QUESTION: I have an ocotillo that is 10 to 12 years old. Every spring, it used to leaf out beautifully, but this past spring, many of the canes didn’t leaf out and then some of them were blown down in a storm. I think the canes are rotting and it may be dying. We have other ocotillos, but they’re doing well. What could have killed this particular plant?
ANSWER: It could be related somehow to the drought we have had, although I know we’ve had lots of rain lately. Ocotillos are a difficult plant to care for and manage. Once they’re established, they’re usually bulletproof. However, like most living plants and trees, ocotillos do have a life expectancy that may have been reached with your plant.
Q: I want to put artificial turf down in my yard on the east side of my house. The problem is that when the sun comes up during the summer, the turf will be getting a lot of glare from the sun shining on the windows. Will that hurt the turf in any way?
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A: Yes, reflection from windows may do some damage to artificial turf. In fact, UV rays often are a big problem for turf. But if you put sun screens on your windows, that will prevent the glare issue for the turf and also keep your house from heating up in summer.
Q: I have a 25-year-old sunroom over a patio on my house that is now having serious signs of deterioration. It still looks good, but when it rains and there is also a lot of wind, one of the walls has a lot of leaks in it. The plastic frames around the window walls have also started chipping away. Are there people who can work on sunrooms and revitalize them? Or do I have to take it down and build a new one?
A: Many patio enclosures across the valley were owner-built with no building permit issued for the work done; in many cases, the work done did not meet building-code standards. These deficiencies sometimes show up quickly, while others may take time to present themselves. With your structure reaching 25 years old, it is probably due for repairs or restoration if it hasn’t been tended to.
It’s pretty difficult to diagnose issues without seeing the particular conditions that are present, so you may want to contact a contractor to assess what repairs or replacement is needed.
Q: If you drill a hole in the wrong place on the smooth exterior stucco finish of your house, how do you fill it afterward?
A: Start by plugging the hole with a mixture made with a dry powder for patching stucco that is available at a hardware store. Mix the powder with a little water and fill the hole with the mixture. Let it set and dry a few days until the mixture cracks at the edges where the mixture and stucco meet. Fill it again, but this time go 6 to 8 inches beyond the hole, then smooth it out and let it dry again. Next, put elastomeric stucco caulking over the refinished area and let it dry. Then repaint the stucco with quality 100 percent acrylic latex exterior paint.
For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building and remodeling industry expert for 29 years, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program, heard locally from 8-11 a.m. on KNST-AM (790) in Tucson and from 9-11 a.m. on KGVY-AM (1080) and -FM (100.7) in Green Valley. Call 888-767-4348.
