Desert Blooms

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson Part I ( CLICK HERE for Part II) Girdling roots on this mulberry tree in Truth or Consequences may be the underlying problem causing canopy dieback no matter how much extra water is applied. Photo credit M. Thompson. Question : The Texas red oak, live oak, and pecan trees in my yard were looking bad going into the fall, as were my neighbor’s honey locust and maple. When I searched for problems online, I found different possible pests and diseases for each tree. Can you help me narrow down the possibilities? -           Richard V., Hobbs, NM Answer : Local tree experts agree that the number one tree “disease” in New Mexico is drought. And the number one pest for trees in New Mexico is humans with our weed whackers and mowers. That being said, last summer over the phone with the Hidalgo County Extension Agent , I diagnosed Afghan pines with water stress. Luckily for those poor trees, I had a trip planned to visit L

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson January 20, 2019 FOR A NEWER COLUMN ON THIS VERY TOPIC, visit  https://nmsudesertblooms.blogspot.com/2021/01/where-to-find-wildflowers-this-spring.html Scarlet globemallow at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Los Lunas. Photo credit M. Thompson. Missouri evening primrose near Santa Fe. Photo credit W. Allen. Question :   We are considering a trip in mid-April to the Santa Fe and Albuquerque areas and want to find out when desert wildflowers are most likely to bloom and where to find them. -           K. Kinter Answer : My first thought was to tell you to visit in late summer, during monsoon, because that’s when so many native plants have evolved to bloom and develop seeds. But the buzz among New Mexico’s wildflower enthusiasts is that all of the rain and snow we’ve been getting in the past month across the state might mean a particularly robust bloom this spring. Judith Phillips, local landscape des

Southwest Yard & Garden January 13, 2019 Two cups of snow scooped up from the front yard at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Los Lunas on January 3 rd  melted down to a little over 1/3 cup of water, but this isn’t always true because the temperature has a big impact on snow density. Photo credit M. Thompson. Question : We got 4 inches of snow just before the New Year that’s still melting a week later. I’m glad the established trees and shrubs are getting some water but is it enough to hold off on watering manually this month? -           Joe S., Belen, NM   Answer :  There’s a rule of thumb that 10 inches of snow equals 1 inch of water, but it really depends on how wet the snow is, and that depends on temperature. Drier snow can be expected at lower temperatures and vice versa. I found some fun calculations and snowmelt discussions online. (Just like snow weight, fun is relative.) “In general, colder temperatures make snow fall less densely and lower the rain

Southwest Yard  &  Garden  by Dr. Mar isa Thompson     Daffodils and tulips at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center March 2018. Photo credits M. Thompson.   Question : For the past several years, our tulips have struggled with some sort of disease. We suspect tulip fire blight. The symptoms are stunted growth; twisted,  discolored foliage;  and  discoloration of flowers. Is there anything we can do to prevent this issue from being a problem again this year?                                  -  Dominique D., Albuquerque, NM         Answer : It’s hard for me to know exactly what ails your tulips without having plant tissues tested. It could be the fungal pathogen  Botrytis  tulipae  that is known to cause tulip fire blight in the Midwest, but  as of now, there are no recorded cases of  B. tulipae  either in NMSU’s distance diagnostic system or in the National Plant Diagnostic Network National Repository for New Mexico.         Test, don’t gues