Frequently Asked Questions

Make sure your doors, windows, vents, etc. are sealed. Install really good, tight-fitting door sweeps, caulk where there are gaps, make sure your screens are secure, etc. Apply food grade diatomaceous earth around the perimeter of the house and indoors, too. It’s sold by Garden Guy as Extreme Insect Control. It’s safe and natural. Click here for the whole article.

Go to www.arbico-organics.com and purchase:

  • NemaSeek – Beneficial Nematodes – H. bacteriophora

At your local home center store:

  • ZEP Heavy Duty Citrus Degreaser

You will also need:

  • 5 gallon bucket
  • Molasses
  • Air rock aerator (we use Harbor Freight’s battery operated Fisherman’s Habit 2 speed aerator – approx. $6)
  • An old pair of nylons or cheesecloth
  • Extreme Juice

Directions:

Fill bucket ¾ full with water. Add 2 to 3 oz of ZEPs, 4 oz of Extreme Juice,
2 to 4 pinches of NemaSeek and ¼ cup of Molasses. Fill nylon/cheesecloth
full of compost (baseball size). Let steep overnight. Using the aerator will
speed things up and your “brew” will be ready in 2 hours or less. Early in
the morning, put mixture in hose end sprayer and spray your entire yard
including walls, fence, plant material, etc.
Repeat every 2 days until problem has been eliminated.

Additional necessary treatments:

  • Treat your pet(s) with the washes, sprays, and collar from arbico
  • Thoroughly clean your entire house inside, including behind pictures on the walls, all cracks and crevices, steam cleaning furniture, etc.
  • Dust your yard and home w/food grade DE (GG’s Extreme Insect Control)
  • Wash your pet’s bedding and dust it w/Extreme Insect Control
  • Be diligent about removing ticks from your pet(s) (daily)
  • Vacuum often
  • Feed dogs garlic (it’s in the treats above from arbico)
  • Apply beneficial nematodes in Spring
  • Dust your pet w/Extreme Insect Control

Other suggested items from arbico:

  • Shampoo and Dip Concentrate for Dogs – 4 oz
  • Yeast & Garlic Bits
  • Knock-Out Natural Insect Repellent Spray for Dogs
  • Flea ‘n Tick B Gone
  • Insect Shooo Flea Repellent

Here is a link to the segment Dave recently did on Tick control.

TREES

Acacia abyssinica, Abyssinian acacia
Acacia aneura, Mulga
Acacia pendula, Weeping acacia
Acacia salicina, Willow acacia
Acacia stenophylla, Shoestring acacia
Brahea armata, Mexican blue palm
Butia capitata, Pindo Palm
Caesalpinia cacalaco, Cascalote
Chamaerops humilis, Mediterranean fan palm
Chorisia speciosa, Silk floss tree
Eucalyptus erythrocorys, Red-cap gum/Illyarri
Eucalyptus formanii, Forman’s Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus leucoxylon, ‘Rosea’, White Ironbark
Eucalyptus spathulata, Swamp mallee
Eucalyptus torquata, Coral Flowered Gum
Eucalyptus woodwardii, Lemon Flowered Gum
Geijera parviflora, Australian willow
Leucaena retusa, Golden leadball
Lysiloma watsonii, Desert Fern
Olneya tesota, Iron Wood
Phoenix canariensis, Carary Island Data Palm
Phoenix dactylifera, Date Palm

SHRUBS

Asclepias linaria, Pine leaf milkweed
Buddleia marrubifolia, Wooly butterfly bush
Caesalpinia gilliesii, Desert or Yellow bird of paradise
Caesalpinia mexicaca, Mexican bird of paradise
Calliandra californica, Red fairy duster
Calliandra eriophylla, Fariy duster
Carissa graniflora, Natal Plum
Convolvulus cneorum, Bush morning glory
Cordia parvifolia, Littleleaf cordia
Dalea frutescens, Black dalea
Dalea greggii, Trailing indigo bush
Delea pulchra, Bush dalea
Dodonaea viscosa, Hop bush
Dodonaea viscosa ‘purpurea’, Purple Hop bush
Encelia farinosa, Brittlebush
Ericameria laricifolia, Turpentine bush
Fallugia paradoxa, Apache plume
Fatsia japonica, Japanese aralia
Feijona sellowiana, Pineapple guava
Fouquieria splendens, Ocotillo
Justicia californica, Chuparosa
Justicia candicans, Red Justicia
Justicia spicigera, Mexican honeysuckle
Lantana camara, Bush lantana
Larrea tridentata, Creosote bush
Leucophyllum candidum, Silver Cloud, Sage
Leucophyllum frutescens, Texas ranger/Texas Sage
Leucophyllum laevigatum, Chihuahuan sage
Nandina spp., Heavenly bamboo
Rhus ovata, Sugar Bush
Rosmarinus officinalis, Rosemary
Ruellia peninsularis, Desert ruellia Salvia
Salvia chaemedryoides, Blue sage
Salvia cievelandii, Chaparral sage
Salvia coccinea, Cherry Red sage
Salvia farinacea, Mealycup sage
Salvia greggii, Autumn sage
Salvia ieucantha, Mexican Bush sage
Santolina spp. Lavander cotton
Simmondsia chinensis, Jojoba
Sophora secundiflora, Texas Mountain Laurel
Sphaeralcea ambigua, Globe Mallow
Tagetes lemmonii, Mountain Marigold
Tecoma stans v. angustata, Arizona Yellow Bells
Tecomaria capensis, Cape honeysuckle
Vauquelinia californica, Arizona Rosewood
Zauschneria californica, California fuchsia

GROUNDCOVERS

Baileya multiradiata, Desert Marigold
Dalea greggii, Trailing Indigo Bush
Drosanthemum speciosum, Iceplant
Dyssodia pentachaeta, Golden Fleece
Gazania rigens, Gazania
Lantana montevidensis, Trailing Lantana
Melampodium leucanthum, Blackfoot Daisy
Myoporum parvifolium, Prostrate myoporum
Oenothera berlandieri, Mexican primrose
Oenothera caespitosa, Prostrate evening primrose
Oenothera stubbei, Satillo evening primrose
Rosmarinus prostatus, Prostrate rosemary
Ruellia brittoniana ‘kati’, ruellia
Stachys coccinea, Texas betony Verbena
Verbena gooddingii, Gooding Verbena
Verbena peruviana,Peruvian Verbena
Verbena pulchella, Moss Verbena
Verbena rigida, Sandpaper Verbena
Phlomis fruticosa, Jerusalem sage
Zinnia grandiflora, Prairie Zinna

VINES

Merremia aurea, Yellow Morning Glory Vine
Podranea ricasoliana, Pink Trumpet Vine

FLOWERS

Anisacanthus quadrifidus v. wrightii, Desert Honeysuckle
Aquilegia chrysantha, Golden Columbine
Cannaceae, Canna lilies
Dietes bicolor, Evergreen Iris/Fortnight lily
Dyssodia tenuiloba, Golden Fleece
Erigeron spp., Fleabane
Gazania spp., Gazania
Hymenoxys acaulia., Angelita Daisy
Iris germanica, Bearded Iris
Melampodium leucanthum, Black Food Daisy Penstemon
Penstemon baccharifolius
Penstemon eatoni, Firecracker penstemon
Penstemon palmeri, Palmer’s penstemon
Penstemon parryi, Parry’s penstemon
Penstemon pseudospectabilis, Desert penstemon
Penstemon superbus, Superb penstemon
Psilostrophe cooperi, Paper flower
Zephyranthes spp., Rain lily

ACCENT PLANTS

Agave americana, Century plant
Agave bovicornuta, Cowshorn agave
Agave colorate, Mescal ceniza
Agave desmettiana
Agave parryi, Parry’s Agave
Agave victoriae-reginae, Queen victoria agave
Agave vilmoriniana, Octopus agave
Aloe vera, medicinal aloe
Aloe ferox, Tree aloe
Aloe saponaria, Tiger aloe
Asclepias subulata, Desert Milk Weed
Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myers’, Foxtail/Asparagus Fern
Asparagus densiflorus ‘Sprengeri’, Sprenger asparagus
Cereus hildmannianus, Hildmann’s Cereus
Cycas revoluta, Sago palm
Dasylirion wheeleri, Desert Spoon
Dasylirion longissimum, Mexican Grass Tree
Echinocactus grusonii, Golden barrel cactus
Echinocereus engelmannii, Hedgehog cactus
Echinopsis multiplex, Easter lily cactus
Ferocactus acanthodes, Compass barrel cactus
Ferocactus wislizeni, Fishhook barrel cactus
Hesperaloe parviflora, Red or Yellow Yucca
Lophocereus schottii forma monstrosus, Totem Pole
Muhlenbergia rigens, Deer Grass
Nolina spp., Grass Tree Opuntia
Opuntia acanthocarpa, Buckhorn cholla
Opuntia basilaris, Beavertail Prickly Pear
Opuntia ficus-indica, Indian Fig
Opuntia engelmanii, Prickly Pear Cactus
Opuntia Santa-rita, Pruple Prickly Pear
Stenocereus marginatus, Mexican Organ Pipe
Trichocereus candicans
Trichocereus huasha hyb., Yucca
Yucca aloifolia, Spanish Bayonet
Yucca baccata, Banana Yucca
Yucca brevifolia, Joshua tree
Yucca elata, Soaptree Yucca
Yucca recurvifolia, Pendulous Yucca
Yucca rigida, Blue Yucca

Evergreen Elm
Shammel Ash
Ironwood
Texas Mtn Laruel
Acacia Aneria
Mexican Fan Palms
Black Mission Fig
Anna Apple
Texas Ebony
Citrus grafted onto sour orange root

You can watch some of my shows right here or you can go to azfamily.com.

Acacia farnesiana
Sweet Acacia Bauhinia spp., Orchid Tree
Bougainvillea brasiliensis,
Bougainvillea Brachychiton populneus
Bottle Tree Callistemon
Bottlebrush Ceratonia Siliqua
Carob Tree Fraxinus, spp.,
Ash Jacaranda mimosifolia
Jacaranda Prosopis spp.,
Mesquites
Ulmus parviflora
Evergreen/Chinese Elm Vitex agnus-castus
Chaste tree/Monk’s Pepper

Eggplants, Tomatoes (smaller varieties – yellow pears, sweet 100’s ect, Asparagus beans, Peppers (smaller types), Armenian cucumbers, Squash, Melons, Cantalope, Sweet Potatoes, Peanuts, New Zealand, Spinach, Corn Black-eyed Peas, Bright Light Swiss Chard.

Foliar feed with Liquid Seaweed or Extreme Juice in the evening every 3 to 5 days. This allows the plants to have immediate access to all the nutrients all night long through the stomata of the leaf. You may also think about covering your tomatoes with row cover. This will protect from leaf hopper that can transfer many diseases. Studies have show that putting a red plastic mulch down (you can also use a red plastic table cloth) will increase tomato yields by 20%.

Use our Organic Weed Control sprayed directly onto the leaves of your weeds. This is basically a strong vinegar that will do the job without all the synthetic chemicals. Corn gluten meal is also a very good choice as a pre-emergent in your granite areas. It will prevent weed seeds from germinating.

Feed your lawn with Garden Guy Granules every 4 weeks. We also have our Extreme Weed and Feed product for your lawn. It is Corn Gluten based so it is an organic fertilizer but it also is a natural pre-emergent. It will not allow new weed seeds to germinate in your lawn.

  • 1 Gallon of Garden Guy 10% Vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons of orange oil (homemade or purchased as Zep’s Heavy Duty Citrus Degreaser (avail. at home center stores or any cleanser with D-Limonene)
  • 1 – 2 drops of Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap (Whole Foods) or Dawn Dishwashing liquid
  • Put in plastic spray bottle, shake up and spray directly on anything you want to eliminate. DO NOT spray on anything you want to live!!! *When handling vinegar always wear protective eye wear, a mask and gloves.

The Suspects are beetles, caterpillars, crickets, grape leaf skeletonizer, grasshoppers or weevils. Use our Extreme Diatomaceous Earth for crawling insects. Our DE is food grade (not pool grade!) so it is safe to dust around your garden and even directly on your plants. The powder acts like millions of razor blades that cut the exoskeleton of an insect causing it to dehydrate and die. This is a great natural way to kill the pest and not harm your veggies. If you know you have caterpillars try Bacillus thuringiensis (sold at nurseries as Thuricide). It is a naturally occurring organism that will kill caterpillars from the inside out. Like DE it is not dangerous to pets or children.

Citrus like to be watered deeply for long periods of time and then allowed to dry out in between. Established citrus should be watered slowly for at least several hours every 10 days or so in the summer, 1-2x/month in the spring and fall, and often not at all in the winter if we get occasional rain. New citrus should be watered more often for the first year while getting established.

Don’t! Citrus are genetically large shrubs. Their branches hang down naturally, and that protects their thin bark from the hot summer sun. Also, trimming will expose new, tender growth to extreme hot temperatures in the summer and possible frost in the winter.

Valentines Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day are rough estimates of proper times to fertilize. If you miss one of these dates, don’t worry. Citrus are pretty forgiving and you can fertilize at the next appropriate date. Use an all-purpose fertilizer and water it in deeply.

The curling is from an insect called Thrip. They don’t hurt the leaves or fruit. Don’t spray anything to kill the thrips. The insecticide will do more damage by killing beneficial insects. The thrips will go away on their own.

No. A well causes water to stay around the base of the trunk. The cells of the trunk should not stay wet. There is a fungus in the Phoenix area that is prolific in warm, moist conditions. Citrus are susceptible to this fungus, so by keeping the area around the base of the tree dry, you protect your citrus from the fungus. Make sure when you water citrus the water reaches the drip line of the trees. This is the perimeter where the outer branches hang. Under the drip line is where most of the feeder roots are that absorbs water and nutrients.


Dave Owens the Garden Guy
© 2024 The Organic Garden Guy. Website design by iCandy Graphics & Web Design in Madison, WI.