tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27760251947997259232012-02-16T05:20:03.008-07:00with Tyler StoreyTyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.comBlogger1311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-11868869967675539382010-04-01T10:34:00.008-07:002010-04-01T11:41:07.765-07:00

Two Lady Beetle larvae at different stages of pupation, together on a single pine needle of the Italian Stone Pine here at The Ranch. The upper larva is still recognizable as a mature larva, and has just recently attached to the needle, probably within the last day. The lower one is nearly done pupating and clearly looks like an adult Lady Beetle. These appear to be Ashy Gray Lady Beetles, noted

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-48908354592068004682009-11-10T13:11:00.004-07:002009-11-10T13:30:37.790-07:00

From a Correspondent:I have a sole Navel orange tree. The fruit suddenly began to turn color from green toward orange in the past two weeks. Any fruit that achieves all-over light orange drops from the tree. They taste bitter as they have not sweetened yet. In addition, those that drop have thin skins.The rest of the fruit seems healthy but is galloping toward ripeness. Since the tree only has

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-69147217495049435202009-09-15T12:58:00.003-07:002009-09-15T14:06:06.154-07:00

From a Correspondent: I just had two Minneola Tangelo trees planted as part of our landscaping at our new house. The trees are about 4' tall and have several un-ripened tangelos on the limbs. Since this is September, it seems that these tangelos are "left over" from last year’s growth and should be removed. Perhaps a bit of prudent limb trimming would be in order, too? Larry Wickenburg, Arizona

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-51511838721727688752009-08-27T18:11:00.004-07:002009-08-27T20:37:48.553-07:00

From a Correspondent: I need some help. I live in the Phoenix area, and need some advice on watering my garden. Specifically, EXACTLY how to water when planting vegetable seeds.I've already dug in compost, and I'm ready to plant. I'm pretty sure that my only marginal success in the past is due to watering issues. I've read everything I can find, but it's just not specific enough for me. Things

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-5319196481754550172009-08-18T18:38:00.000-07:002009-08-20T16:35:09.770-07:00

Mark Twain famously advised, "Buy land, they're not making it anymore." If you'll forgive my mangling Mr. Clemens' aphorism, allow me to alter that advice: "Don't buy soil, there's no need to make any more." Or something to that effect. That doesn't quite work, does it? Never mind. On to business: One of the most common themes I hear when talking to people about starting a vegetable garden is the

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-79445031808718785222009-06-18T07:14:00.005-07:002009-08-20T16:36:31.288-07:00

From a Correspondent: We are about to purchase a house in Gilbert, Arizona that has an East-West exposure with the backyard on the East side of the house. My question is where should we position the vegetable garden that we are so eager to plant? We want to start out with one raised bed and see how it goes from there. . . . . . . . I'm sorry I don't have pictures to supply, we haven't moved in

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-71299682959566810362009-05-24T08:15:00.003-07:002009-05-24T09:41:56.594-07:00

From a Correspondent: I have a navel orange tree that flowered like crazy, produced a ton of fruit but 99% of the fruit fell off. I have one orange as of now and the same thing happened to my dad's tree as well. Do you know why that is happening? He has lemons and limes that are doing great.Karri,Henderson, Nevada Good morning Karri,Isn't that annoying? Flowers everywhere, and then suddenly all

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-26242485714826143952009-04-22T12:42:00.003-07:002009-04-22T12:54:07.918-07:00

For something a little different on Earth Day, I spent part of the morning down at the ABC 15 studios talking about vegetable gardening on the Sonoran Living morning show. You can view the segment by clicking on the video link to the right, on this page. It went pretty well, due entirely to the host, Stephanie Sandoval; one of the things that always interests me about seeing the "inside" is the

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-42541490823519320942009-04-22T10:34:00.003-07:002009-05-02T20:13:24.175-07:00

From a correspondent: I have a question about soil and compost: Can I use potting soil and regular dirt, mixed, instead of compost? If not, can I purchase compost? Also with tomato plants when they start to bear fruit, should I wean out leaves and bottom shoots ? I have three plants that I started with, and they are starting to bloom and bear fruit.Bob, Casa Grande, Arizona Good morning Bob,Great

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-33580448831033837402009-04-16T07:45:00.003-07:002009-04-21T22:10:10.052-07:00

A correspondent recently wrote in to ask why all the seed packets for melons and squash tell us to plant the seeds in mounds, or hills. Simple answer: Because the people who write the seed packets don't live in the desert. For much of the country, excess water can be one of the downfalls of the vegetable garden. Soggy soil results in seeds that rot before they sprout, cold soil with no air, and

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-61639671448287762402009-03-26T15:45:00.004-07:002009-03-26T16:51:15.193-07:00

Joanne in Henderson, Nevada, left a comment the other day, in which she mentioned she might be planting corn in two 2-foot by 8-foot by 12-inch-high raised beds. Corn is one of the vegetables for which spacing makes all the difference. You can scatter tomatoes all around the yard, plant peppers in amongst your roses, and sow your carrots willy-nilly, but not so with corn. Corn is unique in being

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-90654843961338773972009-03-26T08:49:00.000-07:002009-03-27T16:24:51.856-07:00

I'll be putting together a new series of vegetable gardening and composting classes in the next few weeks. The classes are always small, to ensure plenty of hands-on instruction, so space is limited. If you're interested in getting information about the classes when the schedule is finished, send me an e-mail to get on the list. As always, put "Desert Garden" in the subject line, and be sure to

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-88034232172799414942009-03-26T08:04:00.000-07:002009-03-26T09:29:25.194-07:00

From a Correspondent: I have a potted dwarf Lisbon Lemon that is 3 years old. It finally has bloomed just recently but just doesn't seem joyous. Some of the leaves have a yellowing vein pattern. I imagine it is a deficiency or that I need to repot. Where would you recommend to go for deficiency diagnosis? I want to make my tree as happy as can be! Haven't had much luck with some of the nurseries

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-44802203315303301152009-03-24T07:39:00.002-07:002009-03-24T21:27:44.887-07:00

This past Saturday, I spent 7 hours standing at a table on a garden tour, talking about composting. Yes, it's a glamorous life I lead; don't be jealous. Given that we are now at the tail end of citrus season, the question I heard again and again throughout the day was, "Can you put citrus and peels in the compost pile?" Most frequently, it wasn't posed as a question, but rather as a statement in

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-86640269998385269412009-03-19T08:13:00.005-07:002009-03-19T09:53:42.093-07:00

I have recently received several e-mails and comments about fruit flies in the compost pile, and have had several clients asking about the same issue. Fruit flies can certainly crop up in the compost pile, and you can look here at a previous post for some tips on controlling them, but more often than not the issue is not fruit flies, but a little critter called the Fungus Gnat. I wish they had a

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-86991283472187826722009-03-11T17:10:00.001-07:002009-03-19T13:21:22.534-07:00

From a Correspondent: I noticed on the Maricopa vegetable calendar that melons should be planted in March from seed. Since I've never grown them before, I'm wondering what conditions they need: lots of water; mulched soil; partial shade or direct sun; protection from bunnies?Kristen in CarefreeKristen, I'm glad you asked.I haven't grown melons in a couple of years, and this year I'm making up for

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-42633508743491365532009-03-03T07:36:00.005-07:002009-03-05T09:10:40.678-07:00

From a Correspondent: What if I'm composting in a bin with no doors at the bottom? Is there anything I can do to keep the compost looking good? Can I get good quality compost by just leaving it in the bin for about a year?Glenda Hi Glenda,I hate to be the one to break this to you, so I'll get the answer to your last question over quickly, so it will hurt less: No.While you might eventually get

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-85749002066129320862009-02-27T08:42:00.003-07:002009-02-27T09:32:56.765-07:00

In response to an earlier post, Kim left a comment asking when I planted my Sweet Peas here at the Ranch, and if it's too late to plant Sweet Peas now (at the end of February). Kim, good morning. I planted my Sweet Peas in 1999, but not to worry: you still have time (but just barely). One of the great gardening surprises of the Desert Garden is that this most beloved of cottage-garden flowers

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-44191761880367004492009-02-24T11:38:00.004-07:002009-02-24T12:46:00.663-07:00

Also, lime-blossom time, lemon-blossom time, peach, apricot, plum, rose, petunia, sweet pea, Senna, penstemon, and a whole lot of other blossom time. This morning, standing in the middle of the rear yard here at the Ranch, the landscape was literally buzzing with the activity of honey bees and hummingbirds. For sheer floral display, scent, and hyper-frenetic activity, no Mardi Gras celebration

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-82508626028767143882009-02-11T12:09:00.007-07:002009-02-11T13:37:22.261-07:00

It's been a very good year for cauliflower here in this corner of the Desert Garden. Back in early Autumn, a friend and neighbor stopped by with six cauliflower plants she'd been given, and we popped them in the ground just to see what might happen. On such happenstance are great adventures often borne. Two of the plants are of a Romanesco type (lime green with fractal outcroppings), two are an

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-91327582011942614012009-02-10T21:28:00.005-07:002009-02-10T22:41:06.217-07:00

The picture to the left is of some Mexican Lime blossoms at night. The Mexican Lime tree here at the Ranch is fairly laden with flower buds; it's usually an early bloomer, and this year is no exception. On the one hand, it's a welcome sight: harbingers of Spring and all that. On the other hand, it's not such good news: contrary to what we might think, it's still Winter here in the Desert Garden,

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-91488432972494500362009-02-10T19:42:00.003-07:002009-02-10T20:01:21.534-07:00

Actually, it's pretty easy, but it does make a mess of things.The address for this blog, TheDesertGarden.com, has been registered with GoDaddy; in light of their recent Super Bowl ads, I had to question whether I wanted to continue to do business with them. The issue was decided for me after recent media comments from GoDaddy's CEO that pretty much amounted to a big middle-finger to any customers

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-60363001606482171662009-01-31T08:20:00.001-07:002009-02-01T08:54:31.880-07:00

The title of this post really says it all: don't move citrus across state lines. There are a number of citrus disease in the world, but one in particular has been devastating citrus industries around the world: it's called Citrus Greening, it destroys citrus trees, and there is no cure. Citrus Greening is vectored, or spread, by a minuscule insect called the Asian Citrus Psyllid. The insect has

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-83069879054752654232009-01-22T08:50:00.004-07:002009-01-22T09:51:30.045-07:00

We haven't visited our Broad Bean for a while now, because it literally stopped action. Of all the Broad Bean plants growing here at The Ranch, it's now clear that this one really is the runt of the litter. The next smallest of the plants is at least twice as tall as our chosen one, and many are blooming already; you may not be able to tell in the picture, but our Fava plant is smaller than the

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-57912837064339185922009-01-14T10:21:00.004-07:002009-01-14T10:45:58.055-07:00

One of the benefits of Winter vegetable gardening is the reduced level of pests. Even the intermittent cold periods are too much for most insects and other critters, and with luck we can come through the season with limited insect damage. But there are always a few hardy fellows who buck the trend, and it's worth keeping an eye out for these guys. I noticed a few holes in the leaves of one of

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-12588504933070213342009-01-14T06:17:00.000-07:002009-01-14T06:17:00.799-07:00

I received the following question from a correspondent in Phoenix, Arizona: We had a very large, lemon-laden branch spontaneously break off our tree. I have attached photos. It looks a little diseased to me. How should we proceed?Tim Hi Tim,The first thing to do is pick and use the fruits from the fallen branch; they're ripe enough and perfectly usable. From the look of the branch in the picture

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-61984449851664476922009-01-13T14:12:00.003-07:002009-01-13T16:40:07.955-07:00

For those of you in the Phoenix, Arizona, area, the end of January brings two of the best citrus events in the country. Held every year, the University of Arizona Maricopa County Master Gardener Citrus Clinics are a terrific opportunity to learn everything you could possibly want to know about growing and caring for citrus in the desert. The East Valley Citrus Clinic will be held Saturday,

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-77226987985370357432009-01-13T05:57:00.003-07:002009-01-13T05:57:00.676-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous post on Minneola Tangelos, the Minneola peel makes an excellent candied peel, especially useful in baking and in desserts. In my ongoing efforts to make it easier to actually eat all this stuff in your Desert Garden, here's the recipe for making the peel. It ends up with a flavor and texture almost identical to those candy orange slices, but better, of course. The

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-57081376271286599052009-01-12T05:11:00.001-07:002009-01-12T08:19:37.057-07:00

The Minneola Tangelo is one of the finest citrus fruits for the Desert Garden, and probably not planted as often as it should be. A cross between a mandarin and a grapefruit, the Minneola is essentially a large mandarin that grows in clusters like grapefruit and has all of the fine flavor of the best tangerines, in a larger fruit with fewer seeds.The Minneola tree is reliably hardy and a strong

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-40708525797084580722009-01-10T05:26:00.003-07:002009-01-10T17:30:53.140-07:00

In response to my earlier post on Italian Stone Pines, I received the following question from a reader in Allen, Texas, just outside of Dallas: Just saw your blog re: Pinus pinea. I bought one (small) tree from a nursery over the Christmas season. It is currently outdoors in a medium-size pot. Can I plant it outdoors, but keep it pruned so it doesn't get to full maturity? I’m just not sure we

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-14427870618208020162009-01-09T10:30:00.006-07:002009-01-09T11:11:55.862-07:00

The following note from a Phoenix, Arizona, correspondent was signed "The Duchess of Windsor." I have my doubts, but then you don't mess with anyone crazy enough to grow tomatoes in the middle of Winter: Although I have never grown tomatoes before as a fall crop, something came over me in September and I bought 2 large tomato plants (Early Girl & Champion). They had a blooming frenzy in October

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-41566817296574189102009-01-09T07:30:00.003-07:002009-01-09T08:57:36.244-07:00

Citrus trees vary in their frost-hardiness, and even a few degrees makes a difference. Some of the citrus trees most commonly grown in the Desert Garden, listed from most hardy to least hardy:KumquatSour OrangeTangelosMandarin OrangeGrapefruitSweet OrangeLemonsLimes Almost exactly two years ago, Arizona's Maricopa County experienced two or three days of killing freezes that reminded us of

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-54724257997323998092009-01-06T11:19:00.005-07:002009-01-06T12:04:23.290-07:00

In response to my recipe for Seville Orange Marmalade, I received the following note from a reader in Boston, Massachusetts: Your recipe for marmalade sounds great! Any idea where or how I can get a hold of Seville Oranges in the Boston area? Can I buy them mail order? Many, many thanks for your advice.CarrieGood morning Carrie,It is part of the strangeness of life that what we don't appreciate

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-5245154582723571552009-01-05T15:42:00.001-07:002009-01-11T15:28:40.216-07:00

As I mentioned in my earlier post on Seville Oranges, the tree has become naturalized around the Caribbean Basin and the Gulf of Mexico, and has become a distinctive part of the regions' cuisines. The following recipe for pork lomitos is typical of a Yucatecan recipe using the Seville Orange. It's a good recipe for an inexpensive cut of pork, and is very good just served with tortillas on the

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-63253486086834792202009-01-05T15:35:00.003-07:002009-01-06T15:15:35.698-07:00

As a follow-up to my previous post about Seville Oranges, here's a recipe for using the fruit. The Seville Orange is generally at its peak around the end of January; look for the fruit to be somewhat heavy, though it won't ever be as juicy as a Valencia or Navel orange. Pick firm, well-colored fruit with fairly tight and undamaged skins. Even on a single tree, some Seville Oranges will be rough

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-46367691082283705272009-01-05T15:30:00.003-07:002009-01-05T15:44:24.327-07:00

The Seville Orange (Citrus aurantium), also called Sour Orange, Bitter Orange, or Bergamot Orange was at one time widely planted as a decorative tree in the Desert and other warm-climate areas, including Southern California and Florida. They're still to be found in older yards and neighborhoods, and while now often disparaged as being a waste, they're actually a useful tree with a fascinating

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-43965681676474089722009-01-05T15:08:00.003-07:002009-01-05T15:20:25.675-07:00

January is pretty much prime citrus season, with most of our citrus fruit in the Desert Garden either just past, at its peak, or about to ripen. So it seems like a good time to declare Citrus Month here at The Desert Garden blog. Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing information about a number of different citrus varieties. As citrus are one of the prime groups of desert and warm-climate

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-88849873435314310332009-01-03T16:22:00.004-07:002009-01-03T18:55:35.012-07:00

In response to my earlier article on Italian Stone Pines, I received a note from a reader in Tennessee. Strictly speaking, Tennessee is not in the desert; Tennessee is lush, green, well-watered, and worth visiting, for those who haven't had the pleasure. Completely Irrelevant Side Note: some years ago I spent the night in Tennessee in a suite at the Opryland Hotel that was so large we got lost

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-45722904793851938482009-01-02T11:31:00.008-07:002009-01-02T13:31:57.202-07:00

Carbon credits seem to be all the rage recently, but they can be a fairly confusing concept, especially when we read stuff like this: "An individual allowance, such as a Kyoto Assigned Amount Unit (AAU) or its near-equivalent European Union Allowance (EUA), may have a different market value to an offset such as a CER. This is due to the lack of a developed secondary market for CERs, a lack of

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-34368905824260651672009-01-01T12:58:00.003-07:002009-01-01T13:56:00.917-07:00

In most of the Desert Garden, we're now in the coldest time of the year. Even with the warm and sunny days, the night-time temperatures still dip low and even hit freezing. We're accustomed to paying particular attention to watering the vegetable garden when the temperatures are blazing hot; when the weather is cold, it's easier to forget, but no less important.Unwatered plants will wilt, dry up

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-18485988738530510422008-12-27T15:26:00.005-07:002008-12-27T15:40:54.231-07:00

Sometimes the garden photos are just too interesting to pass by, even if there isn't a lot to be said about them. The top picture is a cauliflower leaf, photographed this morning just before dawn. Yes, those are ice crystals. The picture below is the same leaf, photographed about three hours later. One wouldn't think the leaf tissue would survive, but clearly it did. Tyler

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-48548591588367948302008-12-27T12:40:00.005-07:002008-12-27T13:27:08.069-07:00

Last night and this morning brought the first serious frost of the Winter to this part of the Desert Garden. Air temperature dipped down to around 30° here at The Ranch, but it didn't last for too many hours, and there was little damage to the Winter crops; the peppers, chiles, and eggplant, however, are on their way out after many months of good service. Our little broad bean and his band of

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-64969385053079170972008-12-23T08:38:00.004-07:002008-12-23T13:17:43.463-07:00

If you continue to water your Summer and Spring crops, and absent early freezes, you'll find that certain of your vegetables will continue producing into the Winter. Here at The Ranch, the eggplant, peppers, and chiles are still producing. Don't be surprised if the vegetables you harvest at this time of year are smaller than what you saw in the warmer months; the early heat, later cold, and

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-56164266930434577092008-12-22T09:07:00.004-07:002008-12-22T09:16:03.078-07:00

In the spirit of experimentation, I've decided to try out a very limited number of small advertisements on The Desert Garden blog. My primary concern was that the blog would suddenly contain ads for stuff and companies that weren't in keeping with the kind of information I try to convey with this blog. Sure enough: within two seconds of adding the advertising code, I had an ad from the one

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-5503613891403794862008-12-21T08:19:00.003-07:002008-12-21T15:45:32.813-07:00

From a Correspondent: I recently attended a composting class you taught at the library, and started composting about 6 weeks ago. It’s going well, but there are a ton of fruit flies. I stopped putting in banana peels and I started adding more brown yard waste, but they are still a pain. I would appreciate any advice. Thank you so much.Dianne,Gilbert, Arizona Good morning Dianne,Aren't those

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-90321299976280495432008-12-17T08:52:00.004-07:002008-12-17T12:10:28.820-07:00

Our little Broad Bean is still alive and kicking, and here it is, to the left. Not really much of a change between last week and today, but I have high hopes. This particular plant appears to be the runt of the bean litter and is lagging behind its fellow bean plants. I had considered switching to another, more vigorous and photogenic bean, but that would violate the spirit of the endeavour, so

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-37685053306507443882008-12-15T05:13:00.001-07:002008-12-15T05:13:00.466-07:00

Many of the plants we look for in our local nurseries are only seasonally available, but one of the best trees for the Desert Garden is available only one time of year, and that's right now, just before Christmas. More than that, it's almost only ever available in one size: very small. The Italian Stone Pine (Pinus pinea) is widely sold in nurseries and all kinds of other stores as a table-top

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-31253136062693075082008-12-13T22:02:00.003-07:002008-12-13T22:17:59.500-07:00

As a number of you have requested, I have finally added a subscription thingy to the Desert Garden blog. At least I think it's a thingy. It might be a doohickey, but I'm not sure how to tell the difference. In any event, you'll find it part way down the column on the right. While I'm always happy to hold forth on landscaping and plants, I have no idea how the subscription thingy (or doohickey) is

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-35502610527000935332008-12-13T19:51:00.005-07:002008-12-13T23:02:18.278-07:00

From a Correspondent: As a newcomer to a townhouse complex in Palm Springs, I am struck by the gardening crew's penchant for squaring and rounding bushes and, where our pepper trees are concerned, nearly whacking them to death – all with the blessing of the boss, who claims to be an arborist. Dunno about that. Have yet to see his diploma. Particularly with regard to the pepper trees, I've been

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-45552617323972169132008-12-12T20:15:00.005-07:002008-12-13T22:23:12.685-07:00

In this Advent season, with Christmas nearly upon us, we might be forgiven for thinking the object pictured to the left is a large candy cane.It isn't. But 'tis the season for taking a look at what it is.The object pictured is the trunk of a Palo Verde tree after its Christmas lights were removed. What's worse is that this photo is of only one trunk of a multi-trunked tree: altogether, three

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-36745906247864091472008-12-09T10:29:00.005-07:002008-12-09T11:09:25.162-07:00

When last we visited our Broad Bean, it was barely poking its head out of the mulch and looked pretty much like a wad of chewing gum. As you can see, it's come a long way in the past week. If you look closely at the photo, you'll notice a blurry cross-hatching in the foreground. That's the bird netting with which the planting bed is covered. Whenever we plant seeds directly in the planting bed

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-63845383282549884572008-12-03T09:15:00.005-07:002008-12-03T11:08:45.981-07:00

Some plants we put in the landscape just because they're beautiful, others because they're edible, or functional, or have an interesting story. Some, like Crocus sativus, the Saffron Crocus, are all of the above.Crocus sativus, as you can tell by the botanical name, is part of the familiar Crocus family. The species epithet, sativus, comes from the Latin word meaning "cultivated," a good

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-23454509391189688762008-11-27T20:59:00.005-07:002008-11-27T23:01:24.794-07:00

In this Winter's Stop-Action series, we'll follow the life and times of a Broad Bean, commonly known as the Fava Bean. You'll notice we're jumping right in with Episode 3; the first two weekly episodes consisted of fairly uninteresting photos of a blank bit of soil and mulch. All sorts of interesting stuff was going on out of view underground, but to the casual observer it still looked pretty

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-2122659387262205572008-11-24T20:33:00.008-07:002008-11-25T07:54:00.624-07:00

If you've sown your desert wildflower seeds over the past month or so, and given them a bit of water, they should be germinating and sprouting about now. Take a look around the garden and you'll find all sorts of little green bits poking their heads up.But, as the poet says, not all that glisters is gold. In the Desert Garden right now, not all that is green is good. Many of those sprouting

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-45638149017991545432008-11-07T14:23:00.008-07:002008-11-07T22:25:58.586-07:00

From a Correspondent: I have become an avid composter with a compost bin I purchased from Costco around 9 months ago. Over the summer it seemed to dry out and I added water to it every couple of days. I usually “aerate” my compost daily or every other day with a tool I have that is a metal bar with 2 wings on the end. I have been pulling compost out of the bottom openings for my garden and winter

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-9780690732700260172008-11-03T08:34:00.002-07:002008-11-03T09:49:42.512-07:00

From a Correspondent:Is there a particular type of composter that works better in our environment? I have an irrigated yard.Thank you.MJ, Phoenix, ArizonaGood morning MJ,As you may have noticed there are a lot of different composting bins for sale, and any number of plans available for building one yourself. Rather than making recommendations from among them, it's probably more practical if I

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-67067721072695074182008-10-22T13:11:00.013-07:002008-10-27T22:38:26.522-07:00

From a Correspondent:So, my friend is now zero for four on tomato plants. Two got eaten down to the nubs in the garden. She bought two more. One got eaten by a hornworm while sitting on her counter overnight and one that she planted has just two leaves. Do rabbits or birds eat the actual plants? I never had problems growing tomatoes - just the fruit was eaten. She doesn't see how rabbits could

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-92038911806756558592008-10-12T08:40:00.004-07:002008-10-13T12:19:05.059-07:00

From a Correspondent:My friend wants to plant a small vegetable garden in Surprise, Arizona. She has kids she hopes will enjoy the experience. What can she plant right now that will produce produce (now that's funny!) before it gets too cold? She has no gardening experience so nothing too picky or exotic.ThanksMonicaGenerally when I get a note claiming a question is being offered on behalf of a "

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-52530128094946469662008-09-19T07:02:00.001-07:002008-09-19T19:39:34.170-07:00

From a Correspondent:Can you help me identify this stuff on my plants? I have a raised bed and containers full of edibles. The unidentified problem things look like small peppercorns and collect on the leaves of my basil, mint, and arugula plants. It has not (so far) collected on my green beans, tomatoes, peppers, cilantro or thyme. Although they look like peppercorn, they're not hard. I wipe

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-5818551122724283452008-08-04T15:05:00.000-07:002008-08-05T21:33:56.470-07:00

My apologies for the long silence. After a trip out of town, I've been attending to all the issues that affect the Desert Garden when one walks out on it in the middle of Summer.Foremost among these has been the Mystery of the Missing Pumpkin. If you look carefully at the picture above, the first thing you'll notice is the complete absence of pumpkin vine. I have spent a good long time peering

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-40197786435118277102008-07-23T09:08:00.002-07:002008-07-28T17:02:43.456-07:00

From a Correspondent:I hope you can help.  I have a huge fig tree growing in my backyard. Three of the limbs broke from being too heavy with leaves and fruit. I would like to know if I should apply either pruning paint or tree tar on the limbs that have been cut.  If the cut limbs need some kind of product put on them, could you recommend a product?Thank you for your help.Aurora, Carson,

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-81267122943291790642008-07-15T05:53:00.002-07:002008-07-15T05:53:00.979-07:00

Our quince is still alive and kicking, if admittedly somewhat lacking in high-energy dash and adventure. Such is the quiet nature of gardening.It's the last we'll see of it for a couple of weeks, because as of today I'm taking a short vacation.One of the great challenges in growing fruits and vegetables in the Desert Garden is that there often comes a time — usually just about now — when the

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-9683322733881651732008-07-14T07:00:00.001-07:002008-07-14T10:45:42.774-07:00

Peppers and chiles are gratifyingly tough plants in the Desert Garden. For weeks after the tomato plants are protesting the heat and the intense Summer sun, pepper plants — given adequate irrigation — continue to put out and maintain fresh green growth. The fruits themselves may need a little more care.One of the questions I hear with great frequency this time of year is: "Why do my peppers (or

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-77101065577826603682008-07-14T05:37:00.002-07:002008-07-14T14:31:07.353-07:00

Even in the Desert Garden, there are times when we could say that no water is better than wrong water.Last week I was called out to look at a leaning Palo Verde tree. This tree is planted near a drive, on the North side of the house, in an area altogether about 12 by 12 feet; not ideal, but not bad. The tree had been growing well, even vigorously, and was nearing 20 feet in height. Then suddenly

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-45024049323088112942008-07-12T05:20:00.002-07:002008-07-20T19:35:09.114-07:00

On Friday, August 1st, at 1pm, I will be presenting a workshop on Tree Selection and Planting for the Desert Garden, at the Maricopa County Home and Garden Show. The show is being held at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, and admission to the workshop is free with admission to the show. Come spend an hour learning about some of the best trees to grow in the Desert Garden, how to

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-84569008859171178992008-07-11T06:15:00.003-07:002008-07-14T18:13:12.684-07:00

I received the following question from a correspondent who had recently attended one of my presentations on vegetable gardening:I have a question about using coffee grinds around my roses, gardenias, etc. We talked about it, but I don't remember if you said how OFTEN we can put coffee grinds out there. Can you help me with that?M., in Scottsdale, ArizonaDear M.,For coffee grounds, I’d go ahead

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-73267870773920361032008-07-09T06:32:00.001-07:002008-07-09T08:49:13.843-07:00

From a Correspondent:My wife and I are fairly new to growing vegetables here in the desert. I've read nearly every book I can get my hands on and noticed a couple things that got me wondering.1. Is foliar feeding really effective for plants? Seems to me that with the heat so much of what I spray on the plant would get evaporated before the plant has a chance to soak it up. Some of the information

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-13753602924774222272008-07-08T06:10:00.000-07:002008-07-08T06:10:00.288-07:00

From a Correspondent:My wife and I are fairly new to growing vegetables here in the desert. I've read nearly every book I can get my hands on and noticed a couple things that got me wondering.1. Is foliar feeding really effective for plants? Seems to me that with the heat so much of what I spray on the plant would get evaporated before the plant has a chance to soak it up. Some of the information

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-58613213028234849692008-07-07T06:17:00.001-07:002008-07-07T06:17:00.354-07:00

The best part of growing your own fruits and vegetables is, of course, in the harvesting and eating. But when it comes to harvesting the fruits and vegetables that ripen in the Summer heat, a little extra caution is in order.Conventional gardening wisdom tells us to harvest early in the day, when temperatures are cooler and plants are full of moisture. But right now, when daytime temperatures in

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-17730445394113763032008-07-03T06:55:00.001-07:002008-07-06T10:11:51.226-07:00

Back in May of this year, I had a number of inquiries about Leafcutter Bees, and posted a note about Leafcutter Bee nests from bee expert Stephen Buchmann (click here to read his response). Corinne, in Paradise Valley, Arizona, kindly sent along this terrific photo to show her new bee nest in action (click the photo to enlarge). Note that it's essentially a collection of bamboo tubes bundled

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-61728142875804856972008-07-02T06:48:00.002-07:002008-07-02T06:55:03.583-07:00

A recent correspondent who wrote to ask about planting "special" trees, has sent along a follow-up question about what kinds of low-water trees to plant. Perfect timing: Summer is the time to learn and plan, and Autumn is the time to plant. Over the next few days, I'll introduce you to a number of very good desert-adapted trees. To start, take a look at the Desert Ironwood here. Tyler

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-15830289802445898112008-07-01T06:38:00.004-07:002008-07-01T07:35:41.110-07:00

As today is July 1, we can be hopeful that our intrepid quince has survived June Drop; technically, it could still happen, but why dwell on unpleasant possibilities?In the cooler and wetter Spring pollination season, fruit trees tend to pollinate and set a large number of fruits. As the year progresses and we enter the drier and considerably warmer early Summer months, the trees end up burdened

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-80949393464537629912008-06-27T05:40:00.002-07:002008-06-27T09:52:40.621-07:00

From a Correspondent:I live in Oro Valley, Arizona, near Tangerine and La Canada (this info in case there may be a unique 'micro' climate here). My husband and I are thinking of planting about 7 desert trees in the back part of our property. We're thinking Desert Museum Palo Verde and Mesquite — I am not sure which variety (any suggestions there?). When I phoned the nursery, the man who answered

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-81271410117892117662008-06-26T06:27:00.001-07:002008-06-26T10:22:24.160-07:00

Since posting my article about ants eating the eggplants here at the Ranch, I've had several notes from others having the same issue, ranging from California to Massachusetts. Apparently this isn't as uncommon a problem as we all thought. Considering the geographical range, I suspect this has more to do with the eggplants than it does with a specific type of ant. I did get an identification of

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-42682795771482879082008-06-25T06:21:00.001-07:002008-06-25T06:21:01.432-07:00

As it says in the Book of Ecclesiastes, "All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven."Unless I'm mistaken, this refers to apples.Because of their chilling requirements, apples are generally a cold-climate fruit, but there are varieties that will grow and fruit in the Desert Garden. Anna, Ein Sheimer, and Dorsett Golden are all low-chill apple varieties with a

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-80457030378321349482008-06-23T22:47:00.003-07:002008-06-24T07:53:30.541-07:00

You'll notice from the photo that some of the leaves nearest our quince are a bit brown. I haven't identified any specific pathology causing the browning and drying, and I've noticed the same pattern of browning on the apple tree over the years; apple and quince are closely related. There may be a specific cause; it may even be a "treatable" cause. But as both trees continue to grow, thrive, and

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-36611450515891926682008-06-23T06:13:00.001-07:002008-06-24T07:54:37.358-07:00

From a Correspondent:I bought a pomegranate tree about 3 1/2 years ago, it is now about 6 feet tall, it has beautiful red flowers right now and no fruit. The tree goes dormant in the winter. Will it ever have fruit? If I buy another pomegranate tree what kind should I buy? I like the traditional fruit.LisaWhittier, Calif.Good morning Lisa,Pomegranates can sometimes be a bit slow to grow and fruit

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-59572216206248845662008-06-21T05:49:00.000-07:002008-06-21T05:53:58.741-07:00

From a Correspondent:I am not a gardener, but my goal this summer is to grow a few herbs and see how I do. I thought a couple of small pots on my back patio might be the easiest route to go. I have found some conflicting advice on the Internet about what I could plant. Here’s what I wanted to start with: chives and basil – what do you think? If you could get me started, hopefully my experience

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-80902425492835500432008-06-20T06:07:00.001-07:002008-06-20T13:16:24.488-07:00

From a Correspondent:I read your article titled Unhealthy Obsession: Pruning Trees which prompts me to ask, how is one supposed to prune in preparation for monsoon storms? In April of 2006, I planted an Ironwood, a Palo Brea, and a Guajillo, which I'm training to be more tree than bush/shrub-like. In October of 2007 I planted a Palo Verde, and a Foothills Palo Brea trees. They're all under 7 feet

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-75237989085978956372008-06-17T07:23:00.000-07:002008-06-18T08:20:03.401-07:00

As happens this time of year, the weather in the Desert Garden is suddenly really hot. The thermometer aside, there is always that one day as we inch through the calendar when we realize that Summer is here to stay.One of the questions I'm asked most often this time of year is, "How often should I water?" The only accurate answer, as frustratingly vague as it may be, is, "Deeply, but

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-24829213104845593172008-06-12T06:13:00.000-07:002008-06-12T06:13:00.694-07:00

Given the choice between eating a worm and eating a juicy, sweet, sun-ripened plum, I will almost always choose the plum. I suspect many of you feel the same.Birds, as it happens, agree with us. I wouldn't mind birds eating the plums if they were content to eat a certain portion of individual fruits, even a large portion. Birds, however, take more of what I think of as a hard-to-please

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-25761281336361585102008-06-11T06:20:00.000-07:002008-06-11T06:20:01.734-07:00

Tomatoes have been much in the news as of late, and none of the news has been good. It seems that we spend the better part of our childhood convinced that vegetables are bad for us, only to spend our adult years learning that we were right all along. So here's a little something to cheer you up: the first tomato of the season. Yes, that beautifully misshapen blob of bright red tomato came out

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-23590390679651412282008-06-10T06:20:00.002-07:002008-06-10T07:59:08.748-07:00

Our little quince is growing up. It's hard to see, because it's still small, but it's becoming heavier and starting to pull down a bit. If you look to the upper right of the photo, you can see the twig to which it is attached; in the previous photos, that was hidden behind a leaf.The quince has an unusual fruiting pattern. Rather than forming flowers and fruit along its branches, or at the tips

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-16534992487025338142008-06-09T06:06:00.001-07:002008-06-09T06:06:00.553-07:00

A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words. But I won't let that stop me from adding just a few more words to the total.One of the interesting things about growing corn is that it grows hidden within a husk. As with potatoes, or turnips, or beets growing underground, you never really know what you're going to get until that moment of harvest. You twist the corn cob off the stalk, carry it

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-50854746712205090712008-06-06T08:01:00.003-07:002008-06-06T08:23:21.699-07:00

One of the frequently expressed concerns in the Desert Garden is: "I have ants eating my plants." And the standard response, delivered by myself and others with perfect confidence, is: "Don't worry, the ants aren't really eating your plants; they are on your plants but not causing any damage. Ants don't eat plants."Guess what? I have ants eating my plants.My eggplants, to be specific. Not being

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-46315106474233330972008-06-05T05:58:00.001-07:002008-06-05T05:58:00.485-07:00

Learning about plant pests and diseases can be a valuable part of gardening, but we sometimes run into the same problem with plant health research as we do with people health research: the more general the symptoms and the more gruesome the disease, the more convinced we become that — sure enough — that's what we have. Goodbye cruel world!The Desert Garden disease that is most likely to cause

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-39726626656069478332008-06-04T06:01:00.000-07:002008-06-04T06:01:02.088-07:00

From a Correspondent:I have some critter that loves to dig in the bark mulch at the edge of the sidewalk. Mostly he digs holes and spreads the mulch on the sidewalk. In one night, we can have 10 or 12 holes. I've also found holes in my flower pots! We do have a delinquent squirrel in the neighborhood. Could it be him? Or some other critter? Any ideas for directing him elsewhere?Thanks,Monica,

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-56631304160385788842008-06-03T06:15:00.003-07:002008-06-03T06:15:00.877-07:00

Our intrepid quince is a strikingly bright apple-green color. We can't actually see that bright green color because of the light tan fuzz on the developing fruit; it's pubescent. Nope, that doesn't mean it's become a teenager. In reference to plants, the word pubescent indicates the presence of fuzz, or soft short "hairs." Although it doesn't show much, the leaves of the quince are also slightly

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-27925004916129854102008-06-02T05:48:00.004-07:002008-06-02T12:30:24.466-07:00

Consider the carrot.Sure, it's just a vegetable, but how does it get to be a vegetable? And by how I don't mean its history or its preparation in the kitchen (NB: steamed with a little butter is nice), but rather how it comes to have food value.In essence, a carrot plant is an energy collection, processing, and storage mechanism. It spends its first season producing and storing energy in the form

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-38236330281220022612008-05-30T06:04:00.002-07:002008-05-30T06:04:01.079-07:00

To squish or not to squish?The first picture on the left is of a caterpillar egg on a tomato leaf. I suspect it was placed there by a Hummingbird Moth (Hyles species), and will hatch out to be a hornworm. The second photo is of an Orange Dog caterpillar egg on a lemon leaf. It's the egg of the Giant Swallowtail butterfly. The Hummingbird Moth and the Swallowtail butterfly are both beautiful bugs

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-28793243396396187392008-05-29T06:01:00.000-07:002008-05-29T06:01:02.743-07:00

"Never" is a word I don't often use in reference to gardening and landscaping; when we're talking about living plants in an ever-changing environment, "never" has a tendency to come back to haunt us. So, you know I'm serious when I tell you the following:Never add wood ashes to your compost pile in the Desert Garden.Never, never, never, never, never, never, never.Wood ash is extremely alkaline,

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-86002840772068349832008-05-28T06:05:00.000-07:002008-05-28T06:05:02.362-07:00

From a Correspondent:My pomegranate, which has happily grown in my back yard for about five years now, has beautiful flowers every year but never any fruit. A friend said it was because I wasn't watering it. But after reading your post, I'm wondering if mine might simply be a non-fruiting variety. The flowers look more like pink carnations than the blooms you show.Maureen, Phoenix,

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-39151122952057845872008-05-27T05:53:00.004-07:002008-05-27T05:53:01.003-07:00

In this week's installment of our ongoing quince saga, you will have noted immediately that the blossom, at the aptly named blossom-end of the quince, has faded and turned brown over the course of the past week; not much else has changed. We use the term blossom end as a convenient way to describe the end of a fruit opposite the stem. For the quince, that's also accurate; the quince has what is

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-90642195958245789302008-05-26T06:08:00.002-07:002008-11-07T19:06:33.776-07:00

This is a photo of the rare Two-Headed Silver-Spotted Butterfly. It is a non-migratory species, because it can never agree which direction to fly.I made that up.This is actually a photo of two Gulf Fritillary Butterflies, in the middle of mating. I spotted them a couple of days ago on a tomato plant. The Gulf Fritillary is fairly common in the Desert Garden, and one of the handsomest of

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-35557209564392854702008-05-24T05:56:00.001-07:002008-05-24T05:56:01.031-07:00

All bugs are, in their own peculiar ways, interesting, but some bugs are simply amazing. This Dragonfly falls into the latter category. I spotted it the other morning as it was resting on the Minneola Tangelo tree. The picture doesn't do it justice; it was a good four inches from stem to stern, and the green portion of its body was slightly iridescent. This was a big sparkly dragonfly (click the

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-17972960027340126152008-05-23T06:03:00.001-07:002008-05-23T11:38:16.313-07:00

Baileya multiradiata, also called the Desert Marigold, is a tough and colorful perennial addition to the Desert Garden. While it's easy to disparage the seemingly endless display of "little yellow flowers" in the desert landscape, it's hard to dismiss a flower that so reliably and easily provides a nearly year-round floral display. It will take full or reflected sun and extremely low water; I've

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-47963446396959232062008-05-22T20:13:00.003-07:002008-05-22T21:32:42.685-07:00

It's raining here in Phoenix today. Two days ago it was 108 °F, dead dry and windy. Today it's 75 °F, overcast and raining. And not the kind of torrential downpour that accompanies howling thunderstorms during the monsoon season, but a nice steady, look-there's-a-mud-puddle-let's-go-for-a-walk-and-then-bake-cookies kind of rain.In the Desert Garden, rain is always a welcome event, but even more

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-88811256274325263432008-05-22T06:29:00.000-07:002008-05-22T06:29:01.783-07:00

From a Correspondent:Unlike one of your recent correspondents who wished to kill his oleander hedges, my partner and I, who are new to Arizona, would very much like to nurture ours. Unfortunately, we've received conflicting advice about how much to water them. One neighbor recommends a brief daily drip; another suggests a single monthly soak. What is the best method for watering oleanders in the

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-88051970300144951292008-05-22T06:21:00.002-07:002008-05-22T06:21:00.569-07:00

The Leaf-footed Bug comes by its name easily; the flattened area on its tibia looks like a bit of leaf (left, in the photo). This particular specimen was spotted on a corn leaf; the whitish dust on the leaf is corn pollen. The picture shows the bug larger than life-size, but it is a large bug; this one was a bit more than an inch in length.One of the largest of the Desert Garden's piercing and

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2776025194799725923.post-66826604635412499392008-05-21T19:21:00.000-07:002008-05-21T22:04:18.459-07:00

Earlier today I walked past a television that was showing a talk show in which, one by one, a series of women were displayed in a transparent case on a public street and passersby were asked to make comments about how each woman looked. After that, the women were sent off for plastic surgery and cosmetic dentistry and new hair and clothes, then brought back and paraded across a stage to raucous

Tyler Storeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169491805852773586noreply@blogger.com0