High on the Desert Newsletter
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Newsletter Cochise County Master Gardener High on the Desert Vol. 24, No. 11 November 2013 The University of Arizona 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 Mexico and medicinal herb that was once thought to Inside this issue: the Southwestern United States and protect against the plague. another in Argentina, Paraguay, and Mesquite taxonomy 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 California 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-Sonora on Plants 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 jwilliam@ag.arizona.edu/ 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 By routing recyclable materials to bly armed with sharp thorns that, taking the identification to the according to J. Frank Dobie, will the blue bin instead of the green gar- species level can be tricky. Pure bage cans, Sierra Vista residents have remain indefinitely embedded in species may be distinguished by flesh without decaying, which kept 168 tons of trash out of the land- form, color, bark, foliage, and fill each month! If you live in Sierra deters munching of the foliage other characteristics, but hybrid- by grazing animals. Their com- Vista and don’t have a blue recycling ized trees may have mixed bin and would like one, contact Sier- pound leaves are divided into characteristics from two or more many small, wax-coated leaflets ra Vista Public Works at 458-5775 or species making specific identifi- visit the website at that resist dehydration. Their cation very difficult. Click here flowers are especially attractive www.sierravistaaz.gov and search for a handy guide to mesquite for “curbside recycling”—the bins to pollinators, and they produce species identification. a prodigious quantity of seeds. are provided to any residential refuse 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 virtualgardener@cox.net 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 plant 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.