Testing of home landscapes can be expensive. Sampling and testing of desert soils doesn't have to be done every year. Usually every three to five years is enough. Learn how to establish a baseline desert soil test of your landscape and how oft

Internet Research on Desert Horticulture. Good, Bad, or ?

Jun 18th, 2022 33m 17s

Desert horticulture is a unique form of horticulture that must be tweaked for desert soils, increased sunlight intensity, increased temperatures, low humidity and other factors. It's frustrating when solid local horticultural advice been given

Amending the Soil - What Does it Mean?

Jun 5th, 2022 34m 29s

Desert soils can be very low in organics. This is why amendments are added to landscapes. Amendments will benefit the soil structure or soil chemistry or both! Learn what it means to amend the soil and differences in soil amendments and what th

Iron Treatment Differs Depending on Time of Year

May 28th, 2022 27m

Iron, manganese and zinc is in short supply in desert soils. Particularly iron. Learn how applications of iron should differ, from soil to liquid leaf (foliar) applications, depending on the time of year. Not only that but its effectiveness var

Fire Blight Disease in Your Fruit Trees

May 28th, 2022 31m 33s

Fire blight disease is one of the most virulent and aggressive diseases that fruit trees and landscape plants can get. This past year we've had an outbreak of this disease. Some fruit trees and landscape plants are more susceptible to it than o

Managing Fruit Trees by Summer Pruning

Apr 2nd, 2022 14m 1s

Summer pruning is a confusing management practice. It starts around late spring or very early summer and may continue all summer long. Its purpose is twofold: keep the tree smaller and reduce the winter pruning workload. Summer pruning focuses

Buying and Growing Citrus in the Eastern Mojave Desert

Apr 1st, 2022 25m 13s

I'm not a huge fan of growing citrus at the middle elevations in the Eastern Mojave desert but it can be done. Citrus production is best done in southern Arizona and at lower elevations, warm parts of Southern California such as Riverside and O

Wind Damage to Vegetables, Fruit Trees and Ornamentals

Apr 1st, 2022 22m 37s

Wind can cause two types of damage to plants; visual and nonvisual damages. The most pernicious of the two are the nonvisual damages which reduce production and the quality of the fruit and vegetables and plants produced. This episode of desert

Pruning Classes 2021-2 Winter and Spring

Dec 6th, 2021 9m 4s

I will conduct hands-on pruning classes beginning Friday, Dec. 10. All classes begin at 9 am, cost $20 per person and will be held at the Ahern Orchard downtown Las Vegas (700 Clarkway Drive for gps). Separate classes will be given for apricots

Queen Palm for the Desert?

Oct 7th, 2021 21m 11s

There is one palm that is sometimes called the "Desert Palm" and its not the Queen Palm but the California Palm. Although it can survive desert extremes, Queen Palm might not be the best choice when it comes to palms looking their best when gro

Straighten 20 YR Old Leaning Saguaro?

Oct 2nd, 2021 36m 42s

This saguaro was leaning because it was always watered at its base. But having a 20 year old saguaro tells me you were doing something right. Learn when to water, how much to water and if you should fertilize it or not on this episode of Desert

Spacing of Plants Depends on its Mature Height

Sep 30th, 2021 20m 13s

Whether you are planting a hedge or a tree the spacing of it depends on its mature height. Make sure you know what height your mature plant will be before selecting and planting it. Learn this and more on this episode of Desert Horticulture.Sup

Grubs and What to Do About Them

Sep 28th, 2021 28m 4s

Grubs come in many sizes. Some of them are 3/8 inch long and others can be 4 inches long. They are immature forms of a beetle. Some landscapes can be 'grub attractors". But homeowners will call anything chomping on the roots of a beloved lands

Plants Don't Use Water. People Do.

Sep 26th, 2021 36m 2s

After meeting with a local HOA Board about their water use it was clear to me they needed help but were not ready to accept it. First, be ready to accept responsibility for the water used on your landscape. Gain control of your irrigation. Lea

Watering Joshua Trees

Sep 21st, 2021 28m 25s

The worst demon in desert landscapes is the irrigation controller. People assume they can just turn their watering over to an automatic system. That can be a mistake with some of our desert natives like the Joshua tree. Learn how to establish,

When to Fertilize Newly Planted Podocarpus 'Maki'

Sep 20th, 2021 18m 54s

When to fertilize Podocarpus 'Maki' is at the same time to fertilize other trees and shrubs that dont have flowers and fruit that you want...some time before spring growth starts. Not true of other plants that are tender to winter temps and tha

Tree Damaged at Planting. What to do?

Sep 20th, 2021 14m 25s

Tree damage can occur where it is grown, where it is retailed, at planting time or when it is cared for. But you bought an undamaged plant! Learn what what can happen to a damaged plant, a particular disease that it can get, and what to do abou

Which Citrus is Right for Me?

Apr 8th, 2021 50m 25s

Growing citrus in any climate other than where it grows naturally can be a challenge. There are temperature issues, rainfall, soil compatibility issues. All of these must be addressed if we want successful fruit production and a healthy tree. J

Late Freeze Effects for 12 Months of the Year

Apr 8th, 2021 36m 41s

Freeze effects during the spring last months after it occurs. If you don’t pay attention to what’s happening, you’ll miss it and then you start scratching your head, “What’s going on?” We can see these effects in the short-term on landscape tre

Are Food Forests Right for the Desert?

Jan 3rd, 2021 41m 28s

Food forests are gaining in popularity everywhere, including desert environments. But are the right thing to do? Join Bob Morris on this podcast exploring the pluses and minuses of growing food in the desert on this episode of Desert Horticultu

Growing Roses in the Desert

Dec 9th, 2020 53m 54s

Our worst months for growing roses is during the summer. But otherwise growing roses in the desert is nothing short of a miracle and not that difficult. Roses are not just about flower color. Learn that besides color, roses come as climbers, c

When to Prune Flowering Trees and Shrubs

Nov 11th, 2020 19m 50s

It's very simple. Prune flowering trees and shrubs when they have finished flowering. Now you dont have to download and listen to this podcast unless you want to learn WHY and WHEN to prune these plants to prevent sun damage from the intense de

Confused About Pomegranates?

Nov 11th, 2020 1h 1m

Pomegranates are easy to grow in desert climates since they originated from the warm arid climates in in Central Asia. Did you know there are about 640 varieties of pomegranates and those grown for their fruit can ripen them anywhere from late

How Much Water Should I Give My Landscape Plants?

Nov 5th, 2020 38m 47s

The most common question I am asked is how much water should I give my landscape plants. It is a difficult question to answer because it can mean different things to different people. But a little detective work and the use of some equipment ca

Are You Selecting the Right Grass for Your Lawn?

Oct 31st, 2020 37m 20s

The primary reason homeowners are choosing turf type tall fescue for home lawns is because it stays green during the winter. But what if you wanted to save water and still have a beautiful lawn? Try the hybrid warm season grasses. They can be b