Important Information About the Apple Maggot In Valencia County.

Important Information About the Apple Maggot in Valencia County through the Following Link.
Please Share with everyone you know who grows apples!

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/local_guide/grow_local/apple-maggot-attacks-valencia-orchards#.T8rXQMe3ZZc.blogger

Desert Willow

The Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) is a small flowering tree grown for its orchid like flowers and tolerance to hot arid landscapes.

The Desert Willow is a New Mexico native tree that normally grows with multi-trunks to about 15′-18’ tall and wide. If pruned into a single-trunk tree it can grow much taller. This trees common name, Desert Willow, is given due to its willow-like leaves (photo). The Desert Willow is not related to other willows like Globe or Weeping.

The Desert Willow is well suited for the xeric landscape or to cool down a west or south facing wall. In particularly hot areas, areas with low annual rainfall or where water is limiting the Desert Willow makes a great specimen tree because of its tolerance to these conditions. In hot, dry areas the Desert Willow is sometimes used as the sole landscaping tree (photo).

It produces a light dappled shade due to its leaf and canopy structure that is ideal to cool down hot sun facing walls (photo).

It produces orchid like flowers that attract hummingbirds and blooms from summer until frost. Trees are available with flowers in various shades of pink,

white flowers,

or burgundy flowers.

Desert Willows are best grown in well drained soils with low water. Given low to regular water, about once weekly during summer, Desert Willows flower more frequently. Desert Willows are hardy to about USDA Zone 6.

Trees That Please Nursery has the Desert Willow available in 5 and 15 gallon containers. Contact the nursery for more information and pricing.

Written By:

Stephen Sain
Staff Plant Physiologist

New Zealand White Clover an Orchard Cover Crop

New Zealand White Clover (Trifolium repens) is a perennial nitrogen fixing legume that reaches about 8-12 inches in height.  New Zealand White Clover is more tolerant of heat and drought than larger clovers, is more vigorous, and tolerates a wide range of soils.

New Zealand White Clover forms a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen fixing soil bacteria called Rhizobium trifolii. Rhizobium bacteria are found in root nodules of clover and other legumes. The Rhizobium bacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium that the plant uses for growth and development. The plant in turn provides a suitable growth environment (root nodule) as well as other nutrients such as carbohydrates and protein.

 
New Zealand White Clover is used as green manure as it fixes up to 170 pounds of nitrogen per acre. Excess nitrogen is released into the surrounding soil where associated plants use it for growth and development. Local Orchards, Valencia County Extension Service, and Homeowners use New Zealand White Clover under their orchards or vineyards to provide natural organic nitrogen and eliminate the need to buy inorganic nitrogen fertilizers (photo).

New Zealand White Clover is also used as “living mulch”. Like other mulches a surface crop of New Zealand White Clover protects the soil from drying, high temperatures, chokes out weeds, and the flowers attract beneficial insects like honeybees (photo).

Reminder also, that a field of clover is just enjoyable to view, smell, and search through for lucky 4-leaf variations.

New Zealand White Clover will grow on most soils but requires regular moisture for growth. This is one reason it is well suited as an orchard or vineyard cover crop because fruit crops require regular moisture for production. Leave clover un-mowed in late summer or early fall so that this added bulk can act as an insulator through the winter months.

Trees That Please Nursery has both White Clover and New Zealand White Clover available for planting as an orchard cover crop.  Contact the nursery for more information and pricing.

Yellow Bird of Paradise

Yellow Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia gilliesii) is a small shrub that may reach 6’-8’ tall and wide. It is a member of the legume family (related to peas and beans). It is commonly known as bird of paradise, but more specifically Yellow Bird of Paradise. The Yellow Bird of Paradise has yellow petals with bright red stamens (see photo).

Two other commonly grown related species are Red Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) that has red flowers and Mexican Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia mexicana) that has all yellow flowers. Yellow Bird of Paradise is the hardiest of these three species.

The plant has a light feathery appearance because of its leaves. Leaves are structurally bipinnate, with 3-10 pairs of pinnae, each bearing pairs of thin leaflets (photo).

These leaves are similar to those of the mimosa tree (photo).

Flowers are found on short stalks and begin blooming in late spring or early summer and then occasionally through the rest of summer. Yellow Bird of Paradise makes a striking low water ornamental plant due to its showy display of flowers (photo).

Plant it in the rockscape or xeric garden or against a wall for a splash of color.

The plant has been used medicinally for fever, sores, and coughs by people of South America. The seeds and seed pods of this plant are poisonous. Plants are hardy to USDA zone 6-7 with occasional winter damage or dieback.

Trees That Please Nursery has Yellow Bird of Paradise available in 5 gallon containers. Contact the nursery for more information and pricing.

Written By:

Stephen Sain
Staff Plant Physiologist

Come Join Us tomorrow for Our “Spring Fling in the Trees”

You are invited to The Arboretum Tomé  to enjoy our  unique collection of native high desert trees during our annual ‘Spring Fling in the Trees’ open house.  The Arboretum Tomé is a collection of rare trees endemic to the desert Southwest.  The collection includes a huge variety of Oak trees, the genus Quercus, along with Redwoods, Giant Timber Bamboo, and Maples, including a Western native sugar maple called the Bigtooth Maple, Acer grandidentatum.

The Arboretum is a great place to spend some time under the shade of mature native trees, to study and observe, to be inspired, or to see the great variety of native landscaping trees the southwest has to offer. The Arboretum is also used as an outdoor classroom where lectures are performed. Tours are available for school field trips, students, academic professionals, and individual showings.

Our Spring Fling is Free

May 19^th  9:30 to 4:00
Located at 9 Gilcrease Road, Los Lunas, NM 87031

Bring your sack lunch and enjoy the shade of  Fruit Trees, Redwoods, Maples, & Oaks.

 
Lectures at 10 am on Soil Building, Landscape Design, and
How to Successfully Plant Trees.
 
In the afternoon enjoy live music by Mike Montiel.

Visit our Website for more information and directions:  www.treesthatpleasenursery.com

Spanish Broom

Spanish Broom (Spartium junceum) is a perennial, evergreen, nitrogen-fixing (leguminous) shrub native to the Mediterranean area of Southern Europe, Asia, and North Africa. In its native habitat it is found growing in full sun on dry, sandy soils. Spanish Broom does well in many New Mexico landscapes which have characteristics similar to its native habitat.

It is used as an ornamental in the garden, around the house, or xeric landscape plantings. Spanish Broom can grow 1’-1.5’ annually reaching up to 10’ tall and wide.  It grows as an upright shrub with green trunk and stems with occasional small leaves during spring and summer. In late spring Spanish Broom is literally covered with very fragrant yellow pea-like flowers.

 
As a nitrogen-fixing legume it is related to plants in the pea family which is easily seen by a close look at its flower (photo).

Spanish Broom is best grown in well-drained soils in full sun and can be grown with low to regular water after establishment. When Spanish Broom exceeds its allotted space or needs reshaping it can be rejuvenated by pruning it back.  The older, large stems can be pruned down to near ground level. This leaves only smaller, newer branches and encourages development of new growth. New stems tend to flower more heavily than the older stems, so pruning increases flower production by the plant. Spanish Broom is hardy to USDA zone 6.

Trees That Please Nursery has Spanish Broom in 1 and 5 gallon sizes. Contact the nursery for more information and pricing.

Written By:
Stephen Sain
Staff Plant Physiologist

The Arboretum Tomé “Spring Fling in the Trees” is in 2 Days

You are invited to The Arboretum Tomé to see our unique collection of native high desert trees during our annual ‘Spring Fling in the Trees’ open house.  The Arboretum Tomé is a collection of rare trees endemic to the desert Southwest. The collection includes a huge variety of Oak trees, the genus Quercus, along with Redwoods, Giant Timber Bamboo, and Maples, including a Western native sugar maple called the Bigtooth Maple, Acer grandidentatum.

The Arboretum is a great place to spend some time under the shade of mature native trees, to study and observe, to be inspired, or to see the great variety of native landscaping trees the southwest has to offer. The Arboretum is also used as an outdoor classroom where lectures are performed. Tours are available for school field trips, students, academic professionals, and individual showings.

Our Spring Fling is Free

May 19^th  9:30 to 4:00
Located at 9 Gilcrease Road, Los Lunas, NM 87031

Bring your sack lunch and enjoy the shade of  Fruit Trees, Redwoods, Maples, & Oaks.

Lectures at 10 am on Soil Building, Landscape Design, and

How to Successfully Plant Trees.
 
In the afternoon enjoy live music by Mike Montiel.

Visit our Website for more information and directions:  www.treesthatpleasenursery.com