Fertilize citrus this month, see the May 1998 article on gardening in the low desert. Check out that article for watering and iron deficiency problems with other plants, and for powdery mildew on roses.
Time to tackle the grape skeletonizer, a caterpillar that literally strips the leaves bare, see the low desert gardening article for May 1999.
Don't forget to give container plants some shade and a little extra water.
At the risk of being accused of tomato abuse, I whack my tomato plants with a stick. This spreads the pollen in case you don't have enough natural pollenizers. You can also use tomato-bloom spray but use it with care and according to the instructions. Blossom end rot appears as a small, water-soaked lesion at the blossom-end of the fruit. This spot will grow larger, turning dark and sunken. This is caused by calcium deficiency and water stress resulting from irregular watering. To correct this, apply gypsum to the soil, improve water management through regular deep watering, use a mulch to reduce evaporation and space tomatoes adequately to avoid water stress.
If you have problems with your zucchini not setting fruit, you may need to hand pollinate. The female flower has a fatter stem (which will be the fruit). Take a male flower, strip off the petals and "brush" the pollen (on the anthers of the flower) onto the female flower's external "reproductive parts" (the stigma). It is best to do this in the morning, if possible.
As the air temperature increases, it is important to increase watering for the health of your plants and add mulch to keep roots cool. Unhealthy pale yellow old leaves with dark green veins usually signals chlorosis - most often from an iron deficiency and eucalyptus, gardenia, hibiscus, pyracantha, and rose are most susceptible. Chelated iron is the remedy but because desert soils are alkaline and contain plenty of lime, you should use a chelate suited to this type of soil. The recommended kind for most trees and shrubs in the desert is Fe EDDJA, sold as Sprint 138 Fe. Other kinds may not be as effective. Apply iron chelate two to six weeks after the flush of spring growth at the rate of 6 tablespoons per small shrub and 12 tablespoons per large shrub such as a dwarf citrus. Spread it around the drip line and water in well. Unfortunately, the same yellow condition on new leaves may indicate a deficiency in zinc or manganese and is very difficult to diagnose - even for the experts.
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