Tortolita LandscapingTortolita Landscaping

March Tip

kim — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:35:18 +0000

Keep an eye on your weather forecast…. Now is the time to begin considering trimming and pruning the frost damaged and older plants.

Watch your trees and shrubs for new growth. Usually, once you see new growth and buds forming, the time is generally safe to cut back on the damaged and over grown plants. Remember, plant material doesn’t last forever. Pruning them to the ground to start over works in the short term, but after 20 years or more, your best approach may be to replace them.

When replacing plants, keep the mulch to a minimum. Too much mulch repels water and invites unwanted insects.

February Tip

kim — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:40:05 +0000

Leave those frost damaged plants alone this month…. The weather may seem to be getting warmer however, based on experience, we almost always get one more frost sometime in February and early March. Give the plants some time to recover, if you trim too early you risk deeper frost damage that may kill your plants.

Now is also the time to Fertilize your Citrus Trees. A store bought fertilizer is fine, read and follow all label instructions.

January Tip

kim — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:05:48 +0000

Although we live in the desert, night time temperatures can still dip to freezing or below freezing. Make sure all frost tender plants and cacti are covered to protect against frost damage when temperatures are below 33 degrees. Don’t forget your irrigation! Make sure your exposed irrigation pipes are insulated with purchased pipe foam insulation or rags can be wrapped and secured with duct tape.

Watering for Healthy Plants

jody — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:25:23 +0000

Watering is an art, or at least a scheduled event if you want green healthy looking plants….. Watering is based upon several different conditions, ie. established landscape, newly installed landscape, soil conditions in your area, age of your irrigation system and the per gallon output of your emitters.

In the Winter months, if you have an established landscape, watering for 1-1/2 to 2 hours three times a week is sufficient. For a new landscape you should be watering 1 hour every day.

Please consider your soil conditions and your irrigation system for modifications. For a consult of your watering schedule please call Tortolita Landscaping Inc. at (520) 744-0058.