58°F
weather icon Clear

Weather to blame for late tomatillos

Q: Thank you for your advice about our “teeny ant trail” problem with our tomatillo plants. We have had many flowers; but none have fruited yet. They did late summer last year so what is the problem?

A: Our tomatillos at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Orchard in North Las Vegas are now starting into production. The plant is big, probably 4-5 feet across or more and about 3 feet tall. Much of this lateness has to do with the late cool weather but it should now be into production.

Most of the bigger tomatillo fruits are down near the base of the plant on older stems that have had a chance to mature longer.

If you are taking from a plant, you must give as well. Before planting, make sure to improve your soil with compost and mulch at the base, if possible. Be careful not to overfertilize the plant after planting, and fertilize it lightly once a month if you are starting to harvest.

Q: We read that there were some blueberries sold at the farmers market over in Henderson. Were they brought in from somewhere else or do they grow here in Las Vegas? I can’t imagine blueberries growing. I gave up on grapes as the hot wind is just so savage on our vines. Are the berries or grapes grown inside or what?

A: Southern highbush blueberries will grow here but should be in a protected location from late afternoon sun and get plenty of soil amendments including acidity. Use lots of compost. You might try soil sulfur if it is finely ground and organic surface mulch to help lower the alkalinity of the soil.

There are several types of southern highbush blueberries available to pick from online. I don’t believe anyone is selling them in town. Southern highbush blueberries, although a bit out of their environment, can make it here in the right spot and with good management practices. They’re not meant for the beginner though.

Grapes handle the heat and harsh desert environment very well. They do not need to be grown inside. They should be trellised, staked or tied in some way. They can get grape leaf skeletonizer and grape flea beetle, which can look like wind damage to some degree I guess, and maybe this is what you confused it with.

Table grapes must have good soil preparation at the time of planting and periodic sprays to protect them from insect damage. They will get some yellowing due to a lack of available iron, unlike most wine grapes, which are more resistant to yellowing.

Q: Can plum trees (black or red) grow, survive and produce fruit in the typical Las Vegas backyard?

A: They sure do! Some great plums for this area include Santa Rosa, Burbank, Burgundy, Elephant Heart, Catalina, Green Gauge and many of the plum-apricot crosses such as the pluots and apriums.

Q: My fig tree has not leafed out for some reason this year. I have attached a photo. Can you tell me what we are doing wrong? It gets plenty of water. I live in Las Vegas and in prior years it was full and lush.

A: Thanks for the picture of your tree. Readers will see it in my newsletter.

Both figs and pomegranates do extremely well in desert climates. But both of these are what we might consider to be desert “oasis” plants, which mean they can handle the heat and lack of humidity but not a lack of water if they are to perform well as fruit trees.

I can see in your picture that you have cacti growing beneath your fig tree. Cacti are good examples of desert landscape plants that can survive drought and usually are not expected to produce quality fruit. When you are growing fruit trees in a desert landscape it is important to regulate the frequency and amount of water during fruit production if you expect to get good quality fruit.

I would not put cacti under a fig tree. Cacti, to do well, could be watered infrequently but deeply, quite the contrary to fig trees.

You should have your fruit trees on a separate irrigation source than your desert landscape plants. Begin to give your fig tree a higher volume of water, about two to three times a week during this heat.

Even though it is a desert fruit tree, it will do better if you have a surface mulch to help conserve moisture.

Q: Despite spraying with Neem and other things, I have little flying insects that swarm out of the rose bushes when I spray them. Their wings are transparent and slightly green tinged. Can you tell me what they are from this description? I have used various sprays and they continue to live in the rose bushes and literally turn the buds brown.

A: At first, from your description, I thought it was fungus gnats. Then, when you said that the buds were turning brown I thought it might be thrips. But thrips do not have the type of wings you are talking about. I’m wondering if you have two different sets of problems.

I still think that the insects swarming are fungus gnats. However, I do not believe that they are causing the problem to your rose buds. I think that’s caused by flower thrips.

Try spraying your roses with an insecticide that contains spinosad. Follow the label directions because it will require repeated sprays. Or you can purchase any insecticide for roses that claims to control flower thrips.

As far as the insects swarming I probably wouldn’t worry about them. I don’t believe they are causing any substantial damage.

Bob Morris is an associate professor with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. Direct gardening questions to the master gardener hot line at 257-5555 or contact Morris by e-mail at morrisr@unce.unr.edu.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
MORE STORIES
THE LATEST
Gaining control over this annual weed is not easy to do

To make sure it doesn’t return you have to interrupt the seed-to-flowering-plant cycle at least for a couple of years and fill the voids with something competitive.

Why did my bird of paradise plants quit blooming?

They were in bloom when we planted them five or six years ago, and they bloomed the following year as well. But they have not bloomed again.