March is upon us

In a few short days March will be upon us.

There are a few things to be aware of and start planning for:

1)  Now is a good time to be fertilizing and planting trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials

2)  Adjusting irrigation clocks

3)  Controlling for Poa annua weeds in all turfs


4) Preemergence herbicides can be applied now to prevent summer annual weeds such as crabgrass and spurge

5)  March is the time that the ants start moving about and soon we will be seeing Crane Flies (look like "giant" mosquitoes)

There is a web site available that offers information on all the things above and much much more concerning your pest and landscape care needs.

Please go to www.CIPM.weebly.com, click March and follow the links. 

Roses Are Red or pink or yellow or white.....Rose selection and care.

The culture of roses in the low desert is much easier than in other more temperate climates and we have the added bonus of fewer insect and disease problems. Roses provide splendid color during the cooler months of March to June.

ISSUED OCTOBER, 2002 

LUCY BRADLEY,

ExtensionAgent, Urban Horticulture

Full Article: Rose selection and planting in Arizona

http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/az1304.pdf

More information on roses: 

http://cals.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/pubs.htm#Flowers

Pruning Shrubs in the Low and Mid-Elevation Deserts in Arizona

BKStevens

Pruning is the intentional removal of parts of a plant. Pruning needs of shrubs commonly planted in the low and mid-elevation deserts in Arizona vary from no pruning to regular seasonal pruning. Requirements vary by plant species, design intent, and placement in a landscape. Fast growing shrubs generally need frequent pruning from the time of establishment until maturity, while slow growing shrubs require little to none. Pruning should only be done when necessary and at the right time of year. Using the natural growth form of a shrub is a good guide for pruning. Shearing shrubs should be avoided except for maintenance of formal hedges or plant sculptures. All pruning should be done with sharp hand pruners or, for thicker stems, loppers.

For more information concerning pruning shrubs please follow the link below and also look under the "videos" tab for a short video on the why's of pruning with Dr. Ursula Schuch.

http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/ornamentalhort/landscapemgmt/prunning/pruningshrubs.pdf

Helping Children with Asthma using IPM

Clare Bloomfield/freedigitalphotos.net

Asthma in Children

Asthma is a health condition that causes inflammation of the lungs and airways. The inflammation and contraction of respiratory muscles cause a variety of symptoms. 

Symptoms to look for:

• Difficulty breathing 
• Wheezing during exhaling 
• Dry coughing 
• Feeling of tightness in the chest 
• Agitation 
• Itching neck, throat and ears

Serious symptoms requiring immediate medical attention include:

• Inability to speak 
• Exhaustion 
• Rapid heart-beat 
• Sweating
• Blue lips, fingers and feet

Asthma can be a serious condition and may limit the ability of our children to fully enjoy the world around them.  Please take a look at how we can use IPM in our homes to help control/limit our children's exposure to Asthma triggers.

http://www.ipminstitute.org/school_ipm_2015/ipm_asthma_document.pdf