October Gardening for Tucson

It's planting time for Tucson!  This is the month for tranplanting trees, shrubs, groundcovers, vines, grasses, cacti, succulents, perennials and bulbs in our low desert.  It's better to plant citrus and palm in the spring.  Why?  One.  As a gardener, I don't want to have to worry about covering new citrus from our potential frosts.  Two.  Cooler weather followed by warmer and hotter weather is better for these plants.   So go ahead and plant away this month!  It's also the time for you to go outside and have dinner "en el aire libre"(the fresh air). I know I know.  It can still be hot for some people, but I find the evenings to be very nice as there is usually a breeze to the warm days.  Also be ready for weird hot flashes:) No no...not those...the other kind.  Let me share an experience with you.  October is still prone to random 100+ degree days in Tucson.  In Phoenix, forget about it....it's hot until December.  I went to Mexico one year in late October and found my bamboo almost entirely obliterated by the heat when I came back because I miscalculated the watering schedule.  I hadn't expected the random week long heat wave!  So our task for this month is to monitor temps and adjust our drip systems and watering schedules accordingly for plants.  However, it's a great month to get back outside and start working in the garden.  I'm hoping this month will show some signs of relief soon:)  Essentially, get your plants into the ground before winter so that they can establish a good root system before next summer.  This month and the beginning part of November are okay for plant transplants.  I also do some light pruning here and there.  Hard pruning should be done in March before the plants leaf out.  Be careful not to overprune before their winter sleep in December. Keep foliage on trees and bushes to protect against frost.....so light pruning only:) Stay tuned for more.....