65°F
weather icon Clear

Above-ground borers don’t leave traces in soil

Question: I removed a peach tree that had borers. How soon can I plant another peach tree in the same hole?

If this is from borers, then you can plant immediately. There isn't a problem with borers and replanting. The entire lifecycle of the borers in our fruit trees is in the above-ground portion of the trees, not the roots or soil.

There is a problem potentially with something called replant disease, but it is minor in this case and should not be a problem for you. Remove as much of the root system as possible before planting.

Bob Morris is a professor emeritus in horticulture with the University of Nevada and can be reached at extremehort@aol.com. Visit his blog at
xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com. For more, check the Home section of Thursday's Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Watch out for hornworms lurking in your garden

Anyone who has been gardening for a while has a horror story or two about hornworms, which infest many vegetables in the tomato family.

What can be done about high boron levels in soil?

Boron is one of the salts commonly found in desert soils. It can be present naturally or it can accumulate over the years in such places as horse corrals.

Do honeybees prefer pink flowers over white ones?

All of the so-called temperate fruit trees flower in the spring. The white-flowered types such as almonds, plums and pluots, apples and pears usually flower a bit later.

Is redbud tree a good choice for pool area?

My landscaper is recommending a redbud tree in the planter attached to my pool. I asked him if that’s a good tree to plant so close to the pool.

Can scent tell me what kind of plant this is?

You should smell a big difference between bay laurel and cherry laurel, which come from different plant families despite their similar names.