August Gardening in Tucson

The monsoon still hits and misses Tucson during this month.  Monitor your watering closely and adjust your drip system accordingly.  Prune back plants that need it.  Hopefully you've cleaned up all the mesquite pods that have fallen from last month....or your dogs have eaten them up:)  If you haven't, think about grounding up our native mesquite bean pods.  They're sweet and delicious. Bring the pods into Native Seeds and they'll ground them up for you.  Go total Tucsonan and use agave syrup over your mesquite pancakes:)  Watch for weeds that like to pop up.  My rule is pull several everytime you go outside to take the trash out or get the mail.  You can still transplant cactus and palms as their roots love warm soil. Prepare your beds for cool season veggies and annuals. Fertilize your roses and citrus at the end of the month. But mostly enjoy your garden.  Mother Nature lights up the skies and your gardens as her rains green up your plants with that wonderful rain.  If you haven't thought about harvesting rain water, think about installing containers to collect that precious resource.  It doesn't have to be complicated.  Tubs work if you don't have the money to install the larger containers.  Think about creating rock or dirt channels in your garden that will guide the water or "trap" it around your plants.  It's really a great month for Tucson gardening wise.....the plants glow green and wildlife is at its best viewing.  Finally, if you love butterflies, put your plants in now for the high traffic in September and October when the Queens rule our airways.  Consider the Texas Mist flower....although there are many more plants to choose from.  

Starting tomorrow, I'll begin the chronicles of my Panama trip.