QUESTION OF THE WEEK
We just bought a house that has a large peach tree in back. Why doesn’t it have any fruit?
Answer: Pollination is not a concern, since peaches, unlike apples and pears, are self-pollinators. Look around the tree for signs of fruit that’s fallen. Perhaps it was attacked by the plum curculio insect, causing fruit drop, or a disease called brown rot. If that’s the case, then next year take preventive measures to protect the tree.
If you do not find fruit on the ground, then the tree is just not blooming and producing well. Make sure it is getting plenty of sunlight. Trees that are going to fruit need full sun or close to it and they require trimming some branches above.
Water hasn’t been a problem recently, but if things dry up the next few months, make sure the tree gets plenty of water. Perhaps if the house was empty during last year’s drought, the tree was neglected at the time it was setting this year’s fruit. Give it some special care this year, thin it, keep it mulched, and see what happens next year.
past Questions of the Week →
PLANT OF THE WEEK
Ice plant (Delosperma cooperi)
 Hardy ice plant is a succulent with a sprawling, ground-cover growth pattern akin to moss rose and portulaca, but it is a perennial rather than an annual.
It likes full sun. When it blooms, it really sets the landscape ablaze with neon, fuchsia, and magenta blooms that are absolutely stunning. It blooms from late spring on through summer and even in the fall. It’s an incredible hardy plant—very tough. The only thing you can do wrong with it is over water it. In really soggy conditions it will rot, but if you’ve got a dry area—perhaps a slope that is difficult to keep moist, that is an excellent spot for it. Spilling over a wall is another good place. You can even use it in containers.
past Plants of the Week →
PLANTING TIPS OF THE WEEK
- No need to fertilize the lawn right now.
- Okay to side dress vegetables and ornamentals.
- Foliar feed tomatoes and peppers.
- Apply natural fungicides, but not in the heat of day.
- Keep an eye out for aphids on crape myrtles and other plants. Aphids weaken the plant by sucking out its juices. In addition, a fungus known as sooty mold results from the aphids’ secretions. A little insecticidal soap and a few ladybugs will usually keep them at bay quite well.
more Planting Tips →
THIS WEEK’S FEATURES
Debbie Jackson from Sagebrush Landscaping illustrates how a few small changes can make a big difference.
|
