Dangerous Saguaro Infection

,

Whether or not you live in the desert Southwest, most people are familiar with the iconic Saguaro cactus.

Saguaro bacterial necrosis

To be honest, they are even more beautiful and impressive in person.

Unfortunately, like most plants, Saguaro cacti are susceptible to some diseases.  The most prevalent is called ‘Bacterial necrosis’.

So, what are the signs of this disease?

Well at first, it can be a bit hard to spot unless you know what you are looking for.

I was revisiting with a client, helping them fine tune their garden when I took a look at their Saguaro.

Saguaro bacterial necrosis

The first noticeable signs are usually a circular, black lesion.

As the lesion grows, black ‘goo’ starts to leak downward on the Saguaro.

The liquid ‘goo’ has an awful odor, but depending on where the lesion is located, it may be too far to be detected during the early stages.

Saguaro bacterial necrosis is caused by the bacteria called Erwinia cacticida.  It is spread by insects and/or soil. The bacteria enters through cracks or other wounds caused by rodents, insects, freeze damage or mechanical damage.

Saguaro bacterial necrosis

So, what can you do if you have Bacterial necrosis?

The vast majority of cases of Saguaro bacterial necrosis will result in the eventual death of the Saguaro, so treatment is needed.

For lesions that are rather small – (2 to 3 inches in diameter), scoop out the diseased tissue with a sharp knife.  Cut into the healthy tissue as well, to ensure that you have removed all of the disease.  As you cut, make sure the hole slopes downward so that any moisture will drain out easily and not collect on the bottom of the hole.

Then treat the area with a solution made up of a 10% bleach solution.  That is it – let it heal on its own.

Unfortunately, if the infection has advanced further and the lesions are larger with quite a bit of ‘black goo’ then there is a good chance that the disease has progressed to a point that it is not treatable.  Sadly, the only solution is to remove the Saguaro or the affected arm, which will prevent any damage from occurring since the disease weakens the Saguaro, causing it to fall.  Bacterial necrosis can also be spread to neighboring Saguaro via insects as well, so removal is important.

For more information on Bacterial necrosis and how to recognize it and treatment, check out these links….

Saguaro Bacterial

NecrosisBacterial Necrosis of Saguaro

Unwelcome Visitors in the Garden…

Unfortunately, there are times when unwelcome visitors make a visit to any garden.

Even mine….

unwelcome visitors

Can you see my unwelcome visitors on my Lantana leaves?

Well, if you guessed that I have whiteflies, you would be right.

Whiteflies absolutely love Lantana.  Now, I also love Lantana and have quite a bit of it growing and every year, I get whiteflies.

Whiteflies are soft-bodied insects that are related to aphids and scale.  They suck the juices from the plant’s leaves, which can lead to yellowing leaves, stunted growth and even dead leaves.

Whiteflies are not particular.  They enjoy many different types of plants and vegetables.

So, how can you tell if you have whiteflies?  Just lightly brush your plants and if you see tiny, white flying insects, then it is a good guess that you have whiteflies.

So, what can you do if you have them?

1. You can a ‘sticky trap’ by smearing petroleum jelly over bright, yellow colored cardboard or  poster board (you can always color the board yellow  yourself).  Attach the yellow sticky trap to short garden stakes throughout the area in your garden, affected by whiteflies.  They are attracted to the color yellow and will become stuck in the petroleum jelly.  One yellow board per two plants is recommended.

2. Using insecticidal soap can often help.  There are other insecticides that can are effective such as neem oil, pyrethins and more.  Read the label before you purchase a product to see if they help to control whiteflies.  Be sure to spray both the top and bottom of leaves, since whiteflies lay their eggs on the underside of leaves.

3. You can use plants that repel whiteflies such as Marigolds, Nasturtiums or Calendula.

What do I do?  Well that would be number 4…..

4. I do nothing.

Why?  Because my Lantana flourish despite having whiteflies.  They suffer no visible ill-effects.  So, I ignore the whiteflies.

Now, if had whitefly problems with my vegetables, I would use a combination of methods #1 – #3 in my vegetable garden.

I would have yellow, sticky traps scattered throughout my vegetable garden along with judicious spraying of insecticidal soap.  I would also plant Marigolds and Nasturtiums throughout my vegetable garden as well, (I already do that).

***********************************

I wish that whiteflies were the only unwelcome visitors in my garden, but sadly, that is not true.  The other day, I discovered a severe infestation of……..?

Stay tuned 😉

The Joy of Composting…

I hope you are all having a great week.  I am so looking forward to the holiday weekend, are you?

This Saturday, we will be celebrating my son, Kai’s, 9th birthday.  I have to make a 3-layer icebox cake, which he is looking forward to.

To be honest, life has been rather crazy this week…

Landscape consults, kid’s doctor appt, buying a new car, preparing for my son’s birthday party, etc. have taken up much of my time.

I try hard to create new posts that I hope you find interesting, but right now, my brain is a blank 😉

So, I would like to re-run one of my favorite posts from over a year ago.  I hope you find it funny and helpful…

***********************************

I would like to introduce you to “Mr. Compost”, a resident of “The Refuge“, (and my brother-in-law).  He will be our guest blogger today.  As you can see from his name, he knows a thing or two about composting.

Mr. Compost turning his composter

Mr. Compost turning his composter.

“You may have seen those “Turn Your Gold Into Cash” commercials on TV and if you had a lot of extra gold lying around your house, it would be appealing.  However, you have something even better that you are probably throwing away that can be turned into “gold” for your soil; kitchen scraps.”

Mr. Compost turning his composter

Kitchen Scraps include apple cores, coffee grounds, egg shells, garden clippings, oranges and peels, bread and grass. The smaller the pieces, the easier it is for the bacteria to break them down.

Fruity Girl and Daisy Mom add kitchen waste to the composter.

Fruity Girl and Daisy Mom add kitchen waste to the composter.

“That’s right, instead of throwing away your vegetable scraps, you can create a place to compost those scraps and turn them into soil enhancers.”

Black Gold
Black Gold

“Black Gold”

“There are many websites about composting that you can visit to get you started on the composting process, but you can get in the habit of putting those scraps into a separate container so you can eventually put them back into your soil and enhance your garden.”

Refuge resident, Fruity Girl

Refuge resident, Fruity Girl

“Get your whole family involved and have fun!”

*Okay, if you have been inspired, (and who hasn’t?) by Mr. Compost to start composting yourself, there is great information on how to get started here.

Many communities offer free workshops and compost bins to residents.  Check out your local waste management department’s website to see if they are offered in your area.  The majority of cities in the Phoenix metro area offer classes and compost bins).

**For additional information, please visit GippsLandGardener and read another post about composting.

Vegetable Garden Gone Crazy…

Well, it’s official….my vegetable garden has gone crazy.  When I left for my trip to the Midwest at the end of April, it was nice and somewhat neat.  My winter lettuce, spinach, green onions and garlic were doing well and my newly planted corn, cucumbers, gourds, tomatoes and sunflowers were coming up nicely.

I came home 10 days later to this sight….

My vegetable garden has gone crazy

My vegetable garden has gone crazy

My sunflowers were reaching over 7 feet tall and my corn, to the right, was not far behind.

My vegetable garden has gone crazy

My garlic leaves were starting to droop and fall over, indicating that I can harvest them soon.

My spinach and lettuce both began to ‘bolt’ and start to form flowers, so it was time for them to leave the garden.

My vegetable garden has gone crazy

My gourd has started to escape the garden, which is fine with me because it can’t crowd my other plants.

My vegetable garden has gone crazy

I think gourd plants have interesting flowers, don’t you?  They open at night and moths are frequent pollinators.

I am hoping for some gourds this year that I can turn into bird houses.

rising sun

I just love how sunflowers face the rising sun.

I plan on harvesting a few seed heads for the family and the rest we will feed to the birds.

Alyssum and Oxalis

My Alyssum and Oxalis that I planted as companion plants in my vegetable garden are still blooming.  Soon the Alyssum will dry up with the heat of our desert summer and I will pull it out.

Vegetable Garden Gone Crazy...

My tomatoes are enjoying being planted next to my Bachelor’s Button.  I just love their vibrant blue color.  They are going to seed and I am collecting it so that I can replant them next fall.

Vegetable Garden Gone Crazy...

The first set of corn that I planted have corn cobs growing.  I can almost taste my roasted corn on the cob in a few weeks 🙂

I have to spend some time the next couple of days harvesting my garlic and green onions as well as pulling out my spent spinach and lettuce.

Now, I am off to my local big box store for shade cloth for my tomatoes, which will survive the summer heat if they have some shade.  Temperatures are forecast into the 80’s this week, but it is never to early to get ready for the triple digits.

********************

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

May To-Do List….Are You Ready For Summer?

Low Desert Gardens, Beavertail Prickly Pear and Globe Mallow

Low Desert Gardens, Beavertail Prickly Pear and Globe Mallow

Right now, I am sitting here in front of my computer, trying to think of an interesting and helpful subject for this post, which will be published tomorrow (Saturday).

Unlike other times when I sit down to write, I don’t have much time to spend on writing today because my youngest daughter, Gracie, needs a little extra TLC.  You see, she had 6 teeth pulled by the oral surgeon.  Right now she is sitting in our family room, with a mouth full of gauze, watching some of her favorite shows – SpongeBob and Phineas & Ferb. 

Low Desert Gardens

Low Desert Gardens

So, as I was trying to figure out what to write about, I realized that I haven’t really put together a monthly “To-Do” list for low-desert gardens for my blog.  The funny thing is, is that I write one for a major online publication every month.  And so, I will borrow some from that along with some ‘extra’ tips thrown in.

So, are you ready?

1. If you haven’t already done so, adjust your irrigation system to make sure that your plants are being watered deeply.  Trees should be watered to a depth of 3 ft, shrubs 18″ – 2 ft. and perennials and groundcovers to at least 1 ft in depth.  May is one of our driest months of the year, so plants do become quite ‘thirsty’.

2. Make sure that your potted plants are shaded for the hot, afternoon sun.  A plant’s root system is actually hotter when planted in a pot then in the ground, and the sun’s heat can actually ‘cook’ the roots of a potted plant.

Citrus Tree

Citrus Tree

3. Apply fertilizer to your Citrus tree if you have not already done so this spring.  Be sure to water your citrus trees before and after applying fertilizer.  Citrus require 3 applications of fertilizer per year – the first in February or March, the second in May and the third in August of September.

4. Prune back any frost-damaged branches from trees and shrubs if they have not leafed out yet.  Chances are that if they have not started producing new growth, then they probably never will.  

'Double Delight' Roses

‘Double Delight’ Roses

5. Apply your last application of fertilizer to your roses this month.  Roses need more water than many of your other plants, so be sure that they are receiving enough water.  Roses slow down in the summer and become somewhat dormant due to the heat, so they should not be fertilized.  You can start fertilizing them again in September.

White Vinca

White Vinca

6. Take out your winter annuals (Petunias, Geraniums, Pansies, Alyssum, Snapdragons, etc.) and replace with summer-loving annuals such as Celosia, Red or Blue Salvia, Vinca or Portulaca.  Believe it or not, Lantana also makes a great container plant.

7. Avoid pruning your Citrus trees and Roses at this time.  Citrus should be pruned in March.  Their bark is extremely susceptible to sunburn, so paint any areas that are exposed to the sun with 2 parts white latex paint mixed with 1 part water OR you can use a paint specially formulated for Citrus.  The upper foliage of Roses does become sunburned in the summer and you may be tempted to remove the sunburned growth, but don’t.  The sunburned, upper foliage actually helps to shield the lower growth from the sun.

Well, I think that is enough to keep you busy for the month of May.  I will post more ‘To-Do’ tips next month.

Right now, I have to go and take the gauze out of Gracie’s mouth 🙂

A Spring Time Walk, Continued….

I love taking walks in the spring outdoors.  All too soon, summer will be here and walks will have to happen in the early morning hours before the heat of the day arrives.  I suppose that I could always take a walk inside of our local air-conditioned mall, but I think that would get expensive after a while, don’t you?

Besides, I would miss the natural beauty outdoors….

So, let us continue our walk with my husband and my two twin nephews – Danny and Dean….

My Favorite trees starting to bloom

My Favorite trees starting to bloom

My favorite trees are starting to bloom right now.  Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) is a deciduous tree and from spring through fall, they are covered with beautiful pink flowers.

I have 4 of them in my garden.  They are thornless and are a small to medium sized tree.

starting to bloom

We passed by another kind of my favorite plants, Angelita Daisies (Tetraneuris acaulis).  But, these definitely need a ‘haircut’.  Just grab a bunch of flowers in your hand and clip them back using hand pruners.  Soon, they will be covered with bright yellow flowers.

starting to bloom

Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) is a wonderful succulent for the garden.  The bottom, looks grass but the leaves are actually succulent.  In spring, gorgeous coral-colored flowers are produced.

Maintenance is super easy.  Just clip back the flowers once they have died.

Here is a closer view of their gorgeous flowers….

gorgeous flowers

Aren’t they beautiful?

My Favorite trees

My Favorite trees

Okay, here is another not so pretty photo.

You can see that this Evergreen Elm tree provides great shade, but the grass does not grow underneath it.  This is a very common problem for grassy areas underneath trees that provide heavy shade such as Pine trees, Carob, etc.

The most common warm-season grass grown in the desert Southwest is bermuda grass, which does not tolerate shade very well.  It need full sun to look its best.

So what can you do?

Unfortunately, there is not a warm-season grass that will grow in heavy shade.  But, you can plant shade-tolerant groundcovers, perennials or even succulents in the area instead such as Agave desmettiana, Autumn Sage, Yellow Bulbine, Santa Barbara Daisy, Justicia spicigera or Bat-faced Cuphea.

Okay, this looks like a whole post in and of itself that I will address sometime in the future in more detail 🙂

So, we were almost at the end of our walk and walking by my front garden and I saw one of my favorite perennial plants…  

Desert Marigold starting to bloom

This Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata) partially hides our water meter, but does not obstruct the meter reader’s ability to look inside.

You want to know something else?  I didn’t plant this Desert Marigold.  It is a volunteer.  Over 11 years ago, I planted two Desert Marigolds in my garden and then let their seed spread naturally.  I have about 7 of them scattered throughout my garden right now.

So, I hope you enjoyed our ‘walk’.

I think Dean enjoyed it more then Danny….who fell asleep 😉

Signs of Spring All Around…..

A Chicken, Flowers and a Surprise….

Earlier this week, I had a single day full of landscape consults.  I enjoy helping people with their plants and landscapes.  

My second consult of the day was with a couple who had just moved here from Ohio.  They had questions about one of the Saguaro cactus, which was leaning a bit as well as other general gardening questions.

As I was walking up the driveway, the homeowner called out and told me to approach slowly and quietly.  Then she pointed to her ceramic planter…

ceramic planter

It was a colorful ceramic planter that was in the shape of a chicken.

But, the planter itself isn’t what she was talking about.

It was what was inside….

ceramic planter

Can you see her?

Here is a closer look…

ceramic planter

This little mama is a Gambel’s Quail, who was busy sitting on her eggs.

I just love it when I am able to see nesting birds in unusual spots, don’t you?

After I moved away and she flew away for a short while.  So, I moved in and took a quick picture.

ceramic planter

She will certainly be busy once her 13 chicks hatch.

The father was close by and kept a close eye on me until I moved on.

Gambel's Quail

Gambel’s Quail are a quite abundant throughout the Sonoran desert.  In the spring, both the male and female take care of the young, who look like little balls of fluff.  They are very cute.

*************************

I have been quite busy lately, trying to get all of my consults done and articles written.

Why?

Because I am headed out on a road trip in less then a week!

I plan to share my trip with you, (if you like) and will post more details soon 🙂

Does Your Tree Look Like This?

April’s Monthly Bouquet

Spring seems to be rushing by so quickly.  It seems it was just yesterday when I was protecting some of my more tender plants from frost.

Well, it is time for this month’s monthly bouquet.  I had no problem figuring out what flowers I would use…

'Abraham Darby' rose

My daughter’s ‘Abraham Darby’ rose is just covered in beautiful blooms.

I only wish that you could smell their incredible fragrance through the computer 😉

Okay, so maybe some of you are wondering about this Monthly Garden Bouquet.  Well, here are the details below…..

If you would like to participate in this month’s MGB, here are the guidelines:

1. MGB begins on the 21st of each month and runs until the end of each month. Bouquets can be submitted during this time (or even later 🙂

2. Create your own garden bouquet as fancy or simple as you like.

3. I would appreciate it if you would provide a link back to my post inside of your MGB post, but it is not required 🙂

4. Add your link to Mr. Linky below and that’s it!

It can be as simple or fancy as you like.  Each month, I cannot wait to see what you all come up with.  

Signs of Spring All Around…..

You know what?  I don’t think that I know anyone who doesn’t like spring.  Do you?

This past week, I spent a some time capturing some of the signs of spring around me with my camera.  

I hope you enjoy them…..

signs of spring

The beautiful vermilion colored flowers of the Ocotillo.

Hummingbirds think they are not only beautiful, but delicious as well….

signs of spring

There are signs of new life all around….

signs of spring

Canadian Goslings with their mother.

The desert is starting to bloom as well…..

Flowering Prickly Pear Cactus

Flowering Prickly Pear Cactus

I am starting to count down the weeks until the peaches are fully ripe….

signs of spring

I can almost taste the peach jam that I will be making with my mother next month 🙂

Yesterday evening, my daughter and I spent time harvesting carrots from our vegetable garden.

signs of spring

Anyone have a recipe for carrot soup?

How about you?

What signs of spring do you see where you live?

*****************

Please stop by to read my latest Birds & Blooms blog

“Even Vegetables Need Friends”

Skies Full of Yellow Blossoms….

Blue Palo Verde

Blue Palo Verde

This is one of my most favorite times of year.

Throughout the desert Southwest, our iconic Palo Verde trees are beginning to bloom.

Gorgeous display of yellow

Gorgeous display of yellow

Drive down any street and you will undoubtedly see a gorgeous display of yellow.

Gorgeous display of yellow

There are 4 different types of Palo Verde trees that are commonly planted, which include the Blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia floridium),  Palo Brea (Parkinsonia praecox), Foothills Palo Verde (Parkinsonia microphylla) and my personal favorite ‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde (Parkinsonia hybrid ‘Desert Museum’).

Interestingly, not all Palo Verde species bloom at the same time.  Right now, Blue Palo Verde trees are in full bloom, yet ‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verdes will begin to bloom in earnest in a few weeks.

I can hardly wait for mine to start, it looked so beautiful last year…..

Gorgeous display of yellow

Yesterday, my husband and I went to visit the Riparian Preserve in nearby Gilbert.  I have visited a few times before and I am always struck by the beauty.  We saw so many different types of birds and I took lots of photos, which I will be posting soon on my Birds & Blooms blog.

I hope you are all having a good week so far.

I love spring…..just not the allergies that come with it 😉

Flowers Raining Down….