Jay with Scottsdale Weed Control & Fertilization shares his story and how he got in the business.

**He and Rosie talk about the benefits of pre-emergent and how he transformed Rosie’s yard.

Caller:

• John – 3 Questions…..how to solve spurge, what happened to all the puncture vine and how to solve world peace?.?  (He’s heard there was a puncture vine weavel that killed it)

Recommendation – Puncture vine is still here and there are several products out there to treat it. For the spurge issue, there’s a fertilizer to fix that as well.  Pre-emergent is the key again.

• John – He has an agave plant and the bloom that’s shooting into the air…should he cut it off or leave it?

Recommendation – Let the bloom go and the plant will die on it’s own, so enjoy the bloom while it lasts.

Callers:

• Brian – He has a citrus question…is it time to prune, fertilize, etc….He also has 3 navel orange trees and he loves them, but they are not growing equally. How should he care for them?

Recommendation – Fertilizer is the key and Jay’s tip is to remember to do it on Valentine’s Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day.  Make sure the citrus food is made for Arizona.  Watering is the next key, especially in the summer.  Lastly, treat them like a bush, because they are not actually a tree.  “Less Is More” when it comes to pruning.

• Peggy – She has a new chilean mesquite tree and the leaves are turning yellow. She thinks she’s caring for it, according to the instructions. Is that okay?

Recommendation – It’s a tree that’s not native to our colder winter (compared to even further south) It could be trying to go dormant and it’s not uncommon for them to lose all their leaves. Fertilize every 6 months and she should be good to go.

• Kathy – She has a weed, she calls “Carrot top” weed all over her yard, plus some mushrooms in the lawn after cutting down another tree. Can we help?

Recommendation – The “Carrot Top” weed sounds like water crest weed. Pre-emergent twice a year to prevent the additional water crest. Once she has a strong healthy lawn, it will choke out all the rest of the weeds and other issues.

• Cal – He has a Palo Verde tree and his neighbor told him that the mistletoe plant and it can be dangerous?

Recommendation – It sounds like it is a desert mistletoe and it’s actually a parasite. It needs to be removed and Jay walks through the steps to removing it safely.

• Jackie – She has a large yard she loves and she hasn’t had much love. She wants roses and wants to know if there’s a variety that would be successful here?

Recommendation – It sounds like she knows what she’s doing and roses definitely grow here.  It needs supplemented soils, like she’s doing already and lots of water. Pay for a quality rose bush and this is a great time to do plant them.

Callers:

• Robert – Last year he had a great peach crop and this year, the birds “sent text messages to each other” and destroyed half the crop. What should he do?

Recommendation – For big, juicy fruit, he needs to prune out several of the peaches to that the nutrients aren’t having to support so much fruit.  1 Fruit every 10-12 inches down the branch.  To keep the birds out, prune down the size during the winter to add netting. That’s about the only way to keep them out.

• Martha – Her hibiscus plant leaves are turning yellow. Does she need to worry about it?

Recommendation – Probably not an issue. It’s cold for the plant and a lot of them are struggling. Just make sure it’s not getting too much water.

• Kathy – Is pomegranate a tree or a bush? How should she care for it?

Recommendation – It’s a bush and could be pruned this time of year. They need a lot of water too!!

(Ray shares a pet peeve about grass coming up in between the rocks in your yard)

Thanks to Ray with Scottsdale Weed Control and Jay with Harper’s Nursery!!