Battling mosquitoes, Zika; palo verde damage; straw bale gardening
Answers to your gardening questions from an expert in Southern Arizona.
Q: I’m concerned about the recent news stories about new diseases such as the Zika virus spread by mosquitoes. I spend a good amount of time o…
Q: I am considering adding straw bales for growing my spring/summer vegetables and the initial treatment required for wetting the bales, addin…
Q: I am getting some strange damage on my palo verde tree bark. Do you have any idea what could be causing this damage?
Q: I planted a fig tree for three years in a row and cannot seem to keep them alive. I do not know what I am doing wrong. I live in Catalina, …
Q: I have a question about planting Cat Claw vines next to my stucco home. Will it damage the stucco?
Q: I recently moved to a house in Phoenix, and am trying to understand the various plants in my yard. I have a couple trees that drop pods, wh…
Q: Several months ago, I planted a Sophora secundiflora in a well-prepared, well-drained spot. When I purchased the plant, I asked about water…
Q: I know that I and many other readers of the Star would really appreciate advice from you about what to plan regarding cutting back bushes t…
Q: About four to five years ago, I planted an oak tree in my front yard. ... As yet, it has not grown, I don’t think, 1 inch. It does get leav…
Q: I would like to know when and how and what type of fertilizer I should use for plum, apricot, peach and fig trees. My trees are 2 to 3 years old.
Q: I have a question about trimming our two dwarf grapefruit trees. We just removed all the fruit from them. We would like to trim up the bott…
Q: There is a tree in bloom outside my office and I’m wondering what it is. It has white/green blossoms and looks like a pear tree but doesn’t…
Q: How can I keep the mice out of my compost? One of the most terrible days of my life was last fall when I used a sharp-bladed shovel to dig …
Q: I have attached a photo of my coral aloe (Aloe striata). After much searching, I believe the hideous, growth seen in the photo is aloe canc…
Q: We are planting cat claw vines along a fence line for privacy. We chose cat claw for its low water use, fast growing and lower temperature …
Q: I live in Tucson (caliche paradise). I have a ruby red grapefruit tree in my patio. It is 20 years old, 17 feet tall. Over the years I have…
Q: We have chickens running free in a backyard of citrus trees, and to protect the flock I’ve avoided using granular citrus fertilizer to feed…
Q: I was finally sitting outside last week with my soda and had up to five aggressive bees wanting my beverage. Yikes! They even have a memory…
Q: I live in the Tucson Foothills area where I planted three San Pedro cactus near an outdoor wash area six years ago. During the cold months,…
Q: I live in Sierra Vista and have a small peach tree, about 3 to 4 years old. Last spring it bloomed for the first time and set about a dozen…
Q: We have some old mesquite trees and palo verde trees near our walking lanes. There are old clay unsealed sewer pipes nearby at a depth of a…
Q: Should I be worried that my landscaper severely trimmed the bottoms of these two old agaves? He said the reason was to keep snakes from hid…
Q: My red grapefruits this year have thick rinds. Is there a way to avoid this in next year’s crop?
Q: I’m in SaddleBrooke and have a few Thompson Yuccas. The recent winds caused one yucca to break off half way up, in the middle of its trunk.…
Q: How long can tangelos be left on the tree and still be good? After picking, how long should the tangelos last? Should tangelos be stored on…
Question: What should I expect of my citrus trees after the recent cold weather. They’re losing every leaf. Is there anything special I should…
Question: Is there a list of fruit trees that grow in Tucson? Specifically, I am interested in peaches, apricots, cherries (sweet and sour) an…
Question: Thanks to our climate, I’m doing a postmortem for last season’s garden and planning seed starting for next season pretty much simult…
Question: Thanks to our climate, I’m doing a postmortem for last season’s garden and planning seed starting for next season pretty much simult…
Question: I live here in Tucson at Villa Catalina condos at Sixth Street and Country Club Road. We have a small rose garden with some beautifu…
Question: We live in the Tanque Verde area. In the spring I planted a tomato seedling in very good soil in the planter next to the house on th…
Q: Any idea whose eggs these are? They were on an orange tree in Tucson.
Q: I am writing to see if you have information about peach tree blight. I have two peach trees in Green Valley and both have been affected by …
Q: Our small HOA is trying to convert to desert or semi-desert landscaping. It’s a fight, as some owners want the same flowers they had back e…
Q: We have been having a bad stink bug infestation (hemipterans not pinacate beetles) the past couple of years in the garden. This past year t…
Q: I have a backyard of Bermuda that is overseeded with annual rye grass. Last year was my first in this house and I moved in during January t…
Q: What is the best month in the Tucson/Marana area to trim back hibiscus and bougainvillea plants? Also, I need to cut back and trim greasewo…
Q: My Tangerine tree is quite large and has “suckers” growing up from ground. Can I dig these up with a root ball? Will these produce fruit if…
Q: I have a 6-year-old miniature orange tree. It has lush green foliage but to date I have yet to see the first orange. It is on an irrigation…
Question: I am trying to find out what kind of plants I can plant in my garden that will help ward off insects.
Don't give up on your poinsettias just because the Christmas season ends.
Question: I found this insect on my gas grill today. Is this the kissing bug I have been reading about?
Question: I have a desert broom plant in my yard that has turned into a tree. I really like it but it is now blooming and is sending cottony s…
Question: Our HOA has declared war on buffelgrass: a good thing. But rather than remove it, they are having intense commercial spraying of gly…
Q: Can you tell me if this tree is a cedar of Lebanon?
Q: Today I spoke with two lovely ladies at the Oro Valley Farmers market. I asked about this flower that grows wild in my yard. When I first s…
Q: Do you have any info that would help our HOA organize its response to its fountain grass infestation? Also, are there any fountain grass va…
Q: We are snowbirds here November through March. Much of our landscape was redone the last week of March and we departed April 3. Now we have …
Q: When is the correct time to prune roses in the Tucson area? And do you prune them like we do in the Midwest, i.e. cut back near the ground?
Q: I am writing to inquire about recommendations for a nontoxic approach to controlling citrus leafminer on a young lime tree I am growing in …
Q: I’ve never seen a bug like this one found in my garage. It had eyes and would move quickly when I put my finger in front of it.
Question: I have a palm tree the city wants me to trim. I don’t want to spend the money to have someone else do it. I don’t want to climb a 20…
Question: I found a patch of Aleppo pine that is dying on the west side of La Canada. The road was recently widened (3 years ago) and this who…
Question: I occasionally run across a dead branch on some of my mesquite trees. The dead branch sticks out like a sore thumb, and on closer in…
Q: I’m looking for a good tree that gives fall color. I’m trying to decide between a Texas red oak and a red push pistache. Is one a better tr…
Q: I have been buying firewood (mesquite and eucalyptus) to burn some and use some for woodcrafts like lathe-turned vases. It is common for th…
