Desert Blooms

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson Ranier cherry blossoms in Albuquerque at the end of September. Photo credit Stacia G. Question : Do you know why my Ranier cherry tree is blooming now (September 30)? It doesn’t look so good, but earlier this year it produced a decent amount of cherries. -         Stacia G., Albuquerque, NM Answer : I came across Stacia’s question on a gardening Facebook page with photos of her flowering cherry tree. Fellow plant-loving Facebooker and grower in Edgewood, Ken Koger, provided a great response post: “Very common on fruit trees that have been stressed from lack of water. They basically go into a semi-dormant state, and then when monsoons hit with suddenly lower temps, water to the roots, and higher humidity they come out of the dormant state and first thing they do is bloom, just like in spring.” Koger went on to recommend watering deeper and out beyond the small tree’s dripline, where the ma...

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson Happy tomato plants getting ready for planting in the field at the NMSU Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center in May 2018. Photo and enhanced emoji credit M. Thompson. NMSU Extension Forages Specialist, Dr. Mark Marsalis, helps harvest tomatoes. Photo credit M. Thompson. Question: What should I do with all of these green tomatoes? -         Yours Truly, Los Lunas, NM Answer: As first frosts snapped across the state in the last few weeks, gardeners have been sharing photos of final harvests, many with green tomatoes piled high. There is also much discussion about how to ripen them and what to do with them. If you’re a seed saver, you may want the fruits to ripen to maturity. The difference between being mature and ripe is that “maturity” refers to seed viability and ripeness is the most favorable state for consumption or use. Ripeness, then, is partly dependent on personal ...

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson Deadheaded marigolds produce more flowers, but only if cut early enough in the season. Photo credit M. Thompson. Question: Does deadheading marigolds encourage new flowers? -         Jeannie O., Truth or Consequences   Answer: I’ve often wondered this myself. Many flowering plants, like coreopsis, roses, yarrow, catmint, and marigolds respond very well to deadheading and are worth the effort. Others, like portulaca, begonias, and impatiens, may not need deadheading because their flowers just fall off naturally or the new flowers conceal the old. I had trouble finding lists of flowers that should never be deadheaded. It is more crucial to watch the calendar. If the second flush of flowers will have time to develop and bloom before frost, deadheading may be a good idea. As Dr. Curtis Smith, retired NMSU Extension Horticulture Specialist, pointed out when I asked for his input earlier ...

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson Bosque soil at Los Lunas Riverside Park, December 21, 2017. Huge cottonwoods nearby, but not shown (photo credit M. Thompson). Short video of huge tree at that same Riverside Park in Los Lunas in January 2018. Question: Should I amend my soil when planting a tree? -         Common Question from Tree Lovers Across the State Answer: The short answer is no. The less-short answer is still no, assuming you’re planting a tree that’s recommended for your area. The recommended tree species are the ones with roots that are well adapted to our native soils, so they’re more likely to live long, sustainable lives. Before I get into the weeds on why soil amendments, including fertilizer, are not recommended when planting trees, let me first explain that this week I’m talking about landscape perennial trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses, cacti, succulents, and vines. I’m not addressing the needs f...

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson This ornamental 'NuMex Twilight' chile plant produces colorful fruit all season long (photo credit The Chile Pepper Institute). High levels of anthocyanin pigments make this bell pepper dark purple (photo credit Mary S.). Question : What’s the difference between different colors on peppers? I’m getting red fruit and purple fruit on the same plant. -         Mary S., Santa Fe, NM Answer: The diverse colors on peppers are indicators that they are rich in phytochemicals, whether they be sweet, hot, or sweet and hot. Three main classes of phytochemicals are responsible for these pretty pigments. Chlorophyll is commonly associated with greenness. Carotenoids are the phytochemicals causing the colors to get warmer as they turn from yellow to orange to red. And anthocyanins create those dynamic purple and blackish colors. The relative concentrations of these phytochemicals as they ...

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson Can you guess which one of these Austrian pines was attacked by the pine sawyer beetle? (photo credit Richard C.) Question: One of my Austrian pines started turning brown at the top this spring, and as can be seen is now 3/4 brown. The trees are drip irrigated and were fertilized lightly for the first 20 years. Today, I found an inch-long bug on the bark. Could these bugs be pine sawyers and, if so, what’s the best approach to control them? -         Richard C., Question Submitted via Bernalillo County Horticulture Extension Agent, Sara Moran Pine sawyer beetle hiding in plain sight on bark of an Austrian pine tree in Albuquerque (photo credit Richard C.). Answer: Dr. Carol Sutherland, NMSU Extension Entomology Specialist and NMDA State Entomologist, provided a detailed response: “The pictured beetle is indeed the pine sawyer. That would be Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Mo...