Pruning oleander will eliminate flowers for a while
Q: My oleanders need trimming. They are still blooming and the weather is hot. Is it safe to trim them now or did I miss my opportunity? that anchor the plant. The plant can start to lean. If the soil is prepared well before planting, root death from watering too often is difficult.
Watering too often can cause very strong top growth. There is nothing wrong with strong top growth if the roots can spread far enough to support the weight of the top. If the roots are kept small and the top grows a lot, then the plant can lean or even topple over.
Roots can be kept small by watering close to the trunk. If the only water a saguaro can get is close to the trunk, then the roots will grow only there. Drip emitters that apply water only a foot from the trunk cause a very small root system to develop. Applying water frequently next to the trunk with a hose can cause the same problem.
It is best to water no more often than once every three weeks. Distribute the water over a wide area near the trunk. This can be done by growing other plants in the general vicinity so the saguaro can draw upon water from these plants as well. Apply a generous amount if watering only this often; 10 to 20 gallons should be enough.
Q: I would like to start a raised bed garden in my side yard which faces west. Right now there are groundcover rocks. Can I put my raised garden on top of these rocks or do I need to remove the rocks first? In some places, they are almost a foot deep.
A: Having large rocks and putting a raised bed on top of it should pose no real problems, but I do want to express some concerns about how to do it.
There are two ways. Put a weed barrier down first that will let air and water through to the layer below and keep it separate from the rocks; or don’t use one and let the soil from the raised bed begin to settle into the rocks. Either one will work.
Some people are adamant about the weed barrier. I am not. If the rocks are larger than 3/8 inch, the water should drain easily from the raised bed into the rock layer. It’s important that the raised bed drains easily.
Some will argue that having a raised bed over rock actually benefits drainage, similar to putting potting soil in a container with rocks at the bottom. This isn’t true. Placing rock in the bottom of a container to improve drainage is an old wives’ tale.
Soil placed in the raised bed without a weed barrier will sink for the first couple of months so be prepared to “top off” the raised bed later. The raised bed with the weed barrier is less likely to do that.
Soil in all raised beds will settle to some degree, but normal settling is about an inch. The raised bed over rock will probably sink much more than this, but it would be hard to estimate because it varies with the size of the spaces between the rocks.
To grow some decent root crops (I am thinking of some of the longer/ larger carrots) you will need a 12-inch depth of soil that is free of large rocks. Raised beds filled with a manufactured soil mix (usually a mixture of compost and sand) will provide a rock-free soil.
Use a soil mix that has a good quality of sand mixed in it. I would rather see gardeners pay more upfront for a better soil mix at the start than buying the cheapest one they can find. Cheap soil mixes will use inferior sand. Soil mixes for raised beds are permanent. Once you commit to a soil mix, you are stuck with it. So get a good one right off the bat.
Q: I have 8-year-old palm trees in my backyard and this year they decided to flower and seed. This is the first year they have done this. Is this normal or is something else going on? They make a mess so is there anything I can do to stop or slow how much they produce? Is it okay to trim these flowering stems out? Can I do it before they flower?
A: Once palm trees reach maturity, they flower, fruit and produce seed. This is normal. They can be a big MORRIS,