I recently spoke with Eric Yaillen, the executive director of the Southern Nevada Golf Association. The topics of our conversation have been the USGA handicap system, how to establish a course rating and what the heck a slope measures.
Local Columns
Q: We notice that some of our trees don’t seem to be rooting into the soil properly. We assume it’s because of improper root ball preparation or girdling roots. Our test to see if the tree has rooted after at least one growing season is to bend the tree trunk back and forth. If the root ball under the soil easily moves when the tree is pushed, we assume that the tree has poor or little rooting into the surrounding soil.
Great Basin National Park lies less than five hours north of the teeming cities of Southern Nevada, and one wonders why it remains one of the least-visited in the park system.
Question: We have nine pine trees, and they are dropping lots of needles. We have a large berm under the trees and water inside the berm twice weekly. Should the needles be removed or left inside the berm?
Q: I have read that African sumacs are fast growers. The African sumacs here seem to be at a stand still. I have had two in my backyard since April. They are alive but the canopy and trunk just seem the same; there has been perhaps 10 percent growth. The trees are solid with tall, thin trunks, about ½ to ¾ inch in diameter, with a canopy that branches out at 8 feet. There are no branches or leaves below that. The trees are staked high and the stems are all finger diameter. Will they take off eventually?
Question: I have been growing grapes for seven years. Can you please tell me what is wrong with my vines? They are still producing grapes.
Q: Could you tell me where I could find irrigation instructions in gallons rather than minutes or hours? I am having difficulty calculating how much to irrigate larger established plants and trees.
Capitol Reef National Park, in south-central Utah’s red rock country, is a special jewel in our national park system.
Question: We are planning a wall to surround our yard so we can keep the rabbits out.
Q: I have a golden barrel cactus that has grown to 3 feet wide in a place where I cannot leave it . It’s a beautiful specimen, but I have to remove it. Any ideas on how to move it? The thorns are lethal.
The Heritage Classic, a 1920s-style hickory stick golf tournament, was on June 22 at Eagle Crest Golf Club, 2203 Thomas W. Ryan Blvd., a 4,067-yard par-60 layout and perfect for nostalgia.
Question: Will either dwarf lime or lemon trees do well here?
Lawns are getting toasted right now. This is a stressful time of year for plants, particularly those that are not truly desert plants. Temperatures are out of their “comfort zone” and they become susceptible to diseases because they are less capable of fighting through a problem.
Everybody I know is dreaming of cooler temperatures and speculating on where to find them without entirely leaving the Southwest.
Question: I’ve seen garlic at outdoor markets where the garlic is actually braided.
Q: Is using wood from a commercial orchard safe for smoking meats? I don’t know whether you use any of these, but I figured you might have an answer .
Question: My mother’s mimosa tree was fine May 24. Something has attacked it. I attached before-and-after photos, with close-ups of a couple of damaged areas.