Kevens Corner – April 2015

Keven Pauling

Harvest Citrus Trees

Fruit will last longer on the tree, so leave it as long as you can; remove what you don’t want or can’t eat. Remember, your local food shelter will always take the fruit as long as it’s in good shape. It’s still okay to fertilize your trees if you haven’t already.

Watch for Bugs

If you spot bugs on your plants, usually a shot of soap and water or my bug juice in a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer should do the trick. Scan this code or go to kevenslandscape.com/kevens-korner to watch a video on how to make it.

Roses

Rose bushes do exceptionally well here in the desert; Mesa Community College has a garden with over 8,000 roses! When rose bushes are busy producing flowers they love to eat, so feed them every two weeks with a good quality fertilizer like Miracle Grow. Most nurseries sell specialized fertilizers for roses, some with a bug killer already in it. Watch for aphids and worms. Although they are easy to get rid of, they can wreak havoc on your rose crop.

Adjust Your Irrigation Timer

As the weather warms, be sure to adjust your timer for summer. If you don’t feel like you know how to and don’t want to pay to have it done, no worries. I made a video to teach you how to set your own timer. Scan the code above or go to kevenslandscape.com/tips.htm.

Treat Weeds

Spot treat any weeds with a shot of Round Up. Be sure to mix in a tablespoon of liquid dish soap – it works better – and follow all instructions. If you’d rather not use chemicals, try my grandma’s trick: hot water or a shot of household ammonia. She used to tell me that “pulling ‘em was best,” but somehow I got stuck doing all the pulling—go figure.

Questions or Comments? Send me an email at: [email protected].