Newsletter High on the Desert Cochise County Master Gardener

Vol. 24, No. 11 November 2013

The University of and U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating

The Virtual Gardener—How to Know the Mesquites Love’em or hate’em, mesquites are and desert washes lined by larger one of the signature trees of southeast- specimens. ern Arizona. They come from the According to the Online Etymology Fabaceae (or legume) family and are Dictionary, the name "mesquite” comes members of the genus Prosopis. The from the Mexican Spanish word genus originated either in Africa, where “mezquite,” which in turn comes from one of the most primitive species of the an Aztec (Nahuatl) word “mizquitl.” genus (P. africana) is found, or in For some obscure reason now lost in Argentina. In any case there are three time, the genus name, Prosopis, is native population clusters. One in derived from the Greek name for Africa and the Middle East, and two in butterbur (Petasites hybridus), a the New World—one in and medicinal herb that was once thought to Inside this issue: the Southwestern and protect against the plague. another in Argentina, Paraguay, and Mesquite is confusing. The Cuttings ‘N’ Clippings 2 Chile. But mesquites have now been International Legume Database and Did You Know . . . 2 introduced by humans into almost Information Service (ILDIS) lists a Pest Management 3 every arid and semi-arid region of the total of 111 species names for the genus In a Desert Garden 4 world, including Southwest Asia, Prosopis, worldwide, but only recog- November Reminders 4 Australia. and Hawaii. nizes 46 of them as legitimate. Until Ask a Master Gardener 4 Mesquites are widely distributed in relatively recently two of the native At a Glance Box 5 the United States, ranging east-west mesquites in the United States were Desert Broom 5 from Arkansas and Louisiana to considered to be different varieties of UASV MG Project 6 and north-south from one species—juliflora. It is now Nevada, Utah, and Colorado to the recognized the P. juliflora is an entirely border with Mexico. They are especial- separate species native to Central and ly widespread in the Chihuahuan, South America. Sonoran, Mojave, and Colorado deserts (Continued on Page 2) where flat open areas may be heavily populated with mesquite shrub thickets

Cochise County Cooperative Extension www.ag.arizona.edu/cochise/mg/ 1140 N. Colombo, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 450 S. Haskell, Willcox, AZ 85643 (520) 458-8278, Ext. 2141 (520) 384-3594 P AGE 2

(Continued from page 1) report). The pods are digested and Cuttings ‘N’ their enclosed seeds dispersed in Local native mesquites come the feces of the animals that eat Clippings in three basic flavors—honey them. Individual seeds are mesquites (P. glandulosa in two armored with a protective coating  The next CCMGA meeting will varieties: var. glandulosa and that allows them to remain viable be held Thursday, November 7 at var torreyana), velvet mesquite after lying dormant for many 5:00 p.m. in the Public Meeting Room (P. velutina), and screwbean years waiting to be activated located in Groth Hall at UASV. Just mesquite (P. pubescens). Also when environmental conditions because leaves are falling doesn't widely grown here as ornamen- are just right or they have been mean your winter garden has to be tals are two imported varieties— scarified by passage through the bare and without color. Our speaker, Chilean mesquite (P. chilensis) digestive systems of animals. Master Gardener Jan Groth, will talk and Argentine mesquite (P. According to the Arizona- on for Winter Interest, discuss- alba). A third import, harder to Desert Museum mesquites ing the many desert adapted and native find in the stores and less coevolved here with Pleistocene plants with winter personality. We'll commonly grown, is the black (Ice Age) megafauna such as also touch on winter pruning for mesquite (P. nigra), also from mastodons and giant ground spring performance. As always, we Argentina. Because mesquites sloths that consumed the seeds welcome the public to attend! are quite promiscuous and easily and dispersed them widely. Cattle cross pollinate, pure species are herds, introduced by Europeans  Water Wise will hold a talk on hard to find in stores. Many many years later, served the same Septic Care at UASV in the Public nurseries don’t even try to keep purpose, causing the trees to Meeting Room located in Groth Hall them straight and simply refer to become widely spread. Lastly, on November 16 from 9:00—11:30 them as “hybrid mesquites.” mesquites have extensive root a.m. The presenter will be Dr. Kitt Common hybrids are mixes in systems that not only efficiently Farrell-Poe, UA Water Quality Spe- various proportions of velvet harvest water but host nitrogen- cialist. For information call (520) 458- mesquites, Argentine mesquites, fixing bacteria that provide a 8278, Ext 2141, or contact Joyce at: Chilean mesquites, and perhaps source of this vital element in our [email protected]/ others. impoverished soils. You can visit Water Wise at: Mesquites are optimized for Although they may sometimes waterwise.arizona.edu survival in arid desert environ- be confused at first glance with ments, which makes them some of their cousins in the superbly suited for use as legume family—acacias and ornamentals in xeric desert mimosas—mesquites are quite Did You Know . . . landscapes. Many are formida- easy to identify as a group. But bly armed with sharp thorns that, By routing recyclable materials to taking the identification to the the blue bin instead of the green gar- according to J. Frank Dobie, will species level can be tricky. Pure remain indefinitely embedded in bage cans, Sierra Vista residents have species may be distinguished by kept 168 tons of trash out of the land- flesh without decaying, which form, color, bark, foliage, and deters munching of the foliage fill each month! If you live in Sierra other characteristics, but hybrid- Vista and don’t have a blue recycling by grazing animals. Their com- ized trees may have mixed pound leaves are divided into bin and would like one, contact Sier- characteristics from two or more ra Vista Public Works at 458-5775 or many small, wax-coated leaflets species making specific identifi- that resist dehydration. Their visit the website at cation very difficult. Click here www.sierravistaaz.gov and search flowers are especially attractive for a handy guide to mesquite to pollinators, and they produce for “curbside recycling”—the bins species identification. are provided to any residential refuse a prodigious quantity of seeds. Until next time, happy surfing!

customer free of charge. The seeds are wrapped in sweet pods that are favorite foods of Gary Gruenhagen, Master Gardener -Vista 411/Oct-Nov 2013 many herbivores (and even [email protected] coyotes, according to one P AGE 3

Pest Management in the Home Garden In my experience, insect pests Janyce ease and insect resistance, so pay have not been a significant prob- attention to these characteristics the lem in the vegetable garden. next time you shop for seeds. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve defi- Healthy plants are another key to nitely lost my share of plants to minimizing pest damage. To begin insects. Squash vine borers have with, pick nice specimens if you’re destroyed my zucchini more than buying at a nursery. Root bound once, grasshoppers wreaked hav- plants or plants that “look bad” oc with my greens last fall, and won’t give you a good start to a cucumber beetles always make don’t related species in the healthy garden. Weakened plants growing tomatillos a real chal- same spot more than once every seem to attract pests looking for an lenge. Still, enough crops are suc- three or four years. easy meal. Remember, plant health cessful in any given season to Frequent inspection of the gar- begins with healthy soil, so build make the garden an overall suc- den is key to preventing pests from your soil up with organic matter and cess. Nonetheless, there are a getting out of hand. Just because compost. Organic matter also helps number of simple things we can your tomatoes won’t be producing retain moisture, a real plus here in do to improve our odds of defeat- for a few more weeks doesn’t the arid high desert. Keep your ing insect pests and plant diseas- mean you don’t need to check plants adequately watered and es. them frequently. Hornworms, for quickly remove diseased plants High on the list of things we instance, are extremely easy to from the garden to inhibit disease can, and usually do, is to have a control by hand picking, but if spread. Make sure your plants are diverse garden. A garden with not they have a week to chew on your adequately fertilized, whether you only multiple vegetable crops, but ‘mater plants before you find practice organic or conventional also herbs, shrubs, flowers, and them, you’re likely to find a toma- techniques. trees increases the kinds of habi- to plant with no leaves left and Good management techniques are tats necessary for insect predators that ain’t a path to plentiful tomato another way to beat the critters. to live there. Whether those pred- yields or tasty BLTs. Plant at the proper depth and time of ators are other insects, arthropods Another great and very easy way year, space plants adequately to en- such as spiders or birds, having to prevent problems is to select sure good air circulation and mini- them living in our garden is a real varieties that are resistant to a par- mize hiding spots for troublesome plus. Encourage predators by ticular pest or disease. For in- pests, prune plants that require prun- practicing plant diversity. stance, many squash varieties are ing. If you have a lawn, keep it Another important thing garden- susceptible to squash vine borers, mowed to deprive insects of easy ers should do is practice crop ro- but some are not. A species of hiding spots. tation. Rotating crops from spot to squash that is vine borer resistant Finally, keep a good journal on spot within the garden helps pre- is Curcurbita moschata. This spe- your garden. Record information vent soil borne diseases from get- cies encompasses a number of such as planting dates, varieties ting well established. It also de- popular squash varieties from zuc- planted, germination times, harvest feats insects that lay eggs or oth- chini types such as ‘Trombon- dates, and any significant observa- erwise overwinter in the soil, right cino’ (aka ‘Zuccheta’) to winter tions made through the growing sea- there under their favorite food. Do squashes such as ‘Waltham Butter- son. Then, and here’s the key, RE- be aware of the family groups of nut’, not to mention a number of VIEW your journal occasionally. vegetables. For instance, toma- pumpkin varieties. Most all com- Learn from your successes and mis- toes, peppers, eggplants, and po- mercially grown squashes canned takes. The bottom line is this: doing tatoes are all members of the Sol- and sold as “pumpkin” are of the just these few simple things can en- anaceae family. Cabbages, kale, C. moschata species. Insect (and hance your garden yield and quality. broccoli, cauliflower, and many disease) resistant varieties can be Happy gardening! others are all members of the found for pretty much every type Bill Schulze, Master Gardener Brassica family. Learn these veg- of vegetable you care to grow. [email protected] etable family relationships and Seed catalogs frequently tout dis- P AGE 4

In a Desert Garden Ask a Master Gardener Arizona Goldeneye Cochise County Master Garden- Viguiera ers are available to answer your gardening questions either by tele- Fall is the season when Arizona This is a good time to install phone call to the Cooperative Ex- Goldeneye shines. This is a spec- a drip system tension Office or on-line on our tacular plant, especially when Replace summer mulch with web site at: grown in masses. This is a plant in fresh mulch www.ag.arizona.edu/cochise/mg the sunflower family—Compos- Start a winter herb garden itae. There are eight species of Protect plants from frost—see The following comes from our web publication at: site’s Frequently Asked Questions: Viguiera in Arizona; some are per- ennials and some are annuals. The http://ag.arizona.edu/ Question: Should I fertilize and one that grows in my yard is the pubs/garden/az1002.pdf water my outdoor plants during the annual, V. annua. This is a plant winter? that has just arrived in my yard, as Answer: Fertilizing of trees and so many others have. I have never shrubs during the winter in the seen one available in the trade. high desert should not be done. The perennials form shrubby ers had faded. Unfortunately, the Fertilizer could stimulate plants to bushes to four feet tall and wide. show doesn't last too long. come out of dormancy, start new Here in southern Arizona I have This plant loves water, that is growth and winter damage could seen mostly the annual variety. A why, all of a sudden during the occur. These plants are "resting" few weeks ago, when I was in monsoon, the plant appears, sets above the ground but do have ac- Bisbee on Naco Road, I came flowers, and fades with the end of tivity in the roots if soil tempera- across a field with nothing but Ari- the monsoon. In my yard it stays tures are warm. Normally trees and zona Goldeneye. That was an im- attractive a little longer as it re- shrubs that go into winter with ade- pressive picture. Of course, I had ceives some irrigation. quate soil moisture do not need no camera with me. I was in that Goldeneye can grow to four feet watering during the winter. Usual- area two weeks later and the flow- tall, depending on water and soil. ly winter rains or snow provide The plants in my backyard are tall- enough water. Deciduous plants do er and more vigorous as there the not need much water because the soil has been amended and more leaves, where transpiration occurs, water is available. are gone and nutrients needed for This is a very dainty plant with growth are not required because slender stems and thin long lance there is no shoot growth. The same shaped green leaves, heavily holds true for most evergreen branched, and has a gazillion small plants. When the air temperatures yellow sunflower-like flowers with are cold and sunlight is reduced, darker centers. It attracts many why grow? However, if winter insects like bees and butterflies. moisture is not sufficient to keep The only downside to this plant is the roots moist they will die. If no that it usually grows where it winter moisture occurs for four to doesn't belong, growing where the six weeks then water. seeds fall, usually between other ornamentals. But the show is so breathtaking and short-lived, I let it be and enjoy it while it lasts.

Angel Rutherford. Master Gardener Cochise County Master Photographer Gardener Newsletter Editor Carolyn Gruenhagen P AGE 5

At a Glance Box helps with wind dispersal) break up into smaller pieces and are It’s a Bloomin’ Cochise County Native Plant of the Month transported by the wind. Plant: Desert Broom, sarothroides What can cause some reactions Description: A woody, evergreen shrub in people year-round is the slight Blooms: Fall stickiness of the plant. Dust, pol- Use: Male plant, hedge, evergreen Xeriscape choice len, and other irritants can stick to Culture: No supplemental water. Hardy. the stems, and the resin itself may Learn more: Cochise County Herbarium, cause an allergic reaction. http://www.cochisecountyherbarium.org/plant.php?cat=dbsn&item=778 However, the positive attributes For an in-depth article on Desert Broom, see below of the male plant are good enough that a groundcover Cado Daily “trailing desert broom,” Baccha- Water Resources Coordinator, Water Wise Program University of Arizona Cochise County Cooperative Extension ris hybrid, has made its way into the nursery trade and is a favorite with some landscapers. Even the can even tell from a distance (even local upright species can make a Desert Broom from the car) that some plants have great evergreen landscape plant, Baccharis sarothroides a dirty yellow look, while others or even a hedge. The fact that it is are whiter. Up close, you will see so hard to get rid of makes it a The females are the problem. flowers with white fluff on some great no-care, no-water plant They are more prolific than rab- plants and small almost ball- where you do want it! To keep bits. (Please note, this author is a shaped dirty-yellow colored flow- the plant from getting too woody, female so I take full responsibility ers on others. It is because these some light to severe pruning can for any sexist comments!) But no, plants are dioecious—meaning that be done in late winter. I am not describing human behav- there is a male plant and a female So before you attack the desert ior. I am describing the female plant. When the male plant is in broom in your yard, take a second plant Baccharis sarothroides or bloom, you will see that there are look. If it is an attractive male, more commonly known as “desert beetles, butterflies and other as- you may want to keep it. broom.” sorted flying beauties that visit the For those who do not know the Ms. Cado Daily, M.A. dirty yellow-colored flowers. Water Resources Coordinator plant, it is an evergreen, indige- In November, the female plant nous shrub that doesn’t look like releases her seeds and the white it has any leaves, is about four fluff flies all over the place. At that Male Desert Broom feet wide by five feet high and is time it is common to hear people rather, well, prolific. For those complain about an allergic reaction who do know the plant, I am sure to the plant. I think we can safely the majority of you are saying, say that the male plant isn’t a cause “Aurgh! Desert broom—get rid of of the reaction since it produced it!!” But hold-on, let me shed a pollen in October (and since it gets little light on this under- covered in insects it implies that appreciated plant. the plant is insect pollinated and If you look carefully at several not wind pollinated). Although the different shrubs when they are in female seed fluff is rather large for bloom (Oct-Nov), you will notice getting up a nose, perhaps the that the flowers are different. You achenes (the fluff on a seed that

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Jeffrey C. Silvertooth, Associate Dean & Director, Economic Development & Extension, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Arizona. The University of Arizona is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities. The information given herein is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Cooperative Extension is implied. Any products, services, or organizations that are mentioned, shown, or indirectly implied in this publication do not imply endorsement by the University of Arizona. P AGE 6

CCMGA Project at UASV

The Cochise County Master Gardeners continue to expand the demonstration/ teaching gardens on the UASV campus now to the east front patios of Groth Hall. Look- ing good!

Planning a project that involves digging?

Know what’s below—call before you dig! 811