Desert Blooms

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson Show-offs at the Albuquerque Rose Garden on May 13, 2020. Photo credits M. Thompson. It seems to me that rose gardening fell out of style (not among rosarians, to be sure, but among newbie gardeners) when xeriscaping became the new rage a few decades back. Now that many people and whole neighborhoods have embraced the lovely “ lush and lean ” aesthetic that can easily be achieved using native and drought-adapted plants, I think roses will fit right back in, surprise even the most water-conscious gardeners, and start trending again. Perhaps they already have. The City of Albuquerque BioPark Botanical Garden has an incredible High Desert Rose Garden with carefully selected hardier species and species hybrids from arid climates.  Maria Thomas, Curator of Plants for the City of Albuquerque BioPark shared several of the clever water-saving, rose-loving techniques they’re demonstrating in the  High Desert Rose Gar...

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson Rust-colored growth at the base of this tree in Rio Arriba County is lichen, and it’s not causing any damage to the tree. Photo credit Sid G. Question: One of our trees has developed a rust-colored stain at the base. Can you tell what this is and what we need to do about it? -   Sid G., Vallecitos, NM (submitted via NMSU Extension Agriculture Agent for Rio Arriba County, Don Martinez) Answer: That orange growth is lichen, not a rust pathogen. Lichen do not harm the tree or shrub in any way. They tend to grow only on that outer bark and stay there, not growing deeper into live tissues. Good news: lichen are known to grow in relatively clean air environments and are a sign of low pollution levels. Bad news: tree lichen MAY proliferate on the bark of trees and shrubs that are already decaying/dying from other causes. Last October at the Trees of the Chiricahua’s Conference in Portal, Arizona, I learned somet...

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson The ‘Sea Green’ juniper, shown here in Santa Fe, is a wide-spreading shrub known for tolerating poor site conditions and growing wider than anticipated. Photo credits Tracy Neal. 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map of New Mexico  ( USDA-ARS and Oregon State University;  https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/Downloads.aspx ) Question: After I bought a ‘Sea Green’ juniper I noticed the tag said “Hardy to 20°F.” Well, I live at almost 7,000 feet in Torrance County. When I looked online it said my zone is 6. I think maybe the tag is wrong. Do you agree? -         Carolyn M., Torrance County Answer: I’m not familiar with the ‘Sea Green’ juniper, so I did a quick search and confirmed that the recommended planting zones for that tree are USDA Hardiness Zones 4–9. I also double checked the USDA Hardiness Zones for your county , which tend to be in Zones 6–7. You can fin...

Southwest Yard & Garden     by guest writer Dr. BerndLeinauer , NMSU Extension Turfgrass Specialist Clickable links for related columns on subsurface drip irrigation  and  selecting the right turf for your yard ! Kentucky bluegrass lawn in a Santa Fe park. Photo credit Bernd Leinauer. Question: Our small lawn looks great and gets lots of use by the kids and dogs, but I wonder if we’re irrigating too much and if we can scale back to conserve water without damage. Should we switch to a different turfgrass species? -        Concerned Lawn Owner, Albuquerque Answer: The water requirements of most turfgrasses and other herbaceous plants used in New Mexico’s residential urban landscapes exceed natural rainfall amounts, and therefore supplemental irrigation is needed to keep them alive. In summer, outdoor watering accounts for up to 70% of urban domestic water use, a...

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson   The stained, oozing spot is slimeflux (aka bacterial wetwood), and I bet it stinks like strong chemical paint thinner. The bad news is it’s not fixable, but it’s also not causing a problem. Slimeflux is an indicator of an underlying decay issue. Photo credit Joy E. Question: My husband and I just bought a house with a beautiful cottonwood tree in the back yard. We noticed a gooey, rotting section in the crook of the trunk. We certainly don't want to lose this gorgeous tree! Do you know what this is and how we can treat it? Answer: Yes, I know what it is and what caused it. But no, I don’t have easy answers for how to treat it. What you’re seeing is called slimeflux, aka bacterial wetwood. If you were to smell it, you’d never forget it. It smells to me like nail polish remover that’s gone rancid. My uncle, also an arborist, said it smells like gym socks. So basically it smells like what it looks like: gross. There...

Southwest Yard & Garden by Dr. Marisa Thompson Stippling on these apricots in Albuquerque may be signs of frost damage. Photo credit  Concerned Gardener. Question: Something is wrong with our apricots. The tree looks good, but the fruit are severely damaged. This is all over the tree. Leaves seem to be fine. Ideas?               -Question submitted via Bernalillo County Extension Agent Sara Moran Answer: That stippled look on the surface of your apricots looks like it could be frost burn from last week. Sometimes tiny fruit turn a dull grey, shrivel up, and fall to the ground without any frost damage at all. This phenomenon, called fruit drop, is fairly normal. I got a question about this from Sierra County Extension Agent Sara Marta two weeks ago. Another image of frost-bruised apricots in Albuquerque. Photo credit Concerned Gardener. Potential reasons for fruit drop include poor pollina...