Bob Morris

Pecan trees will do well in this climate, but I would not recommend them as a shade tree in the desert.

In many cases, an iris needs a year or sometims more to get established before it will bloom. Much depends on the size of the rhizome that was planted and how it was planted.

Question: I have voracious pillbugs eating my tomato plants, starting at the stalk at ground level.  These are the bugs that resemble armadillos and can roll themselves into a ball. Is there anything I can do to protect the plants or get rid of the bugs?

Bean plants could suffer collar rot when springtime weather is cool and causes soil to retain moisture.

Plant losses due to freezing temperatures involve how low the temperature drops, the time of year the temperatures occurred and for how long.

Stale beer works great as a slug bait. Put out a bowl of day-old beer in the garden, sinking it slightly so they can gain entry and then die a happy death.

Rock dust is used in organic agriculture to replenish minerals that have been removed from the soils when growing and removing vegetables and fruit. I tend to favor the addition of compost to our vegetable gardens since our soils are so low in organic matter and its derivatives.