Locate feeder near flowers to draw hummingbirds

Here are some questions and answers I encountered this past week.

Q: Does it matter where I put my hummingbird feeder?

A: Rita Schlagete from the Red Rock Audubon Society said to keep the feeder out of direct sunlight, especially from afternoon heat, and locate it close to flowers. Direct sun heats up the solution and it may ferment. She encourages hummingbird lovers to make their own solution of 1/4 part of white granulated sugar to one part of water. To attract more, add food coloring to solution. Stay away from additives such as honey or brown sugar. Put your feeder out now, as summer hummingbirds soon will be returning. If you really want to know, males come first and females follow about 10 days later. There are some hummingbirds that stay here year-round.

Avoid putting seeds in containers. Seeds spill on the ground as birds scramble for them and that attracts pigeons. Most homeowners' associations forbid seed feeders because of pigeons. She also recommends placing perches nearby, so birds can survey the situation before approaching feeders.

Q: We attended the composting lecture and noticed unique ways to compost. One was a big rotating barrel. Where can we get one? We don't have much space but want to start composting.

A: Google "compost tumblers" and you'll find many to select from that take up very little space. Perhaps more importantly, they don't require much work to rotate. This particular compost tumbler is three-feet square and stands as high. You remove the cap and toss in green material and give the barrel a few turns. The more you turn it, the sooner you get the final product -- humus.

Q: Our Chinaberry berries are starting to drop. Can we prevent new flowers from setting fruit?

A: Berries dropping is a mess. Use the same chemical used to stop olives to prevent new blossoms from setting on. And speaking of olives, spray them to prevent pollen production and olives setting on.

Q: We have a small lot and are considering a five-in-one apple tree. Is this a good idea?

A: These curious trees consist of a rootstock with five different apple varieties grafted on to it. The trees are not as easy to grow as one might expect. More often than not, one grafted variety will dominate others, thus requiring closer scrutiny when pruning to avoid cutting off other varieties. It is hard to distinguish one variety from another. On the other hand, they are beautiful when blooming with multicolors and with their different fruit later in season.

Q: Should I put in a genetic dwarf peach tree or a normal one?

A: Nurseries create genetic dwarf fruit trees by propagating a naturally very compact variety on a standard-size rootstock. The genetic dwarf trees are compact and short; few exceed seven feet in height, with an equal spread. You can fit one neatly into the smallest garden or tub, or plant four in the same space it takes to grow one standard tree. They bear normal-size fruit, with most producing about a fifth as much as regular fruit trees. They look almost muscular, with closely spaced leaves and fruit buds. These midgets are easy to care for, require very little pruning, and if pests spring up, are easy to spray.

Q: We planted an apple tree last year and are wondering when it will start producing fruit.

A: It takes apples three to four years to produce, but expect a few this season. I might add that figs, grapes, nectarines, peaches and plums take three years to start, and apricots, citrus, pears, pecans and persimmons take a year or two longer.

Q: I suspect we'll get a late frost. What can I do to protect my fruit trees from frost?

A: If that becomes the case, cover them with tarps that reach to the ground to trap warmth coming from it. If it gets real cold, hang Christmas lights on trees and cover it with a tarp.

Q: Is it true grass clippings cause thatch if left on the lawn?

A: A resounding no! Thatch is a layer of organic material composed of roots, rhizomes, crowns and stolons. These plant parts have high lignin content that is very slow to decompose. If thatch dries out, it repels and wastes water. Grass clippings decompose in a hurry, returning valuable nutrients to the lawn to reduce your fertilizer bill.

Q: We have a hybrid Bermuda lawn with dead patches in it. Can we reseed them?

A: No. Hybrid Bermuda doesn't produce seeds. You need to sod in spots. Clean out dead areas and lay in new grass and keep moist until it roots in. Did you know hybrid Bermuda grass is good for someone suffering from allergies because it doesn't produce pollen?

Q: I planted Mexican Evening Primrose a couple of years ago and was so excited with its blooming ability, but it's now taken over my yard. How do I get rid of it?

A: Yes, it is beautiful with its profusion of showy pink flowers. They get the size of a half-dollar on stems that get a foot high. It does thrive with little or no care once established, but it's invasive and needs controlling, so go after it with a contact weed killer.

NATIVE PLANT GIVEAWAY

Drop by Dr. Green Thumb's booth at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd., from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday and Friday to get a free native plant. Choose one from the many species available, answer the question attached to it and take it home.

"We want to make this a tradition by giving away native plants on holidays such as Easter weekend," said Laura Eisenberg of the Springs Preserve. "We are anxious for homeowners to incorporate these beauties into their landscape."

UNLV Garden Lecture Series: Do you wonder how to landscape your yard to be the envy of the neighborhood? Look what University of Nevada, Las Vegas and associates have lined up for you to make your dream come true. It all begins today at 9:30 a.m. and continuing until 3:30 p.m. at Barrick Museum located on the UNLV campus. At 9:30 a.m., Tour of Landscape Plants of the UNLV Arboretum; 11 a.m., Tough Palms for Tough Places; 1 p.m., Great Gardening Tips and at 2:30 p.m., Designing With the Desert In Mind.

How about some cactus and succulents in your landscape? These lectures continue again on March 29-30 with some of the most notable experts on cactus and succulents at the same location. For more information, call Paula Garrett at UNLV at 895-1421.

Linn Mills writes a garden column every Sunday. You can reach him at linn.mills@springspreserve.org or at the Gardens at the Springs Preserve at 822-7754.