Saguaros And Your Home Improvement Projects Print

• Romey calls out Rosie & Jennifer....Ha!
• It's getting close to spring break time...we found some lame lists and we share some favorites from Rosie & Jennifer.
• Hiking options for this time of year. Some of our favorites from all across the state.

Continuing with options for Spring Break.

• Jennifer really loves the Phoenix Zoo and Out of Africa and Bearizona Wildlife Park.
• Romey talks about the fun he had at Wildlife World with his kids.
• Native American sites to visit and get a history lesson!
• Museums and other sites to go along with Native American sites.
• The amazing story behind Kartchner Caverns State Park.
• Have you considered "Agritainment?" Check out Tolmachoff Farms in Glendale or try out a Dude Ranch. There are plenty to visit across Arizona.
• Consider signing up to be a member of the Arizona Farm Bureau! Listen to all the places you can get discounts for being a member.

• Romey talks about buying American and he's had an adventure buying jeans. 

• Click here for your American Made Jeans. He's a big fan of Kimes Ranch brand made right here in Arizona!
• More on the changes and updates to the website, plus how to sign up for our homeowner newsletter.
• We have tickets to give away!!!
• Romey welcomes The Tree Amigos!

It's been a few weeks, but we've got Jay with Harper's Nursery & Landscaping Company here to get your winter lawn and garden happy and healthy!

• Turn off that irrigation. We've had plenty of rain and your wasting it if it's still turned on.
• Save water now before they make it a law to turn it off.
• Priorities for this time of year and what you can be planting to take advantage of our growing seasons.
• With all the rains, weeds will be everywhere this year. Pre-emergent herbicides will save you a ton of time.
• Time to prune roses, and Jay has advice on pruning certain tree types.
• Prepping your soil for spring planting....Add some of our favorite products from Hickman Family Farms.
• Reminder to check out local spots for ideas on zeroscaping and other ideas for landscaping in Arizona. Check out the Boyce Thompson Arboretum or the Desert Botanical Gardens.

Callers:

• James - He wants advice on growing an avacodo tree he just picked up.

Recommendation - The only succesful avacado trees Jay has seen that were succesful are in lawn areas, irrigated, surrounded by citrus trees. It needs some shade from the summer afternoon sun too. Their natural environment has humidity, so try to recreate those conditions. 

*Avacado questions are popular and we discuss the different varieties and the plans to make them more tolerant for the Arizona climate. 

• Randy - He cut his roses back and fertilized them already. Does he need to fertilize again and when should he do it?

Recommendation - Fertilize them once a month during the spring and summer.  Let them get some new growth before he adds the 1st treatment.

*We give tickets away to a lucky winner who'll take in a ASU Basketball game.

Callers:

• Her Palo Verde tree is losing its bark and there are holes under the bark too.

Recommendation - It sounds like the palo verde borers to Jay. They can do serious damage to the tree and she can treat them to get rid of it.  Listen for a description on what to do and what can happen if you don't treat the area for them.

• Connie - She wants to add a type of palm she describes and how does she take care of it. (A cute little one)

Recommendation - She sounds like she is describing a prickly pear and there are different varities.  She'll need to make sure that it's small variety so it won't take over her yard. They do well in pots too.

Email From Listeners:

• Jeremy - What is this fungus growing in my lawn and how can I get rid of it? His dog keeps eating it and wants to get rid of it.

Recommendation - It looks like an old tree might've been there and the old root/trunk turn into a fungus. It needs to stay dry. Make sure you're irrigation is not on it too. Remove the fungus and then let it dry out. 

• Fred - Can I fix this split in my mesquite tree?

Recommendation - It's too big of a trunk to just cut it off. He can drill it and bolt it together to try to save it. Make sure you listen to Jay describe this before you do it and then apply pruning sealer over it.

Letter From Listeners:

• CJ - Is this peeling bark on my ficus tree a sign of problems. Do we think it is still salvageable?

Recommendation - It does look pretty bad. A few years ago we froze and then we had extreme summer, plus it looks like it has sooty canker.  It looks like it should just be replaced. We talk about a few replacements he could use.

• Ann - Is there a good variety of tree that doesn't get too big, but provides shade for a patio. They want it to be part of a zeroscape too.

Recommendation - Texas ebony or a mastic tree are both great choices for her situation.

• Devin - His garden is covered in white flies. What can he do to get rid of them?

Recommendation - Because of the mild winter, they are more prevalant. He can treat it with neem oil based product (it's good for edible gardens) He'll need to treat under the leaves and it needs to happen every few days until they are gone.

If you're in the valley, stop in at Harper's Nursery & Landscaping Company to pick up the plants you need and to get the best advice for your yard!

• A few stories about Rosie putting Romey to work when he was younger.
• A law in Florida just got passed that allows the state to fine homeowner's for using unlicensed contractors. Wow. We discuss what that means.
• Rosie loves a new site that allows contactors and business to combat habitual complaining consumers. Sounds good to me!
• Learn more from Rosie and watch all the new videos on our site.

Caller:

• John - He wants to install new luxury vinyl tile, but his floor will need to be leveled with concrete. How long will he need to let it cure before he can install the tile?

Recommendation - We'll answer in the next segment.

Answering John's Question:  He can head to Marvel Building & Masonry and it's "self leveling." Rosie loves the product and since it's so thin, it will dry out fairly quickly. Rosie also shares a trick with saran wrap to determine if it's dried out completely before he starts laying down new tile.

•  Discussing our love for finished concrete flooring. The low maintenance and good look make it a great option for Arizona flooring. 

• We have a few Phoenix Coyotes tickets to give away.
• Ruth calls in to thank Rosie for his positive attitude. (He's been especially rockin' this morning!)

Callers:

• Pete - He is ready to get rid of the tile in his home. Is it possible to lay concrete right over the top of the tile before laying something down over the top?

Recommendation - There are a lot of reasons it's best to just remove the tile before laying anything over it. It's hard work, but it will be worth it. We wish we had a better option for him. To get a company out there, we send him to Assurance Builders.  We also answer a question about cracks in tile and flooring.

•  Frank - He's heard that you do NOT remove the popcorn ceilings anymore, but just go over the top of it. Is that right?

Recommendation - Just like Pete above, it's just a job that takes a bit of work. If he sprays it with water and then scrapes it off, it will come down easily. It's just messy. 

• Ben - He just purchased a home ('84) and just pulled up the carpet. He's seeing small cracks along the wall edge. Some are as big as 1'4" and needs to know if he should fix them before he lays tile down.

Recommendation - We need to know if they are still expanding, do the cracks change the plane of the floor....and several other factors to determine if it's structural. If it's small enough, it's just shrinkage crack and should be fint to go over it without fixing it.  We would use a slip sheet 1st before putting tile down. (As long as the cracks are safe to work on)

• Romey argues that we get a special vacation "Too Pretty Too Work" Day since we don't have snow days or other reasons to cancel school and get out of work.......

Callers:

• Jim - He thinks water is getting into his home at the intersection of his roof and patio overhang. He thinks it's all original.

Recommendation - He needs to contact a roofer to take a look at it.  Lyons Roofing or West Coast Roofing. They shoud be able to determine the issue and show him how to get it fixed up.

• Barry - He's a family friend calling from Kentucky! His outdoor faucet is leaky. Can he fix it himself or does he need a plumber?

Recommendation - He should be able to tighten down the packing nut right under the on/off valve at the hose bib. Next, tighten it back down by hand and that should fix the problem. If not, he can replace the washer under the valve too.

Our topic of the week is saguaros. We bring on the Saguaro National Park Resident Biologist, Don Swann to talk about this Arizona treasure.

• The large area it covers and how the recent rains help turn it even more beautiful.
• Camping, hiking, etc.....even Night Hikes.
• There are an estimated 1,896,000 saguaros in the park!
• Surprises & myths about them, including age.
• Harvesting prickly pear fruit and when it's legal to pick saguaro fruits.
• Jennifer has a confession!
• The incredible amount of water that is estimated to be in them.

• We try to answer "Do we know how fast they grow?"
• How rainfall effects the growth rate.
• When the arms start to grow and why they are there.
• The tallest cactus recorded in the park. If you know of any over 50 feet tall, you should contact the National Park to get it registered.
• What you're missing if you haven't been to the park before.

More about Saguaros:

• Rosie talks a bit more about his experience with saguaros and palm trees in his yard.
• Be careful buying a saguaro off the side of the road....they need to be registred otherwise it's illegal.
• Cost expectations for different sizes. 

Callers:

• Tom - He wants to know how to properly maintaine his adobe brick home.

Recommendation - There are several tricks and tips Rosie can offer and he's going to take a trip down to take a look and determine what he needs to get done.

*The guys discuss a few great hiking options down south and all around the state and how much the water has added to the experiences around Arizona.  We also discuss a few more interesting facts about saguaros.

• Jason - The river rock in his water feature is very dirty and needs to be cleaned. Is there an easier way than clearing it out rock by rock and cleaning them?

Recommendation - He can power wash the rocks, but he could put down another layer of rock over the top.

• We give away Phoenix Suns tickets! Thanks to our Flagship station, KTAR.

Caller:

• Bill - He called in with a trick to estimate the height of objects using a stick, pencil or straight object. Listen for this useful tip!

*We give a special thanks to the listeners who helped us move "Joe's Law" forward in the Arizona legislature.

Join Rosie On The House Every Saturday Morning!!!