Overwatering detrimental to mesquite trees

Here are some questions I encountered last week.

Q: Why is my mesquite dropping its leaves? I water it every day.

A: You are watering too much. These trees survive in the desert on rains during the monsoon and winter seasons. Why can't they do the same in your yard?

Arizona researchers found that mesquites develop top growth during the rainy season and roots during dry times. Applying too much water produces lots of top growth, but the intermediary leaves can't get light, so they drop.

This is one reason why a lot of trees blow over during strong winds. They produced lots of top growth but very little root development.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas used to overwater its mesquites and, as a result, had to prune four times a year. It drastically reduced its irrigation schedule and then had to prune them only once a year.

Q: What's causing branches to fall away from my Italian cypress shrub?

A: Too much water. This shrub likes to grow slow to keep its erect shape, and excess water causes limbs to droop. To correct the drooping, start below the falling branch and work it back into your shrub's silhouette. To keep the branch tucked in, wrap a fine string, which becomes invisible, around the shrub while working up the shrub to hold it in place. By all means, do not remove the limb, or that ugly gap will stare at you and distract from the beauty of the shrub forever.

Q: Why did our Black Diamond watermelons quickly turn yellow and die and yet our striped melons are OK?

A: Black Diamond is a Southeastern variety and struggles in our dry heat and may be susceptible to our soil funguses. Texans are having trouble this year with this variety because of their high heat and low humidity.

Q: How do I tell when pears are ripe?

A: They ripen best off the tree. If left on the tree, the fruit loses its flavor and texture. Pick fruit when it's hard and showing signs of yellowing. To harvest pears, gently lift up the fruit. If the stem easily separates, harvest the fruit and place in the refrigerator. Never pull fruit off the tree. When you are ready to eat them, place them at room temperature for a few days.

Q: When do I plant garlic?

A: In September and early October. You can plant either seeds or separate cloves purchased from the store. Plant them 2 inches deep with 3 inches between each clove in an enriched soil. They take six months to mature, so plant them where you won't disturb them while working the garden. Fertilize them in the early stages to develop top growth. Then water becomes a critical issue in the spring to get them large enough for harvest.

Q: This spring, my Mexican primrose flowers were beautiful, but why don't the stems have any leaves on them now?

A: You are right; they are beautiful but become aggressive years later, spreading all over. A small bug strips the leaves off the plants. Control it by spraying early in the morning with insecticidal soap.

PICK YOUR OWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

If you want to get the feeling of harvesting your own produce, go to the Gilcrease Orchard, 7810 N. Tenaya Way, from 7 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Right now, you can harvest pears, apples, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, okra, onions and melons (cantaloupe, canary, casaba and watermelons) and buy apple cider. It's peak season for Gilcrease's pears. They're large but will cause puckering when eaten; overcome this by refrigerating them.

Leave the pets home for food safety reasons.

The orchard does have a website, www.thegilcreaseorchard.org, to let you know what produce is ready to harvest. Gilcrease accepts only cash.

becoming a desert gardener

Most of us come from friendlier gardening environments such as the Midwest and become frustrated with our desert conditions when gardening.

This workshop helps you make the transition to desert gardening and sharpens your skills to be successful. And fall is the best time to plant trees and shrubs and gardens in Las Vegas.

The workshop is at 8:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays through August at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd.

Linn Mills writes a garden column each Sunday. You can reach him at linn.mills@ springspreserve.org or 822-7754.