April Gardening for Tucson

This is the last month really before things start to heat up.  There's a lot of work to get done before summer arrives and now is the time to do it.  Once mid-May arrives, many Tucson gardeners won't want to be in the garden:) Here's a list of things to do from our area specialists.....

An ideal month to plant cactus; succulents, citrus, and palms ● Finish the planting of herbaceous perennials and herbs ● Fertilize shrubs ● Increase watering as temperatures rise ● Adjust irrigation clock to increase watering frequency ● Stop watering winter annual wildflowers, collect seed, and rake up dried remains
Source: Tucson Botanical Gardens

All types of landscape plants, including trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers, clumping grasses, cacti and succulents.  This would be the time to plant your younger cacti transplants so that they get used to their new spots in the landscape.

Transplant citrus trees, including orange, lemon, grapefruit, pummelo, mandarin, lime, tangelo and kumquat.  Newly transplanted citrus trees seldom require fertilizer the first year after planting.

Sow sees for warm-season vegetables, including melons, cucumbers, squash, jicama, black-eyed peas, okra, and snap beans.  There's still time to sow sees for a later crop of cool-season carrots, radishes and green onions, all of which mature quickly.

Transplant herbs, including basil, lemon grass, lavender, oregano, marjoram, mint, rosemary, sage, santolina, salad burnet, and thyme. Plant Mexican mint marigold in place of French tarragon, which can be difficult to grow here.

Transplant flowering yarrow, anise hyssop, chaparral sage, Mexican bush sage, lisianthus, celosia and bee balm.  Sow seeds for coreopsis, hollyhock, cosmos, four o'clock, gaillardia, zinnia and sunflower.

Hybrid Bermuda grass sod can be installed. If seeding new lawns, wait until May.

Garden Maintenance
Fertilize older citrus trees with their second feeding of the year.  To help prevent root burn, water well the day before and immediately after applying.  Spread fertilizer at the tree's dripline-the edge of the canopy and slightly beyond. This is where a plant's feeder roots are growing and taking up nutrients and water.  Spreading fertilizer near the trunnk of a mature tree does little good.

Fertilize roses to help them during this peak bloom period.  To help maintain consistent soil moisture, spread a layer of mulch around the bases of bushes. Keep mulch several inches away from stems.  This aids in preventing insect or disease woes, a result of wet mulch sitting against plant tissue.

Monitor water needs of plants as temperatures increase, to prevent their becoming stressed water. Tomatoes and peppers may exhibit a dark, bruised area, which is probably blossom end rot.  This condition is aggravated by inconsistent watering.  The fruit is still edible if the affected area is cut away.  Deciduous fruit trees should be watered slowly and deeply to help with fruit sizing. 

Source:  Cathy Cromell who is co-author of Desert Gardening for Beginners (Arizona Master Gardeners Press)

For specific pruning and watering information, click here from Tucson Home Magazine:
http://www.tucsonhomemagazine.com/inthisissue/tables/apr_table.html

This is the prime time of year to get a lot of your major projects done around the garden before the 100+ degree weather hits.  Until tomorrow.....

Garden Maintenance for Tucson

Recently I have been focusing on particular plants in the garden and on, naturally, butterflies.  The weather here in Tucson has now reached acceptable levels in the garden to work.  The mosquitos are dying and the 100 degree days with humidity are gone.  Plants during this time of year almost radiate a glow as if to breathe a little.  The intense heat stressed them to the max...and this even includes desert plants.  So with the beautiful days and cool nights, the plants until the end of November or first week of December flourish in our landscape.  Here are some tips on what you need to do to get your southwest garden ready for winter and beyond:)

Tucson Botanical Gardens

There are many varieties of gardening...low, medium, and high.  Midwesterners or people from east of the Mississippi find that their high maintenance gardening is just that.....too much work here in the desert southwest. I am going to write about the low maintenance side of gardening as I have come to appreciate the beauty....it doesn't mean you have to give up green or a lush landscape...it just means you need to replace those lilacs or ferns with something of similiar variety that will flourish here instead of look stunted and/or dead:)

Here's a list of things to know....

1.  Learn all you can about a plant before you purchase it

2. Know the ultimate size

3. Climate...how cold? how hot?

4. Exposure....how much sun or little sun is involved?

5.  The water needs

6. Fertilizer

7. Insect and disease problems

As gardeners, we do many kinds of jobs.....

We prune, prep our soil, plant, fertilize our plants, control insects, weed, clean and rake and rake some more, water or drip irrigate.

Seasonal Maintenance:

Early Spring: Clean up after winter damage

Prune

Fertilize

Plant tropical plants

Apply pre-emergence....coats seeds from sprouting...doesn't affect plants

Adjust drip irrigation

Late Spring:  Prune flowering plants

Fertilize

Adjust drip irrigation

Summer: Weed control...spray pre-emergence

Apply adequate water...increase watering

Maintain proper plant size

Fall: Plant trees and shrubs

Plant winter annuals and bulbs

Fertilize

Winterize frost sensitive plants

Winter:  Prune trees and shrubs

Fertilize winter annuals

First off....sorry to inform you all but here it is....

-No lawns! Now there are some really great artificial lawns out there that look great and feel great on your feet and they don't require fertilizer or watering!!  Afterall, water is an expensive commodity out here.  And please, don't spray your gravel green!!  That is just simply tacky.

-Do not plant trees too close to buildings for sewage and foundation issues.

-No tree branches overhanging patios and driveways....our wind storms are nasty and they can cost you A LOT of money!

-Avoid plants susceptible to Texas Root rot.  I had this happen to me and it killed me.  I planted a Chinese Elm and it was beautiful and then after 2 years....it died.  It's a terrible disease and you can't do much to prevent it if anything.  Here's my advice...plant your trees and have fun, but if a spot in your garden kills the tree...and your tree shows signs of sudden death and dry leaves in the middle of summer...you've got Texas Root rot.  The alternatives on the tree list are smaller in selection, but can still be attractive.  I planted a Texas Ebony in the place of the Chinese Elm...it's slower growing but attractive nonetheless.

-Few plants in pots

-Automatic Drip Irrigation

-Keep garden tools easily available

-Avoid messy plants....for example, don't plant a mesquite/bouganvillea next to your pool or you'll regret it.

Desert Rose

Finally, check your drip irrigation 4 times a year.  Check for leaks and wear.

Currently, I am dealing with weeds in my garden and applying mulch on the ground. I'm also in the fertilizing phase.  I will begin planting more things as well...as much as the money will allow me:)  Until next time, Happy Gardening!!