Desert Blooms

Southwest Yard & Garden (Follow-Up to Last Week’s “Transplanting Plum Trees” Column) by Dr. Marisa Thompson Besides being girdled and slowly killed by hardscape at the base, this ash tree in Belen looks normal on the northeast side of the trunk (left) and severely wounded on the southwest side (right) due to sunscald (aka southwest injury). Temporary trunk protection, like a loose-fitting paper wrap, could have prevented this damage when the tree was younger and the bark was thinner. Photo credits M. Thompson. Just after last week’s column on transplanting 8-year-old plum trees was published, City of Las Cruces Community Forester Jimmy Zabriskie contacted me about another important consideration: sunscald. Zabriskie pointed out that care should be taken to be sure transplants are oriented in the same direction in their new spot as they were when they were originally planted. The concern here is that the southwest side of the trunk may have already been ha

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson & guest contributor Dr. Curtis Smith TUNE IN NEXT WEEK FOR A FOLLOW-UP COLUMN WITH ADDITIONAL TRANSPLANTING SUGGESTIONS FROM CITY OF LAS CRUCES URBAN FORESTER JIMMY ZABRISKIE! ‘Stanley’ plums at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Los Lunas in September 20, 2018. Photo credits M. Thompson. Question: I had an individual call with questions about plum trees she needs to transplant. When is the best time to transplant? And what is the best method?                                                 -Cheyenne Law, Guadalupe County Extension Agent Answer: This is a great question. The short answer is “when the trees are fully dormant,” so any time before they flower or leaf out in the spring. But I’d like to know more before giving a full answer. It really depends on how old and how big the trees are. I’d also like to know why these trees are being transplant

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson Pruning Dos and Don’ts SCROLL DOWN FOR A LIST OF PRUNING WORKSHOPS ACROSS NEW MEXICO IN 2020! For tips on WHEN to prune, visit  https://nmsudesertblooms.blogspot.com/2020/02/when-to-prune-considerations-galore.html The partial donut formed on this poorly pruned mulberry tree in Albuquerque is an example of what happens when the branch collar is nicked and cannot form a full donut ring to seal the wound at the surface. Photo credit Judy Nickell . Example of a good pruning cut on a cork oak in Las Cruces shows that the branch collar was left intact, and a donut-shaped ring has formed at the rim. Unfortunately, this limb was so big the collar has not been able to fully seal the wound from the outside, but the wound was sealed internally. Photo credit M. Thompson. Question: I get stressed this time of year because I know it is almost time to prune our landscape trees. Can you give some tips on how to prune with