Robbie

About Robbie

ISA Certified Arborist, Smartscape Trained, SLM Certified Plant Health Specialist for ELS

Posts by :

Purple-Podded-Pole-Bean-980x1307-992481123

October 14 2026

Preparing Your Fall Garden in Arizona

The fall growing season is one of the most famous aspects of landscaping and gardening in the Sonoran Desert, and it’s one of the reasons people moved to Arizona throughout its early history. The timing can be quite fickle, though. Sometimes the monsoon and 110-degree days persist until mid-October, sometimes freak frost incidents can happen as early as November, and sometimes there’s no frost at all. This makes planning and successfully executing a fall garden crop involves being on your toes and ready to pivot if necessary.

Right off the bat, choosing crops that do well in Arizona are going to give you the best chances of success, and some of these should have their seeds sown while it’s still hot outside. All three of the components of the traditional “Three Sisters Garden,” Corn, Beans, and Squash, have fall/winter harvests if the seeds are sown during the monsoon season. Crops of these types, and many other Arizona-native food plants are sold online at www.nativeseeds.org and are going to do better than the average seeds you’d buy at a hardware store just by nature of them being meant for our climate. If the monsoon already appears to be over, it’s time to plant cool-season crops intended for a winter harvest: the cool-season food plants. Lettuce, radishes, carrots, cilantro, chives, broccoli, etc. all tend to do great in the Arizona cool season.

One of the most important things to prepare when setting up a crop is the soil. One of the biggest killers of young food plants is root rot, typically caused by a combination of fungal imbalance and compaction in the soil the seedlings grow in. A great way to reduce soil compaction is to use a good soil medium in the first place. Adding natural materials with lots of air pockets, such as pumice and perlite, is a great way to ensure that air can reach deeper into the soil to help roots breathe. The soil itself often needs to be more aerated than what you’d typically find in a bag sold as “garden bed soil.” In addition to pumice and perlite, you may benefit significantly from using “cactus mix” as your primary soil material, especially if your garden bed has a history of root rot issues. The big difference between “garden bed mix” and “cactus mix” is that cactus mix contains sand, pumice, perlite, and other loamy broken-up rock materials that improve air and water flow and prevent unwanted water retention and drain clogging.

Next, you’ll need to set up your watering schedule. This can vary quite significantly depending on the weather, how shady or sunny the garden space is, how much leaf debris regularly falls from trees into the garden bed, how aerated the soil is, and what crops you plant. There’s no specific set of watering frequency and duration that would work for every garden, and the schedule should change as the weather cools. The goal is to apply water often enough that the crops aren’t wilting from under-watering or rotting from overwatering, and that the water they receive is sufficient to support their maturation of the fruits/harvestable vegetation.

One other major component is fertilizer. Different crops require different macro- and micronutrients. For example, beans and other legumes often don’t require any supplemental Nitrogen, as they produce their own Nitrogen in their roots. Squash and other melons often run out of Potassium faster than other nutrients. Corn depletes most nutrients from the soil rather quickly. Look up what kind of nutrients your crops tend to lack, and you can strategize your fertilizing patterns. You can even plant crops that use up different nutrients in the same bed (as the Three Sisters Garden is designed to do) so that the plants can work together more than compete. It’s also recommended to use organic fertilizers rather than chemical ones. Organic fertilizers cause less root burn and are easier for plants to absorb into their system.

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we plant season-appropriate flowers at entrance monuments and other large pottings as part of our typical services at HOA communities. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email robbie@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

October 14 2026

Don’t Hose Down Trees in the Summer!

Robbie Blog Arbor, Arizona Arbor Care, Arizona Landscape, Landscape Management

It’s very tempting during the summer to give the trees and shrubs in your yard a little “shower” with your hose while watering them. Surely, since we humans enjoy the temperature relief of cool water on our skin on a hot day, our plants will feel the same, right? Unfortunately for plants in Arizona yards, it’s not that simple. While all plants absolutely love the cleansing they get from natural rain, the water from our hoses does not provide the same benefits most of the time.

Our water supply, especially the non-potable, often reclaimed water that comes from our hoses and irrigation, contains salts and other mineral compounds that rain does not. When this saltier water evaporates, it leaves behind crystalline residues of these salts and minerals. You can see it in your irrigation as a crusty scale on your drip emitters, as whitened rings on the topsoil where water sits, and, if you spray your plants with a hose, as a white crust on the surface of leaves. This crust can have some deleterious effects on leaves, stems, and bark. The most significant issue is that it adds heat to leaves during the hottest part of the day. The salt absorbs heat and it gets concentrated directly on the photosynthesizing surface of leaves. If the salt crust hits the bottom of leaves, it can clog the pores through which plants take in Carbon Dioxide and release Oxygen, which suffocates them. Additionally, many tree species, such as all Citrus trees, have important oils on the surfaces of their leaves that get removed when sprayed. On bark and stems, salt buildup can also clog pores that allow airflow into the vascular structure of the tree, shrub, or cactus. This too partially suffocates them, and can increase the likelihood of rot forming. Overall, hose spraying does much more harm than good.

An exception to this is if you have rainwater collection tanks at your home. In this case, rainwater has sufficiently lower mineral content than non-potable infrastructure water that you could get away with wetting leaves with it. Even then, it’s still not recommended to spray leaves and trunks if it can be avoided, for the sake of preserving those leaf oils. Another exception to the rule is if a large dust storm or haboob hits your area and isn’t immediately followed up with rain. This dust heats up and clogs the pores of leaves the same way salty water residue does. In this case, there is an argument for spraying your plants, but ONLY at night or in the early morning! Do NOT, under any circumstances, spray trees in the middle of the day. Hopefully, the next monsoon season rain storm should arrive quickly enough that the dust doesn’t become a health problem for the trees.

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we have an entire dedicated Arbor Division that can prevent, identify, and treat health issues in landscape trees using the latest best practices and science. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email robbie@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

August 18 2026

Does Your Tree Have Slime Flux?

Robbie Blog Arizona Landscape, ArizonaLandscaping, HOA Landscaping

The Sonoran Desert’s summer is always a test of strength for its landscape plants, including trees of all types and sizes. This is typically the time of year when underlying health issues come to a head and are impossible to ignore. A common ailment that affects trees is a bacterial infection called “Slime Flux.” It’s usually not fatal, but it’s almost always a sign of other stressors that could eventually lead to a tree’s death if not dealt with.

How do you know if your tree has Slime Flux? Look at the bark of your tree, and check for dripping sap. Sap itself is not a sign of Slime Flux, but if there is excessive sap coming from cracks in the bark, it could be a sign. If you look closer at the bark and see what look like wet stains caked into the bark and running down it like a coffee stain, this is another sign. This is called “wetwood,” and is what gives Slime Flux its other name: “Bacterial Wetwood.” The color and texture of the sap can be a telling sign as well. If the sap is relatively translucent and hardens quickly, it’s likely to be normal. But if the sap is colored a darker brown/black or a sickly yellow (depending on the species) this is more likely to be Slime Flux (or a related bacterial condition called gummosis). If the sap hardens quickly and turns to a more neutral color, it may be normal sap. If the sap remains foamy, sticky, and/or liquidy for a long time, there’s a good chance that it’s Slime Flux.

So what is Slime Flux, really? All trees have bacteria inside of them, typically at sustainable levels maintained by the trees’ immune systems just like animals. But if something happens to a tree’s immune system that weakens it, the internal bacteria can bloom to huge populations, consuming the tree’s sap from the inside at high rates and releasing gases. These gases build up pressure inside the tree. The “wetwood” typically appears first, essentially as bruises showing on the surface of the bark, especially on smooth-barked trees. If the pressure builds high enough, the bark itself can crack and form lesions. From these lesions, the fermented sap consumed by the bacteria starts to leak out, creating the most visible symptoms of Slime Flux.

Slime Flux itself is not fatal. Trees can often recover from it naturally if their conditions and immune systems improve. That recovery, however, can really only happen if the underlying stressors that caused it in the first place are handled. This usually has to do with roots, whether water stress, root damage from human activity or weather events, changes to soil condition, etc. If the underlying cause of Slime Flux is not handled quickly, the lingering wounds are perfect openings for other pests to get in such as beetles, fungi, and other bacteria or viruses. The best bet is to call a certified arborist to investigate the situation. Every individual tree has its own context, and it’s best to have a professional check thoroughly to create the most scientific and beneficial plan of action.

July 7 2026

Euphorbias are Everywhere!

Robbie Blog ArizonaLandscaping, AZ Landscape, Landscape Management

In Sonoran Desert landscaping, you can find many interesting-looking plants. Some of the most interesting-looking plants are from the genus Euphorbia. Some look like succulents, some look like shrubs, some are weeds, and some are Christmas decorations. One thing is certain: Euphorbias are strange, and Euphorbias are everywhere.

As a genus, Euphorbia is actually one of the most common types of plants in the entire world. In fact, there are over 2,000 species of Euphorbia worldwide. They can be wildly different in their physical forms, bloom in a range of different colors, grow to extremely different sizes, and serve different roles in various ecosystems. One factor that unites them is their white, latex-like sap that pours out when a stem is injured. This sap is almost always poisonous and can irritate skin for those with sensitivity to Latex and similar compounds. For this reason, many people avoid keeping Euphorbias in spaces where curious pets and children may contact them. That being said, Euphorbias are extremely resilient, and many of the species native to Arizona and imported to Arizona are perfect for handling our brutal summers with ease.

The “Firesticks” or “Pencil Cactus,” Euphorbia tirucalli is one of the largest used in Arizona landscaping. While native to eastern and southern Africa, the Firesticks grows rapidly in Arizona, and can turn into a large shrub or small tree if given the space. It’s notable for its bright orange tips that develop during cold weather.

Another common Euphorbia used in Arizona landscaping is the Gopher Spurge, Euphorbia rigida. This is a low-medium shrub that grows bracts of blue leaves and huge clusters of yellow-green flowers. Often after it completes a bloom cycle the old stalks die off and new ones grow in from the root ball.

Others you may find include the Candelabra (Euphorbia candelabrum), Royleana (Euphorbia royleana), Lucky Cactus (Euphorbia trigona), Hedge Euphorbia (Euphorbia neriifolia), Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii), Candelilla (Euphorbia antisyphilitica), and many others.

None of the aforementioned species are Arizona-native plants; however, there are Euphorbias native to Arizona. Unfortunately, most of Arizona’s Euphorbias are considered weeds that get removed upon sight. Most of these are known as the Sandmats, in landscaping contexts simply called “Spurge” (especially Euphorbia prostrata). These are mostly low-growing ground cover that rarely exceed 3 inches in height. They bloom with tiny white or pink flowers and have leaves that range from dark green to deep red. They’re very difficult to remove from turf and from the bases of shrubs, as their entire rootball needs to be removed to kill the plant. However, an intentionally-planted and cared-for Sandmat could make for a unique, out-of-the-box floral design.

Lastly, the Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is famous worldwide for being a common Christmas decoration. They grow with large leaves and beautiful clusters of white, pink, or red flowers, making them perfect for the holiday season. In Arizona, they usually die off by the time the temperature exceeds 90 degrees, but some people are able to keep them alive for years with the right care!

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we grow wide varieties of plants at our in-house Wholesale Nursery, including multiple Euphorbia species. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email robbie@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

June 2 2026

What is Turf Aeration?

Robbie Blog, Uncategorized CommercialLandscaping, HOAMaintenance, Landscape Management

If you haven’t noticed, the Sonoran Desert isn’t known for its rolling hills of bright green lawns. As such, turf areas in desert landscaping need lots of assistance to keep growing healthily. Nitrogen fertilizer gives grass what the soil lacks, gypsum and sulfur break up salts to allow grass to absorb nutrients, and herbicides kill weeds that take nutrients away from grass. Over time, the soil gets so compacted from regular use and watering that no amount of sulfur or gypsum can break open the hard layer of soil to allow water and air to flow. This is where aeration comes in.

Turf aeration is the practice of punching holes in compacted soil to allow air, water, and nutrients to flow in and out of grass’ root space. It also breaks open the hard soil in a way that can inspire the sections of soil between each hole to break apart as well.

There are a few different aeration strategies and tools that can be used on different occasions. The main two methods are Spike Aeration and Core Aeration.

Spike Aeration utilizes a cart or machine with a spiked wheel that pokes holes into the ground as it moves. Each hole poked creates an opening for air and water flow.

Core Aeration involves stabbing holes into the ground at regular intervals with a tool that pulls cylindrical plugs out of the ground. This is generally considered the best aeration strategy, as Arizona’s water is salty enough that soil compaction is extremely aggressive in turf. Pulling large plugs like this is sure to decrease the overall compaction of the soil, while simply stabbing spikes in the soil only negligibly reduces compaction in the long term.

Aeration can be done any time of year, though it’s frequent to see landscapers do it proactively during the spring and fall when the grass typically transitions between summer Bermuda and winter Rye. It can also be done reactively at other times of year, though it’s best to avoid aerating during the hottest months of the summer to avoid overstressing grass when it’s the most stressed.

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we have been working the turfs of the Sonoran Desert’s landscapes for nearly 50 years. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email robbie@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

May 5 2026

Best Plants for Native Pollinators

Robbie Blog Arizona Landscape, ArizonaLandscaping, AZ Landscape, HOA Landscaping

Many people talk about supporting “the bees” when designing gardens and landscapes. What most may not know, though, is that the “Honey Bee” that we associate with “the bees” are not native to the Americas. European Honey Bees (and their “Africanized” counterparts) are, as their name suggests, from Europe. They were first spotted in the Americas shortly after the beginning of European colonization of the New World. They pollinate numerous flowers throughout the Americas today, though in many ways they harm the environment by outcompeting native pollinators and spreading insect diseases.

Arizona alone is home to over 1,300 species of native bees, almost all of which have been ecologically challenged by European Honey Bees. Additionally, there are 300 species of butterflies, 28 species of bats, dozens of birds, and even many flies and other small insects that cooperate with the native plants of our state to create stable ecosystems. Honey bees pollinate some of the plants in the desert, but not all of them. Some plants rely entirely on specific native animals to reproduce. Therefore, if you can install any plants that support native pollinators, you’ll be contributing to their survival in our urban areas. And guess what? Most native pollinators don’t even sting.

Some plants that bring native pollinators to your home include: Desert Milkweed (Asclepias subulata), Vining Milkweed (Funastrum cynanchoides), Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata), Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis), Ocotillo (Fourquieria splendens), Desert Lavender (Hyptis emoryi), Chuparosa (Justicia californica), Creosote (Larrea tridentata), Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum), Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens), Ironwood Tree (Olneya tesota), Blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida), Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus engelmanii), Parry’s Penstemon (Penstemon parryi), Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcaea ambigua), Velvet Mesquite (Prosopis velutina), Arizona Rosewood (Vauquelinia californica), and many, many more. European Honey Bees will still take pollen from many of these, but the benefits of providing space for native pollinators will be greatly appreciated by Arizona wildlife of all types.

Assuming you already have established trees in your yard, the top three picks for shrubs that support native pollinators would probably be the Desert Milkweed (Asclepias subulata), Desert Lavender (Hyptis emoryi), and Arizona Rosewood (Vauquelinia californica). The Desert Milkweed in particular is special for its role as the main food source for Monarch Butterflies during their yearly migration through Arizona. Please feel free to include as much native plant biodiversity as possible in your yard if you are able! Doing so increases the number of native animal species that can have a safe, survivable haven amidst the sprawl of the Phoenix metro area.

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we grow and install native plants that we are happy to install in landscapes throughout the valley. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email robbie@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

April 2 2026

Check Your Drip Lines for Calcium Crust

Robbie Blog Arizona Landscape, Landscape Management

If your yard utilizes a drip irrigation system and you live in the Phoenix area, you’ve probably had problems with lines clogging over time. What’s clogging the lines, and what can you do to mitigate this problem?

There are multiple potential causes of drip line clogging, including algae buildup and dirt getting into your pipes from leaks, bad filters, or even dirty canals depending on where you are. The most common issue faced in the Phoenix area, though, is salt buildup. Most commonly, this salt is calcium carbonate, most famously known as the active ingredient in TUMS. There’s also calcium bicarbonate and magnesium bicarbonate. All of these come together to form a whitish crust called “scale” or “limescale” on surfaces. This can form on pots and pans, in pipes, or at the emitters in drip irrigation lines.

The majority of scale buildup occurs during the spring and summer, as the increasing contrast between the cold temperature of water and the warm temperature of the surface and air causes the calcifying reaction to occur quicker. This reaction can happen so quickly that the entire openings of drip emitters can be blocked off by a thick crust of calcium. You can also see evidence of this on the surface of the soil. If you see white rings of crust around your drips, then that emitter is at a higher risk of getting entirely clogged at some point during the warm season.

Does this mean you should just have your drip lines completely without emitters? No. Leaving driplines without emitters wastes water by leaving water pressure unregulated and allows more debris to get into your tubes, which can potentially cause much more severe clogs. The simplest reactive approach to calcium buildups is to go through your yard once or twice in the spring and summer with a toothpick or pin. Go to each emitter and break up the scale that may have formed at the opening. If even that doesn’t fix it, the emitter may need to be replaced.

If you want to make more efficient, proactive changes, you have to go to the source – the water itself. The water in Arizona, whether from canals or from wells, is very alkaline, meaning it contains lots of salts. Applying a fertigation injector system to your irrigation and adding tame acids to the water that goes to your plants. These can be purchased at stores as “pH buffers” by individuals, or they can be applied at an HOA-wide scale by landscaping companies using dilutions of sulfuric acid.

This isn’t a “one-and-done” situation, though. Arizona will always have salt problems, whether in the water we irrigate with or in the soil itself. Acid should be added to easily-crusted drip systems at least once a year, though this depends on the severity.

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we add gentle acids to irrigation systems at a large scale in communities across the Valley to mitigate calcium buildup and improve plant health. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email robbie@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

February 27 2026

Why Do Arizona Turfs Need Gypsum and Sulfur?

Robbie Blog Arizona Arbor Care, Arizona Landscape, ArizonaLandscaping, CommercialLandscaping, HOA Landscaping

If you’ve lived in the Phoenix area for a while you know that it can be difficult to keep plants happy. The summers are hot, sure, but the big problem can be found in the soil itself. The soil in the Sonoran Desert is very alkaline. Essentially, that means it’s salty. As salt builds up in our clay-rich soil, it can become impermeable, hardening and preventing air and water from easily soaking in. This is bad for the roots of plants, especially if they are not native to the desert or otherwise accustomed to salty soils. There’s probably no plant where this challenge is more obvious than grass.

Turf in Arizona faces several challenges, but one of the worst is the alkaline buildup in the soil, or more specifically, the consequences of this buildup. Plants have difficulty absorbing important nutrients when the soil gets too salty. Nitrogen and Iron are especially likely to be chemically trapped in salty clay buildup. Both of these nutrients are vital to a plant that gets regularly cut down like grass, and there is very little Nitrogen found naturally in desert soil. The lack of available Nitrogen, Iron, and most other nutrients, makes grass turn pale or yellow. It can also slow its growth, change its shape, or kill the grass altogether in especially impermeable spots. How do you solve this problem?

In addition to proper turf care like aeration and dethatching, substances can be added to turf spaces to break up built-up clay and drastically improve the health of grass. Soil Sulfur is a powder or granular supplement that does wonders on this front. Sulfur is acidic, and when allowed to dissolve with water, it chemically reacts with the salts in the ground and breaks them up. This opens up the previously impermeable soil, lowers the pH level around the roots of grass, and makes Nitrogen, Iron, and the other important nutrients available to be consumed by the roots. Gypsum is also a great option. It acts in a similar manner, reacting with salts and breaking them apart, allowing water, air, and nutrients to reach the roots of turf grass. The only difference is that it is chemically much tamer and has minimal impact on the pH level of the soil as a whole. There are many other products that can be used for similar purposes, called Soil Acidifiers. These are usually liquids that can either be sprayed on turf or injected directly into built-up soil to make it healthier for growth.

While these practices are relatively well-known for keeping grass happy, many do not know that the vast majority of landscaping plants in the desert can benefit from practices like this as well. While native plants like mesquites and cacti are accustomed to our soil type, non-native species of all sizes will likely perform better if the soil around them is amended with Gypsum, Sulfur, or other Soil Acidifiers at regular intervals. Try it on trees and shrubs that are underperforming! Consult a Certified Arborist if you are unsure whether your plants will benefit from these practices.

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we always recommend soil amendments to turf areas at regular intervals that are best for keeping healthy grass. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email contactus@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

February 2 2026

Creating an Arizona Hummingbird Haven

Robbie Blog Arizona Landscape, HOA Landscaping

There are at least 15 species of hummingbird that call Arizona home, and luckily none of them are considered truly endangered. However, the Black-chinned, Rufous, Broad-tailed, and Calliope hummingbirds are on several ecological watchlists due to shrinking habitats. Hummingbirds are extremely important to the Sonoran Desert ecosystem, as they pollinate when they drink the nectar of flowers of all types, especially the tubular and trumpet-shaped flowers of the desert. If you want to bring more hummingbirds to your home, and thereby give them a safe place to eat, drink, and nest, it’s actually pretty easy to do so!

There are several known “hummingbird plants” that you can grow in your yard that will be sure to attract them with time. They absolutely love bushes like the Pink Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla), California Fairy Duster (Calliandra californica), Chuparosa (Justicia californica), Coral Fountain Grass (Russelia equisetiformis), and any species of Penstemon (a great choice is the Penstemon eatonii). These are just a few options, as they love any bush with trumpet-shaped flowers, tubular flowers, or puffball flowers with lots of nectar.

Some trees that hummingbirds love include Desert Willows (Chilopsis linearis), Mimosa Trees (Albizia julibrissin), Bottlebrush Trees (Callistemon citrinus), and to an extent, Velvet Mesquites (Neltuma velutina). Some annual and perennial flowers are hummingbird favorites as well, such as any Lavender (Lavandula), any Salvia (Salvia), Zinnias (Zinnia), Petunias (Petunia), and Cupheas (Cuphea).

Once you have some of these plants installed in your yard, you can actually look into having your home made a Certified Hummingbird Haven! The International Hummingbird Society has a set list of criteria on their website (www.hummingbirdsociety.org), and if you qualify, you can sign up to certify your outdoor space as a hummingbird haven. The requirements include having at least 20 hummingbird-friendly plants, a source of moving water, space for sanctuary and refuge, and avoiding the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides. Funds for their nonprofit go toward research and conservation for hummingbirds and their habitats around the world.

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, many of the plants we install in our communities are hummingbird favorites, and we engage in proper pruning and maintenance practices to keep things blooming for as long as possible. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email contactus@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

January 6 2026

How To Prevent Young Flowers from “Damping Off”

Robbie Blog

Soil microbes are vital to the health and success of plants of all shapes and sizes. Some of these microbes can harm plants when something about the soil conditions creates a chemical imbalance. In particular, there are multiple fungi that are present in small amounts in Arizona soil that can quickly kill plants if they are allowed to grow out of control. The most common victims of undesired fungal imbalance are young plants recently installed in pots or planters with poor drainage. The phenomenon of young plants dying of fungal rot before they have a chance to get established is called “damping off.”

petunia-1488564_1920-1024x683-2561084712

The most important thing to look out for is what was just hinted at – drainage. The roots of plants need access to air to thrive for many reasons, from water flow to gas transfer to the shedding of waste and much more. If the soil in a pot or planter has no drainage, it can become compacted and full of waste. When no oxygen reaches organic compounds, these organics create an “anaerobic” ecosystem (anaerobic = “not aerobic,” basically “no air”). It’s the collection of waste products and anaerobic conditions that make the perfect environment for a fungal take over. If the soil in a pot has an obvious “sour” smell, it’s very likely that the drainage is poor and there’s an anaerobic environment.

The best way to improve drainage in a pot is to use soil that has a lot of porous material that lets both water and air flow more freely. Horticultural pumice, vermiculite, and perlite are all great porous substances to mix into potting soil to improve flow. Even a thin layer of sand can help significantly. Avoid using packing peanuts or other artificial substances, as they can degrade and clog drainage or release chemicals that harm roots.

Even potting soil that typically has good drainage can become compacted by heavy rains and flooding. After heavy rains, if your potting soil feels hardened and compacted, it can be helpful to manually break up the soil to allow air back in. Worms are also a great natural source of soil aeration.

Newly-installed flowers and fresh seedlings are most often killed by fungus in anaerobic situations, but how can you tell if fungus in a pot is helpful, like mycorrhizae, or harmful, like Texas Root Rot? If leaf debris on the surface has some mold growing through it, this is generally not a problem. If there is obvious mold growing around the stalks or sprouts of plants, then there is a cause for concern. Emergency fungal solutions include applications of copper fungicide, diluted hydrogen peroxide, or even cinnamon.

At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we do our best to improve and maintain the quality of soil so plants of all sizes can truly thrive. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email contactus@evergreenaz.com and we can get started!

Instagram

Robbie

About Robbie

Posts by :