As many of you know I have been making the rounds about Albuquerque, learning what homeowners and gardeners want to know.

Here are the top 3 questions I hear…

1.How do I get rid of the weeds?

Now don’t get mad at me but the best way to get rid of weeds is to pull them. I know, that wasn’t what you wanted to hear. Tools can help, try a hand weeder or hula hoe.

 

2.Got Goatheads, please help! Meet the Weevils!  Female weevils chew into the side of a young (green) puncturevine bur, deposit eggs into the seed and seal it with fecal material. Females may deposit between 250 – 450 eggs. Weevils grubs develop inside the seed and pupate therein. Each seed may produce 1-3 weevils. The life cycle from egg to adult requires about 25 days. Adult weevils may feed on the plant but do not cause appreciable damage to the plant. The number of generations per year depends on the climate. Adults overwinter in plant duff.  For more info try here.

3.How do I plant a shrub? Select the right plant. Dig the hole, about twice as wide and 6” deeper than the depth of the root ball. Remove the plant from the container and using a sharp knife cut vertical slits on each side of the root ball. Place the plant in the hole making sure the top of the root ball is two inches below the surrounding soil. Backfill the remaining soil to create a depression around the plant that will hold water. Water the plant and cover the disturbed area with at least 3” of mulch to minimize evaporation.