El Paso Master Gardeners

Our Desert Gardening Workshop Was a Hit!

We had over 60 attendees join us to learn how to garden successfully in our hot desert climate. So many great questions were asked and were answered by our MG Robin Scofield

Some participants were lucky to take home plants to start growing right away.

Thanks to El Paso Water helping us build a stronger, greener El Paso community and to Westside Library for hosting the workshop.

Here is a great question answered by the El Paso MG Interns via the Help Desk: What causes the black spots on my rose leaves and is it a problem?

Black Spot is a common fungal disease (Diplocarpon rosae) of roses which can defoliate the bush. While the fungus will probably not kill the bush, the infection can stress the bush and make the bush more susceptible to other pathogens. The fungal spores are disseminated by splashing water and the fungal spores must be continuously wet on the leaf for at least seven hours for the infection to occur.

Symptoms:

Initially, small, dry, reddish-brown spots with a feathery margin appear on rose leaves.

The spots then enlarge and develop a black color while the leaf tissue in the area of the spot begins to yellow.

The entire leaf will yellow and prematurely fall off the rose bush.
The infection may spread to current year canes and appear as purple-red splotches.

Treatment:

Remove the diseased leaves and dispose of them. Do not allow the diseased leaves to remain on the ground.
If the cane is infected, prune the cane.

Apply a fungicide to the bush. The fungicide will not cure the infected leaves, but will help prevent further infection.
Prevention
The rose bush should be kept dry. Avoid watering from overhead, but if you do, water early in the morning so the bush has time to dry.

Prune to increase airflow within the bush.
Sanitize your pruners.
Remove infected leaves from the ground and dispose of them or else the fungus may overwinter and cause future infections.

For more information on Black Spot, here are some helpful links.

https://plantclinic.tamu.edu/factsheets/black-spot-of-roses/
https://plantclinic.tamu.edu/2019/02/08/dont-let-this-disease-leave-a-black-spot-on-your-roses/
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/insects-pests-and-problems/diseases/fungal-spots/black-spot

Tomorrow, Saturday. Join us for this free workshop.

Ready to beat the heat with a thriving garden? ☀️🌿
Join GROWS for a FREE Community Workshop: "Top Summer Superstars You Can Grow in the Heat!". 🌸🌳
Learn how to grow beautiful, water-wise, and low-maintenance desert plants unique to our region with Master Gardener and educator Robin Scofield. Discover the native flowers and trees (including fruit trees!) that flower from spring through fall.
🗓 June 13, 2026
⏰ 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
🏠 Westside Library Branch
Let's make this your most successful and colorful gardening season yet! 🌸🌵

We’re still celebrating National Garden Week with some humor and by reminding you that we have an upcoming workshop this Saturday June 13 that will help you become more successful in growing a garden in our hot desert climate!

Head over to our post for more details:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Nvi9beT2f/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Our Ascarate garden has been busy and we’re loving every moment of it!
From our square‑foot garden, we harvested bright, crunchy radishes, and we’ve been enjoying the fruits of our labor with delicious beans as you can see MG Belinda Diaz and MG Robin Scofield doing!
We also pulled a bumper crop of white onions, one of our best harvests yet!
We’ve been amending the soil as we prepare for a grassland area in our Backyard Garden. Building healthy soil now means stronger, more resilient plants later!

Happy National Garden Week!

We’re celebrating the beauty and hard work that gardeners bring to our community, from vibrant rose beds to the stunning desert landscapes that make El Paso so unique.

Congratulations to all gardeners! Your dedication keeps our region blooming and inspires others to grow, learn, and connect with nature.

Here is a great question from the Help Desk answered by the MG Interns: When and how do you harvest onions?

Thank you for your question. The answer is simple and easy.

Right now, is the season when onion harvesting is taking place in El Paso, and at Ascarate Garden, we have our hands full of onions right now. Three short day varieties were planted this winter, Yellow Granex, Southern Red Bell and 1015Y Texas Super Sweet.

When:

· Transplanted onions in January/February should produce bulbs in May/July.
· Bulb onions (yellow, white, purple) are ready to harvest when the tops fall over and begin turning yellow or brown and bulbs are at least 2 inches in diameter.
· Green onions can be harvested earlier when they reach about the thickness of a pencil, and the bulb has started to form.

How:

Bulb onions:
1. Loosen the soil around the bulbs and then carefully pull out the onions.
2. Let them dry in a shaded, well-ventilated place for 1–2 weeks (curing).
3. Trim tops after they are fully dry.
4. Store in a cool, dry place with good airflow.

Green onions:
1. Pull gently from the soil when they are pencil thick.
2. Wash and use fresh.
3. No curing is needed.

For more info on onions, here are some helpful links:

https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/gardening/onions/

https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-onions
https://ucanr.edu/blog/backyard-gardener/article/harvesting-and-storing-onions-garden

Plan ahead! Pencil the upcoming events to your calendar. We hope to see you there!

Ready to beat the heat with a thriving garden? ☀️🌿
Join GROWS for a FREE Community Workshop: "Top Summer Superstars You Can Grow in the Heat!". 🌸🌳
Learn how to grow beautiful, water-wise, and low-maintenance desert plants unique to our region with Master Gardener and educator Robin Scofield. Discover the native flowers and trees (including fruit trees!) that flower from spring through fall.
🗓 June 13, 2026
⏰ 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
🏠 Westside Library Branch
Let's make this your most successful and colorful gardening season yet! 🌸🌵