Moapa Valley Progress
Is something growing in your flower bed that you know you didn’t plant there and you want to know what it is? Does your palm tree look like it’s on its way out? Do you want to know what plants do well in this area? Do you want to know how to amend your soil in order to grow vegetables? Is your willow tree oozing some slimy foam? Do you want to know about that pesky creature that has taken up residence on your fruit tree? Do you want to know how to propagate a particular plant? If so, you’re not alone! These questions and dozens of others come in to the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension office on a regular basis. Beginning February 20, a Master Gardener will be at the Extension office every Wednesday from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. to answer gardening questions. You can phone the office at 397-2604 (or 346-7215 from Mesquite), or you can drop by the office in Logandale to discuss your problem or bring a specimen.
If the Master Gardener can’t answer your questions, she may contact someone else in our pool of resources – a specialist in the Las Vegas office, the State Entomologist, the State Plant Pathologist, or perhaps other Master Gardeners with experience in your area of interest. Be prepared to answer some questions about your problem. If your cottonwood tree has holes in its trunk, are the holes all in a straight line or scattered over small areas? Is the bark peeling?
One of the major causes of plant problems in this area is improper watering, so she may grill you about what type of watering system you use, how often you water and for how many minutes, and what type of soil you have.
She may ask you to bring a specimen into the office. In that case, you should bring an example that shows the transition between healthy tissue and decaying tissue. “Don’t wait until the plant is dead!” said Pam Procter of the Cooperative Extension Office. “It’s too late to tell you much at that point. And please make sure that your specimen is bagged or boxed in order to avoid spread of any possible disease.”
Of course, if you can’t get to the office or call on Wednesday, you may contact the office anytime during the week between 8 a.m. and noon or 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. If your question can’t be answered easily and is not urgent, you may be asked to wait until Wednesday to have it researched. But if it is of an urgent nature, the Extension Office staff will make every effort to respond as soon as possible, Procter said. “And remember, the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked!”
