Bob Morris is a horticulture expert living in Las Vegas and professor emeritus for the University of Nevada. Visit his blog at xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com. Send questions to Extremehort@aol.com.
Question: I have a Meyer lemon in a container that still has lemons on it. They are not totally ripe. What trimming should be done and what time of year?
Question: I was reading that you really like the Arctic Star nectarine tree for growing here in Las Vegas. Is this tree a dwarf? How big will it get? What do you think of planting fruit trees in the front yard (not as a focal point, but rather on the side of the house)?
Question: I planted an orchard about 4 years ago here in Pahrump. I planted many different fruit varieties and have come to find some of them do not work here. Their blossoms and foliage, in most cases, are very beautiful, but the fruit does not ripen. I was wondering about some other fruit trees that may work in our area.
Question: I have a Washington navel orange which is about four or five years old. The fruit is splitting. What causes this?
Question: In March of this year I planted a 2-foot tree with few leaves. It now has grown to 4 feet with a wide spread of branches. It is planted in an 18-inch pot in the southeast section of my yard. Will this tree continue to grow in a container? If so, should I transplant it to a larger container? I grow citrus trees in containers and in the ground successfully. This is my first attempt to grow a peach tree.
Question: My husband and I spend four months away from the valley during the summer. When we returned in late September, we could not believe the number of flies in our yard, and because we are used to leaving our doors open, in our house.
Question: I recently moved into a home in Henderson, and I have a large back yard with about seven pine trees lining the property. The trees are spaced approximately 8 feet apart. I am contemplating planting fruit trees between the pines, and once they reach maturity, I would remove the pine trees. What do you think about this approach?
Question: Before I plant my apricot tree this spring, I would like to know how much space I should allocate for it. Does a Blenheim apricot lend itself to close pruning?
Question: I was wondering when is the best time to transplant the Amaryllis plants — now or in the spring? They bloomed beautifully this past summer but seem to be getting a bit pot-bound. I also wonder if regular potting soil is best, and when and how often they need to be fertilized?
Question: My purple plum has branches that are dying on one side of the tree. The leaves are all brown and crunchy while the other side seems healthy. Please help.
Question: I hope you can help with a small problem with our dwarf peach tree. Something is shredding the leaves, and I cannot see anything after a close inspection. Could this be a nocturnal pest?
Question: Help! My Italian cypress are drying out and dying mostly from the top down. They have their own bubblers for water.
Question: We have an all-in-one almond tree with the shells just now starting to break through the skins. I was told that September is when the nuts are harvested. I’m wondering if you have a rule of thumb on harvesting these trees.
