With warmer temperatures come landscape problems
As we move closer to summer, people begin experiencing problems and wonder how to remedy them. Here are some questions I encountered.
Q: How do we grow and care for cotton?
A: Master gardener Don Fabbi just planted his an inch-and-a-half deep. Keep the soil moist until seedlings emerge. Fertilize the plants monthly and deep irrigate until they begin blooming. Overwatering causes the flower to abort. When flowers emerge, the plant becomes a beautiful ornamental and later the cotton stands out. The leaves drop after it freezes and the cotton becomes even more decorative.
Q: What are the slimy things on my rosemary bushes?
A: They are spittlebugs and they love rosemary. Globs of a white frothy spitlike substance appear on the stems. It's the immature stage of these bugs. Once they reach adulthood they become less noticeable, so don't worry about them.
Q: Can you provide me with a list of hummingbird plants that provide color through the season and grow here?
A: Mountain States Wholesale Nursery out of Glendale, Ariz., has developed such a list. Go to www.mswn.com/mswnhummer attractors.htm. If you're wondering what the plants look like, Google them to see their images.
Q: Our tulips and hyacinths were beautiful because we gave them the cold treatment before planting. What do we do with them after the foliage dies down?
A: Do it one of two ways. Leave them in the ground and they'll bloom next spring, but expect smaller flowers. Or, dig them up this fall and store in the refrigerator again for six weeks before replanting to get those big blooms.
Q: Why is our rosebush producing red flowers instead of the normal yellow blooms?
A: Jackie Jackson of the Las Vegas Rose Society said you have canes coming from the rootstock below your desired rose's bud union. These canes become aggressive, have skimpier leaves and are void of thorns. Red flowers are the real tip-off. Remove the canes and your desired roses will dominate again.
Q: Why are my older zucchini leaves yellowing?
A: This indicates a need for nitrogen. Nitrogen moves from the older leaves to the newer ones. Apply nitrogen to correct the problem soon before it affects your yield.
Q: I'm growing celery for the first time, but the plants spread out. How do I harvest it?
A: Harvest a few stalks at a time by carefully removing the outer stalks and let the inner stalks continue to develop. Celery is hard to grow and you need to plant early.
Q: When do I harvest my potatoes?
A: If they are growing in loose soil or under mulch, reach in and determine their size. Usually after vines begin declining, your potatoes are approaching maturity. You can leave them in the ground until needed.
Q: Can I transplant a large juniper now? If so, how?
A: With the heat coming on it will be risky, because the plant won't have time to develop a new root system as the heat sets in. It's best to wait until fall. Follow this process now to ensure success. Dig around the plant to sever the spreading roots. Then drench the rootball with a root stimulator through the summer to regenerate new roots within the rootball. Then, move the plant this fall.
Q: My pomegranate bush produces lots of fruit, but why are they small?
A: Thinning fruit will increase the size. If you plan on extracting the fruit to make pomegranate syrup or grenadine, it's easier to extract juice from large fruits than small ones.
Q: Why is my desert spoon cactus dying? We water and fertilize it like our other plants.
A: It takes a lot to kill a desert spoon. Check for plugged emitters. If they are plugged, fix them and give the plant a good soaking. As new growth emerges, fertilize it. Finally, clean out the damaged leaves making cuts close to the plant's base to keep it looking sharp.
Q: Do you know of a vine to cover my west-facing wall?
A: Consider cat's-claw, creeping fig, grape, hall's honeysuckle, lady banks rose or trumpet vine.
AWARD WINNING MUMS FOR SALE
The Las Vegas Chrysanthemum Society is having its annual mum sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Plant World Nursery, 5301 W. Charleston Blvd. This is your chance to get highly unusual mums that have been tested in our valley.
Linn Mills writes a garden column each Sunday. You can reach him at linn.mills@springspreserve.org or call him at 822-7754.
