds of petunias. For instance, the Madness Summer Series can take the heat, but petunias typically are not known for that.