All posts by scmgadmin
Southwest Plant of the Month – Blue Trumpets – Ipomopsis longiflora
Plant Form: Flower Plant Type: Annual Sunlight: Sun Plant Size: 18″ x 12″ Water Usage: Low Colors: Blue, White Physical Description: Pale blue to almost white, long trumpet-like flowers on intricately branching stems and finely dissected foliage. Care and Maintenance: Avoid overwatering/poor drainage. Gardener’s notes: Loves hot, dry, deep sandy soil. Occasional summer supplemental water will prolong blooming into fall. Found in sandy areas of El Paso. Grow from collected seed. Southwest Plant of the Month material courtesy of NMSU ACES – http://desertblooms.nmsu.edu/plantadvisor/
VERTICAL FARMING
by Carol Dimeff Sandoval County Master Gardeners toured Sananbio, Inc. in Albuquerque, doing R&D on new cultivars of lettuce. Plants are incubated from seed, then grown hydroponically under trademark LED lights, 30 cm. from light-to-bed. Production averages 500 lbs./10,000 sq. ft./day, with 12-15 harvests per year. Selection trials vary different light waves for optimal growth, including blue light for the development of anthocyanin. The LED lights are full-spectrum and have a long lifespan. Participants were offered to taste various lettuces as well as their “Salanova…
Beneficial of the Month – Minute Pirate Bugs – (Family: Anthocoridae)
At approximately 2-3 mm long, these are among the smallest of our common predators. In spite of their small size, however, the adults are easily recognized by their black and white ‘checkerboard’ appearance. The immature stages are brown and orange. Both adults and nymphs will tackle a variety of prey, including whiteflies, mites, insect eggs and newly hatched larvae, aphids, and thrips. These insects can sustain themselves on pollen when prey is scarce and hence are often found in flowers. Beneficial of the Month material…
Celebrate Arbor Day With the Town of Bernalillo
Continuing Education Classes – May – June 2019
Download the flyer here.
2019 Master Composter Volunteer Training Course
Coming soon … Do you like to compost and want to learn more about it and, most importantly, share your knowledge with others? Do you want to encourage others to recycle their organic waste and prevent this valuable resource from going into the landfill? Then you are a perfect candidate to be a Bernalillo County Master Composter. We are currently accepting applications for the Spring 2019 Master Composter Volunteer Training Course. The course consists of about 25 hours of lecture, demonstration, and discussion. Applicants should have current home composting…
Southwest Plant of the Month – Hill Country Penstemon – Penstemon triflorus
General Information Plant Form Flower Plant Size 2′ x 1′ Plant Type Perennial Water Usage Low Sunlight Sun, Partial Shade Colors Red Physical Description: Small bushy stature with multiple, short flowering stems just rising over the compact mass of dark green leaves, carrying a number of slightly fuzzy cherry-red, 2′ long flowers. Care and Maintenance: Remove spent stems to maintain compact bushy appearance. Needs well draining soil. Gardener’s notes: This central Texas native is well adapted to El Paso’s dry limestone soils. Another eastern Texas species, P. tenuis, requires…
Beneficial of the Month – Beetles (Order: Coleoptera) – Soft-winged Flower Beetles (Family: Melyridae)
As their name suggests, these beetles are often found on flowers, although they are common and widespread in other habitats, including alfalfa fields. They are often brightly colored, sometimes with a metallic sheen. Some species have enlarged basal antennal segments. Both adults and larvae are predatory, with the latter usually being found in the soil, in leaf litter, or under bark. Two species of soft-winged flower beetle. Source: Pocket Guide to the Beneficial Insects of New Mexico
Vine to Bottle, Growing Grapes in New Mexico
At Botanic Garden Heritage Farm 2601 Central Ave NW Albuquerque NM, 87104 February 9, combined session: Grape Propagation and Grafting / Varieties and Rootstocks Grape Propagation and Grafting: Why and How Grapevines have been propagated with cuttings and grafting since antiquity. This session will introduce you to this ancient artto easily propagate grapes from hardwood cuttings. Learn how to recognize, collect, store and prepare dormant hardwood cuttings of table and wine grapes. Learn the proper tools and techniques to accomplish traditional grafting. All procedures willbe…