Vegas Voice 10-18

Ask A Master Gardener
By: Howard Galin / Happy Gardening
October is one of the busiest months for
the Las Vegas gardener. The temperature
is getting milder and we can spend more time
outdoors without “melting away.”
I divide this month’s chores into two categories: Checking out the
landscape and then repairing and improving.
During early October, I suggest checking out the status of your
landscape and equipment. Now is the time to replace dead and damaged
plants and modify and repair your drip systems. The nurseries and
home centers will have fresh supplies of trees, bushes and plants ready
for you to plant (and in some cases, provide a feast for the rabbits!).
During this time, visually check out the drip systems “and repair
and expand” where needed because as your landscaping grows, the
irrigation needs to grow too! Be ready to add and/or reposition your
drips!
As we progress into the last weeks of October and the leaves on our
deciduous trees and bushes are falling, we can begin the annual fall
cleanup. With diminishing temperature and daylight, it is also time to
begin your heavy pruning.
We wait for this time so that any pruning will not stimulate new
growth that may be damaged by an early frost. Palm trees should be
pruned first since we want the remaining fronds to acclimate to the
cooler temperatures.
Roses should be pruned by removing at least half of the existing
stems and branches. This will stimulate greater growth in the Spring.
Do not prune fruit trees until they go dormant later in the season.
All additional plants (including cactus) could be pruned and shaped
as well.
As for Yucca and Agave - remove dead areas. Also, treat the soil
around any Agave plants with a systemic insecticide as well. During the
summer, the Agave weevil has laid eggs under the soil and these eggs
will hatch during the cooler months and the larvae will eat the roots of
these plant and kill these expensive plants!
Once we have completed these tasks we can relax - until next month!
Have questions? Contact me at: ThePlantWhisperer28@gmail.com.
Howard Galin, a/k/a: “The Plant Whisperer” is a retired NYC
school administrator, transplanted in Las Vegas who devotes his
time to communicating with and lecturing about our native
plants.
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October 2018