2009 Southwest Yard & Garden Archives

Search the SWY&G archives Current Column Southwest Yard & Garden is a weekly column, written by Curtis W. Smith, Extension horticulture specialist, that addresses garden and landscape questions. For more gardening information, visit the NMSU Extension publications World Wide Web site at http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h.

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Send your gardening questions to:

Yard and Garden, ATTN: Dr. Curtis Smith

NMSU Cooperative Extension Service

9301 Indian School Road, NE, Suite 112

Albuquerque, NM 87112

cwsmith@nmsu.edu

Curtis W. Smith, Ph.D., is an Extension Horticulture Specialist with New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service. New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator.

• January
• December
• November
• October
• September
• August
• July
• June
• May
• April
• March
• February

January

• January 3
  Salt accumulation in potting soil damages house plants.

• January 10
  Poinsettias will freeze outside in New Mexico
  It is difficult to force lilac twigs to bloom early indoors.

• January 17
  Minimize damage to tree roots when building footers

• January 24
  Fire prevention pruning may increase chances of bark beetle attack, but pruning paint won't help - Siberian elm may be used to create a "shrub" hedge

• January 31
  Pruning thornless blackberries - Raspberries and blueberries for Central New Mexico

February

• February 7
  If you want to grow blueberries in New Mexico you must work to modify soil pH.

• Febrary 14
  Some reasons a nandina plant may do poorly

• February 21
  Manage weeds to reduce curly top virus this summer
  Yes, you can grow okra in New Mexico

• February 28
  Composting can be almost odorless

March

• March 7
  Restarting a "rested" garden is like beginning a new garden

• March 14
  Don't let seeds dry when they are germinating!

• March 21
  Be careful when using fertilizer combined with post-emergent herbicide.

• March 28
  Avocados are not a recommended tree for New Mexico

April

• April 4
  You can save your poinsettia for next year if you are willing to take the effort

• April 11
  Gardening in New Mexico is different from the East Coast

• April 18
  Grafting may help a wounded apple tree

• April 25
  Fungus gnats in aloe vera potted plant

May

• May 2
  Wisteria seed planting and peach tree seedlings

• May 9
  Which is better? Rock mulch or bark mulch?

• May 16
  Grass can be weeds in garden

• May 23
  You can keep birds from eating your seedlings

• May 30
  Are there any roses that will grow in Cloudcroft?

June

• June 6
  Transplants can be shocked by the transplant process

• June 13
  You can grow stevia in New Mexico during the summer

• June 17
  There are several potential causes for a tree to appear to die suddenly

• June 27
  Spurge weed management in lawns

July

• July 4
  There are options if a tree is too close to a house

• July 11
  Plant hollyhock seeds as they mature on the plant

• July 18
  Curly top virus strikes again!

• July 25
  Blossom end rot in New Mexico is due to hot, dry conditions
  Tomato spotted wilt virus is a problem in New Mexico

August

• August 1
  Fruit trees do not usually bear good quality fruit the first year after planting

• August 8
  Extreme pruning of euonymus now can cause problems in some parts of New Mexico

• August 15
  Some vegetable plants not forming fruits this summer

• August 18
  Transplanting New Mexico locust and Russian olive and what to do with a tree the wind broke

• August 29
  Consider safety when installing greywater systems

September

• September 5
  Early September is a good time to prepare houseplants for wintering indoors

• September 12
  My houseplants have gotten too large to bring indoors. They will not fit where I kept them last winter. Is it ok to trim them back?

• September 19
  Gourds may be edible, but often not tasty - Be sure you know what you are eating
  Now is the time to plant spring-flowering bulbs

• Southwest Yard & Garden - Sept 26, 2009
  Coffee grounds and tea leaves are good for New Mexico gardens

October

• October 3
  Efficient turfgrass irrigation depends on you

• October 10
  Juniper mistletoe is difficult to eradicate

• October 17
  Saving seeds for next year

• October 25
  There are some trees, shrubs, and vines to give red fall color in New Mexico

November

• November 5
  Rose pruning in fall is discouraged

• November 14
  You can start a mimosa tree from seeds

• November 21
  Here are some unusual and interesting houseplants you can grow

• November 28
  Fruit flies or fungus gnats? You need to identify insects to properly manage problems

December

• December 5
  There are several reasons why people do not compost

• December 12
  Making compost from leaves may need some additional nitrogen

• December 19
  Should we irrigate in the winter?

• December 26
  Pinching to remove flowers buds helps keep some coleus plants attractive