Jennifer found some information on Desert Harvester’s Website about making tortillas out of mesquite beans and made some for the crew. We all loved them!

*Listen for the proper way to harvest them and how she prepared them.

Callers:

• Judy – She has weeds coming through her hardscape….does she need to remove the rock or place the weed cloth on top and add more rocks?

Recommendation – She can use weed cloth, but applying pre-emergent is a better method. Apply it a few times a year and the weeds won’t begin to grow in the first place.

*Rosie uses the opportunity to push his favorite method for getting rid of weeds, the Weed Dragon Torch Kit.   Grandma’s Farms uses an industrial version of this method too!

Callers:

• Trish – An arm on one of her cactus is breaking off….Can she do something to save it?

Recommendation – If it’s healed up, it should be fine, but there’s nothing much you can do. She can remove the whole arm & if it oozing black liquid it’s probably a good idea. There are cactus specialists too. Trish can contact Arizona Cactus Sales or Carefree Cactus Gardens for advice.

• Joe – He has 5 citrus trees and a large pine tree in his yard, but not very much grass and he’s looking for a ground cover option to add. Any ideas for him?

Recommendation – He can just go with a rock hardscape, but adding ground cover Vinca minor, Ivy’s, etc.

*Concerned caller couldn’t wait, but he’s got a ficus tree that’s losing it’s leaves. Whitefly infestation is causing serious problems in certain areas of Phoenix.

Edible Baja Magazine has info on milling mesquite beans for using in recipes.

Callers:

• Ida – First, she sets the record straight on Rosie’s pronunciation of Casa Grande….fun stuff!   She wants to know if it’s too late to plant a few specific plants by seed.

Recommendation – Vinca or moss rose plants would be better to start from seed now that the heat is here.  She could go with the plant, instead of seed and have color today! (here space is 10′ x 10′)

• Shane – He has 2 ash trees and the leaves are curling up and has white residue on them too. Do we know what it is?

Recommendation – It sounds like an aphid bug and pretty common on ash trees.

**Jay wraps up his Father’s Day Tips for the week!

If you need to pick up some plants for Dad or just want advice on your landscape, Call Jay at Harper’s Nursery & Landscaping Company!