Smart Home Technology & Apps Print

More with Joanie:

• Food Festival in Scottsdale is this weekend.
• Joanie is multi-talented and a great photographer.
• If you're in Tucson, Check out Tucson Originals for events and restaurant info.
• Sonoran Dogs...a Southwest original!
• Edible Baja Magazine is another great resource.

• We start with Rex Allen, an Arizona native from Cochise County, our featured County for the month.

Back to food........talking steak!

• Rosie's method for cooking his steak.
• Different methods and Joanie's preferrence.
• Never clean cast iron with soap!
• What to do with hanger steak.
• Different methods for different situations and gatherings.

Cochise County:

• Family friendly with all kinds of outdoor activities.
• Adventures of Cabeza de Vaca.

Sign Up for the Sanderson Ford Arizona Staycation Here!!!

*Stay at the Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee or The Gadsden Hotel in Douglas

• More on the days events at Sanderson Ford.
• Upcoming guests for the rest of the broadcast.
• New apps, including opinions comfing from Ken Colburn from Data Doctors and even one from our partner Pella Windows & Doors.

It's the Outdoor Living Hour with Jay from Harper's Nursery & Landscaping Company!

Tip Of The Week: Winter is winding down and it's the perfect time to check your irrigation system before the heat gets here.

• Jay also talks gardening and what can be going in the ground this time of year.
• Jay's favorite shade trees and a few new alternatives for you yard.
• Different Pistache Tree varieties and it's pros/cons for each.
• Citrus options for planting or in a container.
• Vegetables for this time of year.
• Other edible landscaping options.
• Good apple varieties for growing in Arizona, plus a few other fruit options.

Text From a Listener:

• Is it too late to start a bermuda lawn by seed?

Recommendation - No, in fact its still too early with the temps. Low temps in the mid 60's overnight are needed for germination so it's still a month away. (We hope!)

• What can they apply to get rid of white flies on their grapevine?

Recommendation - Jay likes a product called Triple Action that has neem oil in it. Whitefly can be very persistant and tough to take care of. It might need to be applied several days in a row.

*How whitefly attacks plants and more facts.

Caller:

• Is there a low water use fruit tree he can plant?

Recommendation - Not any conventioal trees that are low-water, but try  wolf berry or hackberry.  Stuff with small water intake, but most stone fruits aren't excessive. Jay talks through all the options.

Caller:

• Roger - How can he help his Queen Palm healthier and last longer than they would normally in this area?

Recommendation - Jay talks about why they have struggled in this area and has a few tips. Watering is key and one of the main reasons they suffer here, plus use fertilize during the growing season (Mar-Sep)

*A few alternative Palms, like the Mule Palm they're selling at Treeland Nurseries in Mesa, plus a few other that do well in our heat. 

• Tim - He has 3 trees with desert mistletoe in them. What can he do to get rid of them?

Recommendation - The best way is to cut it out. Mistletoe uses the trees vascular system, so poisoining it could kill the tree. There is a product called florel fruit eliminator that can be used to control mistletoe. Pruning it out is the only other option.

*We discuss the problems associated with mistletoe and how it spreads after fruiting.

• Rowland - He has Fox tail and different types of grass in his lawn he'd like to get rid of. How does he get rid of it without killing the bermuda?

Recommendation - Fertilome makes a product called "weed out" with crab grass control. He can spot treat it in trouble areas.  Just don't let them go to seed or it'll continue spreading. Jay talks through steps to keep a healthy lawn without weeds or different grasses taking over.

• Claudia - Her new desert gold peach tree is so full of fruit and the limbs are sagging. What should she do to help it?

Recommendation - First, take off more fruit and she may need to prop up the limbs or stake it to stabilize it. Taking off most of the fruit is the key, though, especially a new tree.

*A discussion on weed control and we answer a letter from a listener about killing the whole yard to eliminate the maintenance.   

Caller:

• Lynn - Her cactus has a lot of white spots on it and she thinks it's the a bug. What can she do?

Recommendation - It is a bug called cochineal beetle and gets mistaken for a fungus often. She can use a heavy stream of water to knock them off, but it sounds like she'll need to do more in her case. She can try an insecticide with neem oil in it too. It can scar the plant, but a prickly pear puts on growth on pretty 1st.

*An interesting history of using cochineal beetles as a paint.

Text From a Listener:

• How do you get rid of nutsedge in your lawn?

Recommendation - It is a tough weed, but there are some treatments out there that work now. It will need consistent treatment to get rid of them. It's not a one time treatment to get rod of it.  Ask about nutsedge treatments at your local nursery.

• Is there anyway to get rid of pigeons and their droppings.

Recommendation - Sharp wire can be used to keep them away. Jay talks through a few different options, including Tanglefoot Tree Barrier. Rosie contractors like MasterTech Pest Solutions, Blue Sky Pest Control or 5 Star Pest Control in Tucson can take care of bird control.

Rememeber to stop in at Harper's Nursery & Landscaping Company Monday through Saturday!

Rosie updates us on all the happenings at Sanderson Ford today!

• We talk with Arizona legend and Phoenix Suns Play-by-Play Announcer, Al McCoy.
• Swapping stories about learning how to drive and the importance of safety.
• What Al's up to and his thoughts on the prior Suns season, plus his thoughts on the future and the record setting NBA season.

Live On-Site Question:

• Art - He's building a home and wants Rosie's thoughts on buying a water treatment system.

Recommendation  - There is a lot of bad informatino in the water treatment industry, so Rosie talks him through the steps to take. 1st - Make sure it's certified by the Water Quality Association.  Avoid systems using magnets or salesman that try to scare you with salt in a system.

*Rosie breaks down some of the basic facts about water treatment and the use of salt.

Letter From a Listener:

• Sheila - Could you recommend a local company to install a gas line on our property?

Recommendation - We wish they would have done it in the original plans, but ended up recommending Thunderbird Plumbing to help her now.

Callers:

• Art - He just replaced his heating system with a heat pump and in the process some of the ductwork had to be reinstalled or added. The contractor sealed the ductwork and suggested that he get them cleaned and sealed from the inside. What do we think?

Recommendation - We "Hope" they did the job correctly, but if it were our home we'd call Green ID or REEis Home Performance & Air Conditioning and get an audit to make sure he needs it. Rosie talks through the process and the use of Aeroseal.

*We discuss heat pumps and the pros/cons.

• George - The support beams in his patio are rotting, but half the concrete support has been damaged too. What should he do?

Recommendation - Buy cull beams and put that under the support header to be able to work on the post. Put the forms in and let it set a few days. Listen to make sure you get the details correct. He can use paver overlays from Belgard from Oldcastle Superlite and Marvel Masonry to cover the old concrete. We love it!

We are joined by another Arizona Legend, Luis Gonzales!

• Reminiscing about the 2001 World Championship with the Diamondbacks. 
• Luis and his triplets driving make him an expert on safety concerns on the road.
• Insurance costs less with proper training.
• The danger of texting....for kids and adults.
• Some habits from the past that seem crazy now.

• We talk about events for the day and give tickets away to the Arizona Diamondbacks!
• Recapping last week from the SAHBA Home Show in Tucson and some of the families talking about using Rosie-Certified partners like Pella Windows & Doors, Intelligent Design Air Conditioning & Heating and A-Authentic Garage Doors.
• Rosie previews our article on Smartphone Apps and the love/hate relationship we all have with them.
• Reviewing the LockSmart Dog Bone and a Water Leak detection app.
• We checked in with Acme Locksmith to get their opinion on some.

• Clever saying regarding apps and driving.

Jennifer introduces Kerry, the inventor of the Epiphany Shower System.

• The story behind her coming up with the idea for this product.
• Getting around low-flow water usage with a smart design to save water without sacrificing water flow.
• Where they are at in the process of getting it on the market.

• Giving tickets out to an Arizona Diamondbacks game.
• Installing an Epiphany Shower System in the Romero household....Baby daughter Carol takes some heat for her long showers.

Romey Interview's The Data Doctor Ken Colburn's About his Top Home & Lifestyle Apps:

1. Encircle Home Inventory App: https://encircleapp.com/inventory/encircle
2. iScape Virtual Landscaping app: http://www.iscapeapps.com
3. Brightnest - Home Maintenance App: https://brightnest.com/posts/home-maintenance-there-s-an-app-for-that

We chat with Dan King from Harmon Solar about the recent changes in the solar industry!

• SRP customers are better setup to benefit from solar at their home.
• Dan's new system might be perfect for your home. Call and find out!
• Potential savings of 30-40 percent.

Join Rosie On The House Every Saturday Morning!!!