Can You Battle Bugs and Weeds the Organic Way? Print

Rosie recaps a trip to Flagstaff with the grandkids to learn how to ski and a visit to Lowell Observatory on the 50th Anniversary of the discovery of the planet Pluto, including the amazing story of how it was discovered!   

Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto with a homemade telescope at Lowell.

Stories and updates on the Winter Olympics.  Including Rosie's Dad's First Cousin won an Olympic Bronze Medal in Berlin, Germany.

Interview with Christina Underhill on the Tres Rios Festival.  A great outdoor nature family event!

Tres Rios means '3 rivers'.  The event is where 3 rivers meet:  Gila, Salt, and Aqua Fria Rivers.

Fishing, Canoeing, Archery, Paddleboarding, Bird Watching and more!

Celebrating Arizona with the Rosie On The House Sanderson Ford Staycation.  Get the latest details and register HERE.

Talk about the latest Sedona Staycation thanks to Orchards Inn, Pink Adventure Tours (Pink Jeep), Arizona State Park passes, and the Arizona gift shop Sibleys West in Chandler.

Farmer Greg of Urban Farm infects you with his passion for gardening.  Teaches everyone how to grow healthy, dense, delicious food!   His motto is simple, 'You Can Do It!'

Harvesting citrus for February.  March (early spring) is the time to plant citrus to give it time to established.  

Greg is featured in this month's Phoenix Magazine.  Talking about The 5 C's of Arizona!  (Citrus, Cotton, Cattle, Copper, and Climate)

Citrus as 'The Giving Tree'.

St. Mary's Food Bank was started by a man who collected citrus around the area.

Differences of urban versus rural farming. 

With urban orcharding you want to keep trees and hedges manageable.  Keeping trees small so you can have space for different types of fruit trees.

Pruning citrus to keep it the size and shape you want it.  Plus cut off dead limbs.

Greg talks about the size of the trunk of the tree based on gallon and box containers and what to look for.

When you shop for a tree, bring a tape measure based on the specs Greg mentions.

Details a pest of citrus called the Asian Citrus Psyllid.

Healthy trees tend to fight pests off.

Farmer Greg's '6-6 Rule':  Minimum of 6 foot basin, 6 inches of woody mulch around your tree.  Makes a great soil like in a forest.

What goes in the tree hole:  60% organic matter/mix, Microryza, Azomite, and worm castings (poop)!

Micro-Climates!  Don't plant your citrus in a warm micro climate like gravel rocky area with no shade.   Shading your trees for the first year will benefit your tree.

Fun fact:  Citrus are evergreens.  They stay green all year round.  Some varities produce fruit all year too.

Citrus once picked doesn't continue to ripen.

Farmer Greg gives his 3 varities of oranges for peeling and juice.

Update on last week's hour with APS on a plan not mentioned.

Rosie On The House will be live from the Tucson Festival Of Books March 10th!

CALLER:  Had an unlicensed concrete contractor do an overlay in her condo.  Her concrete is bubbling/blistering up over the past few years.  Arrowhead Deck & Concrete

CALLER:  Redoing a kitchen and wants to know what to install first:  countertops or backsplash?

Host of 'One Minute Kitchen' Jan D'Atri makes Carrot Pineapple Bread as carrots are our February vegetable of the month.  (Trust us, it tastes more like cake!  YUM!)

CALLER:  Redoing a patio roofing cover.  Wants to remove a center support post to open up the patio area.  Also suggestion on a support beam.

CALLER:  Rewiring a 1959 brick home with two prong wiring running thru the brick walls.

CALLER:  Updates his APS bill after meeting with representative.

CALLER:  Painting the home with a block wall/tar paper issue where an old flower box used to be.  Can't get the tar off completely.

Can you battle bugs organically?  Check out our BLOG.

Our Rosie On The House e-Store features products we've tested ourselves with all procedes going to our 3 favorite charaties:  Habitat For Humanity, Military Assistance Mission and St. Vincent de Paul.

Bid on nice appliances, bathroom items, cabinets  and more from a recent remodeling project at Rosie On The House Auction.

CALLER:  Home damage from a downburst storm 2 years ago in Casa Grande AZ.  Needs to find different contractors to repair various issues.  Suggests contacting Desert Sun Heating & Cooling and Brutinel Plumbing as a starting point.

CALLER:  Owns a ground pit manufactured home.  Needs to have bottom boards replaced before painting. Arizona Painting Company

CALLER:  Has a cast iron white tub thats starting to flake off.  Likely was coated years ago and wants some suggestions.  Todd's Porcelain & Fiberglass Repair

CALLER:  Wants a recommendation for a spray or grandular way to kill and control weeds. 

You can burn them safely with a Weed Dragon Propane Flamethrower

Battling Bug Organically

CALLER:  Installing new doors with a question on hinges.

CALLER:  Flat roofing on back patio.  Inquiring about rubber roofing versus current roofing.  

More ideas about battling bugs organically!

DON'T POWERWASH YOUR GARDEN :)