Desert Blooms

Southwest Yard & Garden Squash bug eggs on leaves and stems. Photo credits Bdm23, Wikimedia Commons (left) and Pollinator, Wikimedia Commons (right). Squash bug nymphs on a squash blossom (photo by Pollinator, Wikimedia Commons).  Mature squash bug. Photo credit Molly Jacobson, Bugguide.net.   https://bugguide.net/node/view/567815 Question:  Squash bugs decimated my plants and my crop last summer. What should I be doing now to prevent this from happening again?  -           Sarah H., Las Cruces   Answer:  You are not alone, and I’m glad you’re already gearing up. Last year I addressed multiple questions about controlling squash bugs in September and October columns. However, by then, most squash bug problems were beyond help, and I promised to address this issue earlier this year.   This week, I’ve collected recommendation snippets from archived co...

Southwest Yard & Garden Weekly Gardening Column for New Mexico

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson See additional recommendations from Doña Ana County Extension Horticulture Agent Jeff Anderson AND  retired Urban Forester  George Duda  in the ADDENDUM at the end of this column! Raywood ash tree (above) and single leaf (below) showing classic symptoms of iron deficiency (yellowing of the tissue between the leaf veins) in a Rio Rancho landscape. Photo credits M. Hobson. Question: We have a Raywood ash that’s probably eight years old and huge. The tree has done so well; however, this year I noticed it is more of a light lime green instead of a true green. I am wondering if we need to amend the soil with anything. I did put 10-10-10 in its drip line two months ago, and it gets watered approximately every 10 days. -           M. Hobson, Rio Rancho (submitted via NMSU Extension Agriculture Agent for S...

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson      Reddish-purple coloration on young leaves, aka juvenile reddening, is caused by pigments that protect tender tissue from cold, heat, drought, and UV stress. From top left: rose bush, pomegranate (redness only in tiny new leaves), tree of heaven (redness only in newest leaflets). From bottom left: redbud tree (in my front yard),  lamb’s quarters,  chinquapin oak. Photos taken in Albuquerque and Los Lunas on May 25, 2020, by Marisa Thompson. Question: Why is new growth at the tips of some plants distinctively redder than older leaves? -           Yours Truly, Los Lunas, NM Answer: I’ve been noticing young reddish-purplish leaves on otherwise green plants, and it makes me wonder what benefits these colors might have for the plants themselves. Past columns on other pigment-related questions have been the most liked, clicked, and shared compared to any...