Desert Blooms

Southwest Yard and Garden By Dr. Marisa Thompson & Dr. Carol Sutherland Reprint from November 2017 Mesquite girdler. (photo credit: Dr. Salvador Vitanza, previously with TexasAgriLife, El Paso, TX) Question: Our mesquite trees are experiencing what appears to be a girdler bug attack. This is the first time we have experienced this. How harmful are they, and what can be done to rid these pests? -           Jack D., Doña Ana County, NM Answer: In order to answer your question, I enlisted the help of NMSU Extension Horticulture Specialist and NM State Entomologist, Dr. Carol Sutherland. Here is her response: Yep. The culprit here is a type of long-horned beetle known as the “mesquite girdler” ( Oncideres rhodosticta ). Adults are about a half-inch long and are several shades of dark gray, with do...

Southwest Yard & Garden By Dr. Marisa Thompson Texas mountain laurel seeds are bright orange-red to deep red when mature and the pods, sometimes with a velvety fuzz, range in color from tan to grey before turning darker if they stay on the tree through the next season. Photo credit M. Thompson. Although these short-statured Texas mountain laurel trees are reported to reach heights over 30 feet in more humid parts of their native range, 10-15 feet is the norm when grown to maturity in New Mexico. Photo credit M. Thompson.   Question: We are looking for Texas mountain laurel seeds or saplings. We recently removed some invasive salt cedars that were growing on our property and would like to try Texas mountain laurel as a replacement tree. What can you tell us about these trees and where to find them for sale or as seed? -           Diane C., Tome , NM Answer: I’m a big fan of the dense-leaved, evergreen, small-statu...

Southwest Yard & Garden content and photographs by Marisa Thompson This daffodil at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Los Lunas in March 2018 was planted by NMSU Extension Viticulturalist Dr. Gill Giese in fall 2017. Question: My friend recently gave me a bag of mixed bulbs to try in my yard. She assured me they’ll be easy to plant and manage, but I’m afraid of killing them before they even have a chance. What are the most important tips for growing bulbs here, and how can I know if I’m doing it right or not? -           Suzanne S., Las Cruces Answer: Don’t worry, I’ve simplified the steps for bulb planting in this column and included pro tips from a regionally revered gardener. You’ll know you’re doing it right when the plants sprout and blooms open. Daffodils became my new favorite flower after blooming on my birthday several years in a row in Las Cruces (February 7, if you must know). And if you do it wrong, you’l...

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson We harvested and weighed over 1,100 lb of unripe tomatoes from frost-bitten plants last week at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Los Lunas. Photo credit M. Thompson. Question: Why did some plants in my garden handle the first freeze just fine, and others died back completely?         - Jane P., Albuquerque Answer: I was in Las Cruces last week when we got our first two freezes in Los Lunas. Luckily, my poor houseplants on the patio didn’t freeze hard enough—or for long enough—to cause permanent damage. I believe my grandmother would understand and even chuckle if she knew my spider plant that was propagated from hers 20 years ago by my aunt was one of those worried houseplants on my patio. But I shouldn’t have risked it. On those same cold nights at the Agricultural Science Center at Los Lunas, less than three miles away, over 100 plants in our tomato study were practically wiped ...

Southwest Yard & Garden Apples of unknown origin grown and harvested in Mayhill, NM. Photo credit Amanda M.W. Question: We need help identifying this apple variety. Our tree was here when we moved in a little over a year ago and we don't know what they are.  -          Amanda M.W., Mayhill, NM Answer: More than 7,500 named apple varieties are grown throughout the world today, over 2,500 of which are grown in the U.S. Even if we narrow that down to the 100 or so varieties grown commercially in the U.S., it can be very difficult to determine exactly which variety you are growing in your yard. Even though apples are as American as apple pie and the crabapple is native to North America, true apples are native to central Asia and were introduced by the pilgrims in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. ‘Winesap’ and ‘Granny Smith’ side by side. Photo credit M. Thompson. Although I use the terms cultivar and variety pre...

Southwest Yard & Garden by Marisa Thompson with guest contributors, Dr. Amanda Skidmore, NMSU Extension Integrated Pest Management Specialist for Urban and Small Farms, and Victor Lucero, Integrated Pest Management Program Manager for the City of Santa Fe Magnified view of diatomaceous earth (photo by Zephyris, Wikimedia Commons). Squash bug nymphs on a squash blossom (photo by Pollinator, Wikimedia Commons). Question: I've always been told that squash bugs shouldn't be squashed, but should be placed in a covered jar or container because, when squashed, they emit a pheromone-binding protein that the other squash bugs can sense from distances and will be attracted to their brothers in my yard. Is this fact or fiction?                                           -...

Southwest Yard & Garden Squash bug eggs on leaves and stems. Photo credits Bdm23, Wikimedia Commons (left) and Pollinator, Wikimedia Commons (right) Question: Back in April, I had questions about what turned out to be aphids on my peach trees. Now my melon plants are covered in squash bugs. Is there anything I can do to control them this late in the season? -           Lorraine J., Los Lunas   Answer: I wish I had better news for gardeners with the squash bug blues. Squash bugs are difficult to control, and even more so as the bugs mature because insecticides are a much less effective tool. Some people delay planting squash until July to avoid the squash bug, but this tactic is not foolproof. As many gardeners have reported this year, delayed planting seems to work some years, but not reliably. Dr. Carol Sutherland, NMSU Extension Entomology Specialist and NMDA Entomologist, has suggested that you take a hint f...

Southwest Yard & Garden   Guest columnist this week: Alissa Freeman - Senior Program Specialist and Director of the pollinator-friendly NMSU Learning Garden at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Los Lunas. Seed from bush morning-glory ( Ipomoea leptophylla ) being collected (top image), followed by seed cleaning (bottom left), and packaging seeds (bottom right) for storage at the Santa Ana Plant Nursery in Bernalillo, NM.  Question: I recently attended a native plant seed-saving workshop and collected a few different native plant species. How do I grow these seeds?   -           Emilio B., Belen, NM Answer: Not only are native plants a beautiful addition to any landscape but they also require less water, are adapted to our climate, and are a vital resource for native bees and other pollinators. Many native plants are available commercially, but it can be a fun and rewarding experience to try growi...