The Landscape Design Site Landscaping Blog

For most of us, Poinsettias are symbolic of Christmas and the Christmas season. They’re not a common garden or landscaping plant. However, as Woods Houghton points out in the following article, with a little care, they can make a very nice specimen or house plant for all seasons.

Poinsettias can be kept year after year, and they will bloom each year if you give them proper care.

When the leaves begin to yellow or when the plan is no longer desired as an ornamental, gradually withhold water. The leaves will pale and fall, and the colorful bracts will be the last to go. After all the leaves have fallen, store the plant in its pot, in a cool dry dark area. Keep the plant on the dry side, water only to keep the stems from withering.

In April or May, bring the plant out of storage. Cut the main stems six inches above the soil level. Remove the pot and old soil from the roots. Repot the plant in fresh medium having good drainage. Place the pant in a warm, sunny spot for renewed growth. Keep the humidity high to encourage rapid new growth. Once the pant is active apply a week fertilizer once a month.

After frost danger is past, sink the pot into a protected and sunny bed. Light shade is ideal during the hottest part of the day. Lift the pot occasionally to prevent root growth into surrounding soil.

Keep the poinsettia actively growing all summer by watering and fertilizing regularly.

To obtain a bushy plant pinch new shoot back so that at least two nodes remain on each until late August. Remove week stems completely, so only a few of the stronger one develop.

As cool fall weather begins, take the plant inside to a south window with full sun. Poinsettias do best in full fall sun and the bracts (apparent petals) obtain their deepest color in good light.

The poinsettia is known as a true long-night plant. This means that the plant must be in total darkness for about 14 hours out of every day for a four-week period to form flower buds. In late September or early October make certain the poinsettia receives no artificial light after nightfall.

For more information Contact your Local County Extension office and ask for guide H-406. This and all programs are available to everyone regardless of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, or veteran status. New Mexico State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Eddy County Government Cooperating to put knowledge to work.

Eddy County Extension Service and New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity employer and educator. Eddy County Government, New Mexico State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating, to put knowledge to work.

Woods E. Houghton

Eddy County Agriculture Extension Agent

1304 West Stevens

Carlsbad, NM 88220

This time of year I get a lot of calls and service requests about trees and shrubs that appear to be dying. While there may be several causes, some are more common and probable than others due to current conditions. One of the most common found durring the heat and end of Summer is Summer Leaf Scorch. In the following post, Woods Houghton gives a good explanation and possible remedy for Summer Leaf Scorch.

This time of year I get lots of calls on trees and shrubs with the leaf edges burning back and veins and middle green but slowly browning. Most often occurs during hot weather, usually in July or August. Leaves turn brown around the edges and between the veins. Sometime the whole leaf dies, or a large number drop during the late summer. This problem is most severe on the youngest branches or new growth. Trees do not generally die and the twigs are supple and show signs of life. The leaf is often supple as well, which helps differentiate this from iron deficiency, salt burn and scorch mite. It happens often following a rain in Eddy county.

Leaf scorch is caused by excessive evaporation of moisture from the leaves. In hot weather, and low humidity water evaporates rapidly from the leaves. If the water has a high salt content such as found in South Eastern New Mexico salts may be left behind and some salt burn can occur as well. Salts also cause a physiological drought to the plant as well. If the roots cannot absorb and convey water fast enough to replenish this loss, the leaves turn brown and wither. This occurs in dry soil but if high salt concentration in the soil or water can occur under moist conditions as well. Other contributing factors include hot dry winds, limited soil area, or insufficient watering depth. Summer leaf scorch is more prevalent in trees and shrubs with shallow roots, such as sycamore, mulberry, cottonwoods, and some oaks.

To prevent further scorch deep-water trees during periods of hot weather to wet down the entire root space and proper location and planting of trees. Water less often but for longer periods of time will result in deeper rooting depth, less leaf scorching and reduced blow over of trees. The evaporation rate in Eddy County exceeds 110 inches per year, and in midsummer with temperature exceeding 100 degrees F. can exceed 2 inches per day. This can create a demand the exceeds the delivery capacity of the tree in simple words a two inch per day demand and the tree only has the physical capacity to deliver 1.75 inches. This can get further complicated by having two crops in the same location such as trees and a lawn, or trees and flowers. The grower needs to supply the water for both crops and in the hot dry weather this can be difficult.

For more information Contact your Local County Extension office. Eddy County Extension Service, New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator. All programs are available to everyone regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. New Mexico State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Eddy County Government Cooperating.

Usually at the first sign of yellow leaves, most folks pour on the iron supplement or fertilizer. And this is understandable because 9 times out of 10 they’re doing so because of advice they got from the place they bought it. And 9 times out of 10, the diagnosis is right but the prescription and remedy is wrong.

By the time I get the service call, there are toxic levels of iron supplement and fertilizers visibly on the surface of the soil and the leaves are still turning yellow and falling off.

Since I have dealt with this same problem many times, I know the problem isn’t a lack of iron. There’s plenty of iron in our soil and most soils. Generally, the problem will be either over watering, improper Ph balance, or both.

If I can rule out overwatering by inspecting and checking the soil for mold and musty smell, I know the problem is probably improper Ph balance. The nutrients are in the soil but they’re locked up and can’t be used by the plant because the soil is out of balance. Around here it’s because of extreme high alkalinity as we live on a large Limestone shelf.

After confirming this with an inexpensive test kit, we began a slow systematic increase in soil acidity with simple garden sulfur. A little at a time spread out over several weeks. Within a few months the soil ph will become more acid, the iron will become available, and the plants will get healthy and green.

I prefer dusting sulfur, Sulfur granules, or Copperas which is a trade name for an iron/sulfer supplement that adds both at the same time.

Keep this in mind if your plants start to look sick. Don’t just start pouring the fertilizers to them. You can do your plants more harm than good. After a visual inspection for insects, disease, and over watering, check the soil Ph and adjust it to what your specific plants like. You’ll be surprised at the overall health of your plants when your soil is perfect.