Thank you for calling Dial-a-Garden. This message was recorded on Tuesday, March 11, 2008.

Dormant oil, as the name implies, is a late winter treatment for woody plants that needs to be applied before the leaves and flower buds break dormancy. Dormant oil is used for the control of aphids, mites, and scales, and is an especially important application where leaf curling aphids are a problem. If it is applied after leaves or flower buds open, these tender tissues will burn. The oil must coat the trunk, branches, and twigs thoroughly. To save on product, prune your trees prior to making the application.

Fruit trees are a serious commitment. Pests must be controlled at the appropriate times throughout the season; backyard trees that are left untreated are a threat to the fruit industry; they become nurseries for pest populations and cause more pesticides to be used in the long run. If you don’t want to deal with the upkeep, please consider replacing fruit trees with non-fruiting species. If you do have trees and want to keep them, our spray guides will keep you advised about how to care for them. Please see www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/02800.pdf for apple and pear trees, or www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/02804.pdf for the stone fruits including peaches, cherries, apricots, and plums.

Information on proper pruning is also available on line. Please see our fruit pages at www.westernslopefruit.org for information on the pruning and thinning of apples, pears, and stone fruits. Additional pages in this section discuss fertilizing, hardiness, and the various pests you may encounter. You can also give the Master Gardeners a call at 244-1836 for more information on fruit tree care.

There will be a free rose pruning workshop at the Lincoln Park rose garden on Wednesday, April 9, beginning at 9:00 a.m. The rose garden is located in front of the clubhouse, off Gunnison Avenue, and contains about 300 rose bushes. Members of the Desert Vista Garden Club, the Grand Valley Rose Society, and Advanced Master Gardeners will be present to assist. There will be information on rose care and tool care, a planting demonstration, and of course the pruning. We hope to get the entire garden pruned that morning, so bring your tools, your “rose armor”, sunscreen and a hat, and come join the fun. There is no need to pre-register, but feel free to call us at 244-1836 if you need more information.

Coincide the application of pre-emergence herbicides with the blooming of the forsythia in your area. This will be very soon in the Grand Valley. Pre-emergence herbicides provide the most effective chemical control of the annual weedy grasses in the lawn, such as foxtail, crabgrass, and barnyard grass, as these weeds are difficult to select for once established. Be sure the herbicide is applied evenly to form a chemical barrier preventing germination, and don’t use a pre-emergence if you are planning to overseed this spring. More information may be found at www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/03101.html or give us a call at 244-1836.

Mesa County is offering a cost share program to assist homeowners in unincorporated county areas to get rid of noxious weeds. “Noxious” is a legal definition; weeds on this list are determined by each county as the ones that they will devote time and money to controlling. Information is available on the county’s web site at http://www.mesacounty.us/pest/ including an application for the cost share program, which will pay for half of the cost of herbicides, up to $500.00 per property. Call the Mesa County Extension office at 244-1836 for more information about this program.

Our offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00, except on legal holidays. Master Gardeners are available in the Mesa County office to answer your yard or gardening questions; give us a call at 244-1836, or stop by and visit us at the Mesa County fairgrounds, 2775 U. S. Highway 50, just south of Grand Junction.

Thank you for calling Dial-a-Garden. This message will be updated next week; have a great week!

to the Dial-a-Garden Message Home page
to the Tri River Area Gardening and Horticulture Home Page

Curt Swift CSU Extension Tri River Area Horticultural Agent