Friday, July 10, 2009
Disease and Insect Control
We use a variety of treatments for disease and insect control. Spider Mites are prolific in the hot summer dry weather. We use Neem on mites. The best thing about neem oil is that is more than just an insect killer. It will kill spider mites and aphids, but also protect against black spot, powdery mildew and other fungus diseases. For ants and other crawling insect Diatomaceous earth is valuable. We focus on the least invasive treatment first. Most often the best offense is a good defense when it comes to growing plants. The better we can ammend and nourish the soil and fertilize the greater the disease and insect resistance of any plant
Divide your Iris now.
July-September is the time to divide Iris. It is important to divide Iris as the clumps get denser each year. In order to have beautiful blooms next year we will divide your Iris, select the best rhizomes to replant, and add the fertilizer which is sure to produce fabulous Iris for the following years.
July-September is the time to divide Iris. It is important to divide Iris as the clumps get denser each year. In order to have beautiful blooms next year we will divide your Iris, select the best rhizomes to replant, and add the fertilizer which is sure to produce fabulous Iris for the following years.
Do you need a soil test?
By Patrick Wilcox
The short answer is not usually. However if you are growing specialty plants that are difficult to grow in any region then it is worth considering. Our soil tests throught the Prescott area have revealed what is generally lacking in our soils. Our custom blend fertilizer adds in these missing nutrients and leaves out the nutrients that are common. We send our soil samples to a custom laboratory which will test more than just NPK. We find out how much calcium, magnesium, iron, etc... as well as the levels of all the macro and micronutrients in the soil. We also test the humic content in the soil and the conductivity of the soil. Conductivity relates to how well the soil can send nutrients to the plants. When the calcium/magnesium ratio and the macro nutrients and micro nutrients are in balance and there is high humus in the soil, almost any plant will grow well. This is really good if you want to grow plants commonly grown back east such as azaeleas and camelias. I will write more later on selecting the right location for your plants.
By Patrick Wilcox
The short answer is not usually. However if you are growing specialty plants that are difficult to grow in any region then it is worth considering. Our soil tests throught the Prescott area have revealed what is generally lacking in our soils. Our custom blend fertilizer adds in these missing nutrients and leaves out the nutrients that are common. We send our soil samples to a custom laboratory which will test more than just NPK. We find out how much calcium, magnesium, iron, etc... as well as the levels of all the macro and micronutrients in the soil. We also test the humic content in the soil and the conductivity of the soil. Conductivity relates to how well the soil can send nutrients to the plants. When the calcium/magnesium ratio and the macro nutrients and micro nutrients are in balance and there is high humus in the soil, almost any plant will grow well. This is really good if you want to grow plants commonly grown back east such as azaeleas and camelias. I will write more later on selecting the right location for your plants.
land Maintenance LLC P.O. Box 12620 928-776-4637
Prescott, Az. 86304
How plants thrive in the high dessert.
Here in the high dessert both the sun and the wind can be intense making it a challenge for our plants to take in moisture and get it to the leaves and needles quickly enough. Even the "native" plants such as Pinon and Ponderosa Pine are really on the cusp. We barely get enough of annual rainfall for them. This is part of the reason there has been so much die-back in these plants.The most important factor in growing plants here in the dessert is the soil. Our soils are alkaline and either heavy clay or mostly sand. Neither is good for growing plants. We recommend removing the soil and using fresh topsoil/mulch mix when planting new plants or flower beds. All soils benefit from our fertilizer program. Our fertilizer is a custom blend based on soil tests done over the years in our area. We also add supplemental minerals in between fertilization. Next we like to add bed of mulch around all plants. This will help keep the soil moist longer, cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. We have also recently begun applying a anti-transpirant to plant leaves. Because we are at elevation and are typically dry and windy this is a great aid for the retention of moisture to the plant. Flowers will last longer and the plants will be able to resist disease and insect problems better also. Anti-transpirants will also reduce fungus including blackspot and powdery mildew. We also use superthrive for all new planting to reduce stress and actually increase growth through the transition from pot to ground. Another strategy we are transitioning to is the use of in line emitter tubing. The new soaker lines have emitter embedded inside them so they do not clog easily and last a lot longer the old soaker hose. The major benefit to the soaker hose over traditional emitter is we can cover much more of the root zone and use the same amount of water per plant.
Prescott, Az. 86304
How plants thrive in the high dessert.
Here in the high dessert both the sun and the wind can be intense making it a challenge for our plants to take in moisture and get it to the leaves and needles quickly enough. Even the "native" plants such as Pinon and Ponderosa Pine are really on the cusp. We barely get enough of annual rainfall for them. This is part of the reason there has been so much die-back in these plants.The most important factor in growing plants here in the dessert is the soil. Our soils are alkaline and either heavy clay or mostly sand. Neither is good for growing plants. We recommend removing the soil and using fresh topsoil/mulch mix when planting new plants or flower beds. All soils benefit from our fertilizer program. Our fertilizer is a custom blend based on soil tests done over the years in our area. We also add supplemental minerals in between fertilization. Next we like to add bed of mulch around all plants. This will help keep the soil moist longer, cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. We have also recently begun applying a anti-transpirant to plant leaves. Because we are at elevation and are typically dry and windy this is a great aid for the retention of moisture to the plant. Flowers will last longer and the plants will be able to resist disease and insect problems better also. Anti-transpirants will also reduce fungus including blackspot and powdery mildew. We also use superthrive for all new planting to reduce stress and actually increase growth through the transition from pot to ground. Another strategy we are transitioning to is the use of in line emitter tubing. The new soaker lines have emitter embedded inside them so they do not clog easily and last a lot longer the old soaker hose. The major benefit to the soaker hose over traditional emitter is we can cover much more of the root zone and use the same amount of water per plant.
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