QUESTION: I live in a 1,604-square-foot house that was built in 2005. I rented it for several years before the house went on the market for sale in 2017 and I bought it. During all the years that I rented the house, the air conditioner never had any maintenance done, and now that I own the home, I’m worried about the AC breaking down. I am wondering if I should buy a new AC. So I’d like to know what size you would recommend for my home.
ANSWER: You need to call a licensed AC contractor to inspect your existing unit and assess whether you even need to change to a new one. A good contractor may make some repairs that can keep your air conditioner running for a while and can size a new unit that would be appropriate for your house if necessary.
Q: I have a lot of mesquites growing on my property, and there are lots of dead branches and brush building up under the canopy of those trees. Should that be pruned away or not?
A: That dead growth can be pruned away and removed. But you don’t want to over-prune those trees too high off the ground. They are really just big bushes, and if you should prune them too high off the ground, they can get top-heavy. Their growth may be damaged as a result.
Q: I recently bought a Washington navel orange tree and want to know if it will grow well in Arizona?
A: These types of trees have been marketed in Arizona for a long time. They actually prefer cooler temperatures than we have here, and sometimes they have trouble setting fruit. However, if you can plant it among other citrus trees and nestle it in the middle it will do better. If you can plant it on the shadier side of your lot, they will be happier. But if you only have room for one citrus tree, it wouldn’t be the best choice.
Q: We have a flagstone patio area in our backyard (which is about 10 feet by 10 feet). Over the years, the flagstone has been painted with concrete paint. What is the best way to remove that coloring and restore the flagstone to its original state?
A: Building supply companies have products for stripping off the old coloring and other topical products available to seal the stone and enhance its natural colors.
Q: I want to build a planting box around the bottom of an existing oak tree on my property because the area looks so bare. But will planting there affect the tree in some way?
A: You don’t want to go ahead with that plan because it can kill the tree if you pile soil around it in a planter box. You can, however, build a planter box if you locate it several feet away from the tree. But you want to make sure that there is quite a bit of space between the tree and any new soil you use for planting.
