Have you ever wished you could
just take a picture of a plant and have the internet identify it for you? Turns
out, there are a lot of digital options to help with the identification of
plants. We’ve reviewed the best resources so you don’t have to.
PLANT APPS:
iNaturalist: Once logged on to this free application, you become one of their citizen scientists. The app uses your photos then provides you with a list of possible plant choices. Once the plant has been identified the app then asks you to upload the data to help other people learn what’s in their neighborhood (there is the option to skip this and just get the plant identified). This app was by far the best at identifying the correct plant. An added bonus is it allows users to create guides and gives access to others created in the area. In fact, there is a fantastic Plants of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque guide already on the app listing hundreds of plants in the Albuquerque area.
Pl@ntNet: This free app uses a database organized by location to identify plants. Simply upload a photo and the app provides a long list of possible matches. It’s common to find the correct plant among the choices given, but if a match is not made, users may access the world flora database to find the exact plant. This app is good at identifying the plant family which is a good start in finding the right identification. The best attributes of this app are that it does not require a login or account and you can either take live photos or select from your photo library.
New Mexico Wildflowers. This free, local app is a winner - it’s basically an online field guide boasting more than 3,000 local plants! Select a plant type, flower color, flower size, leaf arrangement and habitat. It then provides a list of plants that meet the criteria. From there, users can identify the plant in question. A great feature of this app is that it can be used during your favorite outdoor activity because internet access is not required.
New Mexico Wildflowers app
iNaturalist app
LOCAL DATABASE AND GROUPS:
New Mexico Plant List Database: This plant database is courtesy of the Office of the State Engineer. It has a large variety of plants with an easy-to-use interface. https://wuc.ose.state.nm.us/Plants/
Groups: Another way to figure out plant identification is to crowdsource using social media. There are a few notable Facebook groups that regularly answer plant ID questions, where members upload photos of the plant with location details, and members of the group provide input. A few to check out are Native Plants of New Mexico (4,027 members), Entomology (135,034 members), Plant Identification (174,670 members), and Plant Identification and Discussion (278,523 members).
Other apps: PlantSnap, Picture
This Plants, Seek. We’ve found these to be less reliable for identifying desert
friendly plants.
TIP: When using any of these tools, the quality of the photo is important. It’s helpful to have both zoomed-in pictures of foliage and photos of the entire plant form.
Author: Marisa Y. Thompson, Ph.D. Extension Horticulture Specialist, Department of Extension Plant Sciences NMSU Desert Blooms blog and Jill Brown, ASLA Landscape Architect and owner of My Landscape Coach in Albuquerque, NM. Resources: Native Plants of New Mexico Facebook Group
It’s officially winter and cold weather will be here for a while. January’s service tip is to take a moment to inspect the trees on your property to see how they are doing.
Walk outside and take a good look at
your tree, starting with where the tree enters the ground. Your looking to see that
the tree trunk flare out as it goes into the ground. This is called a root
collar.
If your tree goes straight into the
ground, it’s most likely planted too deep. You’ll want to remove the dirt
around the tree until you can see the flare of the root collar.
Next, look up into your tree and check for a main central leader on your tree. Now notice the spacing between the branches. Each branch should have its own space. If your tree looks like it doesn’t have the above characteristics, then it’s probably time to call in an arborist for advice.
WATERING RECOMMENDATIONS:
This winter continues to bring much needed precipitation to meet the needs of your landscape, no need to water this month.
Last month we recommended you shut down your irrigation system. If you haven’t had a chance to do that yet, December is the time. Read how here.
Trees still need to be watered once a month in the winter, meaning you can hand water your trees per the Winter Watering Recommendations. However, due to the recent record snow storm in Albuquerque your trees have received enough water this month so there is no need to water.
If your landscape gets more than ½” of rain or 6″ of snow during any given winter month (December, January and February) there is no need for supplemental irrigation on that month.
November is when we recommend you turn off your irrigation controller due to freezing temperatures. For trees that still need water this month, hand water per the Fall Season Watering Recommendations. If you have turf, water for only one day per week. Remember that if it rains or snows more than ½ inch, count that day as one of your watering days and cut back on supplemental irrigation.
Lower temperatures and shorter days in the months of October and November mean less evaporation. Thus, less irrigation is required. Adjust your irrigation controller following the Fall Season Watering Recommendations below to keep your landscape healthy. If you have turf, water only one or two days per week, and two to four days a month for trees. For other type of plants see below for watering recommendations. Remember that if it rains more than half an inch, count that day as one of your watering days and cut back on supplemental irrigation. So far, customers’ water demand is 800 million gallons less compare to last year!
September is still hot
but the days are getting shorter. Follow the Fall watering recommendations
below. Remember that if it rains more than a half inch, count that day as one
of your watering days and cut back on supplemental irrigation.
Follow the Fall Watering Recommendations below for your landscape.
