Now is the time to plant those mums

It's mum planting time. For those in the know, mums bring down the final curtain each fall with their blazing and brilliant colors.

The Las Vegas Chrysanthemum Society will hold its annual plant sale from 8 a.m. until sold out Saturday at Plant World Nursery, 5301 W. Charleston Blvd. It is your chance to get beautiful champion mums to grow in your yard. For best selection, arrive early. The society will provide planting instructions and growing tips.

Mums need four to six hours of sun. Like most other plants, they need shade to protect those tender leaves or they'll burn. Expect these same symptoms if they are underwatered, especially on a windy day. Hot winds sap moisture out of leaves fast, and if not checked, your mums may die.

Overwatering can also kill mums quickly. They naturally wilt during the afternoon, suggesting a need for water. If your mums are still limp the next morning, water them.

If you grow mums in pots, be concerned with the buildup of salts. For healthier plants, give your pots a thorough irrigation every couple of weeks to wash away the salts.

If you plant in clay or plastic pots, protect the mums from the scorching heat. The sun will cook the roots if they are placed in direct sunlight. To prevent containers from overheating, place them in insulated two-layer pots. First, plant mums in plastic foam pots, then put them in larger decorative pots. Place organic matter between the pots to insulate the plants from heat and conserve water.

Fertilize your mums with a balanced fertilizer every two weeks if in pots or monthly if planted in the ground. Or use a slow-release fertilizer so you don't have to fertilize as often. Follow package directions for the amount to add. Also, add a tablespoon of super phosphate to each plant to make it stronger.

CALL FOR NEW MASTER GARDENERS

The Master Gardener program is awesome. To become a Master Gardener, you must complete 80 hours of horticultural instruction and volunteer 50 hours of service to your community.

University horticulturists will teach you sustainable desert gardening practices, including proper plant selection and care, pest management and water-efficient gardening.

Nevada Cooperative Extension is holding an information and registration session for fall Master Gardener Training at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at 8050 Paradise Road. For more information, call 257-5501. Classes begin in September.

Meanwhile, here are some questions I encountered:

Q: What is a Crenshaw melon?

A: It's a very sweet, juicy orange-flesh melon if harvested at its peak of ripeness. When ripe, it is roughly ovoid, with a greenish-yellow, slightly ribbed skin. Inside, the meat is a rich salmon pink, with a large seeded area in its center portion. A Crenshaw is ripe when the melon's blossom end yields to thumb pressure.

Q: Isn't it too hot to plant palms?

A: No, this is their planting season. The warm weather provides optimum growing conditions for the generation of new roots. Plant so that roots are just below the soil surface. If planted too deep, it may bring about a quick death of the palm.

Q: Can we still plant mesquite, acacia and palo verdes? My gardener wants to wait until the fall to plant.

A: Now is a great time to plant them. While the heat makes it harder for other plants, desert trees respond best to early summer plantings. It has to do with their root biology. Other trees have finished their major root growth, but these trees take advantage of this heat, giving them a faster start.

When planting, dig the hole no deeper than the root ball but much wider. Research is finding that it is more important to heavily mulch under trees rather than incorporate lots of organic matter into the soil. Mulch becomes an excellent food source for microorganisms, which improve the soil, and it conserves water.

Q: Can cilantro grow here? I have failed four times. I use it in my cooking.

A: Cilantro is a cool-season herb. Plant it in late September and continue at two-week intervals into November. Spring plantings go to seed when it gets hot. Let it re-seed itself and it will come up this fall.

Linn Mills' garden column appears on Sundays. He can be reached at linn.mills@ springspreserve.org or (702) 822-7754.