Desert Blooms

  Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson with select columns written by Dr. Curtis Smith  in 2011   Snowy neighborhood in Los Lunas. It’s too early to tell which plants were damaged by the cold this winter. Photo credit Marisa Thompson. County Cooperative Extension Service Agents and Specialists across the state are fielding questions about cold injury on landscape plants and orchard trees and what to do about it. The low temperatures in mid-February didn’t break many records for us in New Mexico. Other parts of the region were hit badly. My cousin in San Antonio, Texas, shared a photo of the huge sago palm in her yard that looks like it saw a ghost—in just a few freezing days, all of the dark green fronds turned an unnatural off-white color. This recent arctic blast reminded many New Mexicans of the deep freeze of February 2011. I searched the Southwest Yard & Garden column archives and selected excerpts written 10 years ago by my predecessor Dr. Curtis Smith, w

  Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson   Even in a small space, there’s room for beautiful perennials like these yellow blanketflowers ( Gaillardia aristata ). Photo credit Marisa Thompson. Question: What pretty ornamental or fruit tree could I safely plant in a west-facing 8-foot by 8-foot niche outside my kids’ bedroom windows without worrying about it destroying the surrounding concrete and foundation? -Stacy I., Albuquerque (question originally posted to the Facebook group “ Growing Food in and around Albuquerque & Foraging Too ”) Answer: I like this type of question. Not because I know the answer—I don’t. And not because there are many possible correct answers—there are. But it’s the process behind the decision that grabs my attention. What do we need to consider when selecting a new plant for a specific spot? For sure cold hardiness , heat hardiness , drought tolerance , soil type , and size are all important when creating a most-wanted list. I’ve gott

  Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson with guest contributor Dr. Leslie Beck (partial reprint from February 2019) Silverleaf nightshade flowers are beautiful, but parts of the plant are toxic to humans and animals. Photo from  NMSU Extension Guide “Silverleaf Nightshade” W-15 .   Yellow nutsedge seedhead (photo credit L. Beck).   Question : Silverleaf nightshade and nutsedge are taking over parts of my yard! Please help. Organic control options are appreciated. -           Helen B., Las Cruces, NM      Answer : A few years ago, I asked  NMSUExtension Weed Specialist, Dr. Leslie Beck , to explain why annual weeds like sandburs and goatheads are so difficult to control and to give us options for managing them without the use of pesticides. Visit  https://nmsudesertblooms.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-early-bird-catches-weed-control-of.html  to read that column. The two weeds for this week, silverleaf nightshade ( Solanum elaeagnifolium ) and nutsedge ( Cyperus esc

  Southwest Yard & Garden Reprint by Dr. Curtis Smith, with an intro by Dr. Marisa Thompson Ficus trees, aka weeping figs ( Ficus benjamina ), are famous for sudden leaf drop and other seasonal problems. In my experience, once the leaf drop symptoms start, they usually get worse before they get better. If your ficus houseplant starts throwing a fit, don’t despair. It’s just a phase. Be patient and follow the excellent advice of my predecessor Dr. Curtis Smith in this archived column from 1998. Access the Southwest Yard & Garden column archives at https://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/yard/archives/ . Ficus trees are famous for stressing out and dropping leaves all over the place. Photo credit P. Kircher. Question: Help me, please. Every year my ficus drops many of its leaves. I don't change my watering schedule. I don't move the tree. I don't do anything different. Still, every year, it drops its leaves. What causes this and what can I do to prevent it? Answer: Your