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Bob Morris

Gardening columnist

Bob Morris is a horticulture expert and professor emeritus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Visit his blog at xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com.

The Latest
Pruning oleander tree is only temporary fix

There is such a thing as root-to-shoot ratio. What that means is that the top of the oleander tree returns to its pre-pruning height as quickly as possible. It’s because of the size of the roots.

Double-potting protects plants from heat, wind

Double-potting plants exposed to the sun is recommended for two reasons: The heat kills roots in the side of the container facing the sun and smaller pots blow over in the wind.

Many different reasons for leaf drop

Signs of plant disease are seeing the reason why the symptoms occurred in the first place. The reasons for leaf drop can be from many different signs.

Surface mulch helps when during summer planting

Planting seeds during the heat requires that you visit your raised bed and check your seed (and new seedlings) at least twice a day — early morning and late afternoon. No need to keep the soil wet and soggy, but the seed should be swollen with water.

Information on raised bed gardening specific to Las Vegas

Dr. Sylvan Wittwer’s information on raised bed gardening stands the test of time. It is essential to use his recommended varieties but his recommendations on fertilizers and pesticides can be substituted for more organic forms if you prefer.

When moving tree, remove some of its canopy

When moving any kind of tree from one location to another, I recommend removing about one-quarter to one-third of the tree’s canopy to compensate for the loss of roots.

Curved trunk of crepe myrtle will straighten out as it grows

As soon as you plant your crepe myrtle, it will start straightening as it grows. The light will come at it from all different directions unlike in the nursery. When you plant it, plant it as straight as possible and let the plant figure it out with new growth.