Drought Tolerant Plants for Tucson

Feather Cactus

We've arrived.  June is here!!!  Where do we begin??!!!  Well this is a great month to get things done early in the morning or late at night.  There isn't that humid or muggy monsoon air....yet.  But it's the perfect time to get your cacti and palms into the landscape. 

Drought Tolerant plants are important for our landscape because it cuts down on the use of water(xeriscape) and your water bill.  But most importantly, it frees up some time in our busy schedules.  Most of us who love gardening would love to be outside the entire time doing work in our yards.  However for many of us, this is not a realty.  Drought tolerant doesn't mean that your place can't be beautiful or lush....quite the opposite!  If you plan with the right plants, your place can be gorgeous, xeric AND cut down on yardwork.

This is a great guide to help you choose the best plants for your landscape.  They can found at TEP etc.  While some of you love to garden and water, you may not feel this way down the road.  I am at that stage in the property restoration of El Presidio.  I don't like watering plants and I really don't like being outside during the hot temps.  And I've watched a lot of people go through these stages in their own yards.

Many have commented to me about our property and say that they are surprised at how lush and green El Presidio is.  Yes.  That is the biggest compliment ever.  I have researched hours and hours on plants to make our property water friendly and GREEN like back home in Wisconsin......but with a desert twist.   Obviously I don't plant Wisconsin things here, but I find similiar looking plants that have been adapted to our desert or native plants that will thrive in our climate.  They also must function to feed humans and wildlife.  The above shot is the beloved Persimmons tree located at El Presidio. This pic was taken in October of last year.  Some fruit trees love our climate like the Mulberry, Peach, Apricot, Fig, Pomegranate or Persimmons.  It's all about placement and lighting.

I also try to use color when I can......and BAMBOO!!!  Several types of bamboo grow very well here like the Buddha's Belly Bamboo.  Once it's established, it only needs watering once a week.  I have the bamboo placed around our buildings where it catches the extra rain from the roof.

Save yourself work and find plants that will lower your water bills and outside time this summer.  Keep your potted plants near the entrance to your home as it will be easier to water them with a hose.  Everything else should be watered once or twice a week.  June is hot and typically rain free.  Mountain Laurel and Texas Ebony are lush and extremely XERIC plants.  In fact, there are so many great choices.  Find the above guide and get started.  It's fun once you get going.

I found this guy in our garden last July during monsoon.  More tomorrow....

June Gardening for Tucson

We've reached the hot and dry month of June.  It's fire season here with 100 degree plus temps and little chance for rain.  Random lightening strikes fire up our skies before monsoon rains descend upon us.  Very little transplanting should be done during this time of year as plants have a hard time establishing themselves while brutal temperatures test their limits.  However, palms can be put into the ground now as well as several native cacti.  If it's one word, we should all think about...it's "mulch".  There are lots of types of mulch like rocks and bark to consider.  The word "mulch" may confuse you as it did me when I first started gardening.  To put it simply, mulch helps keep moisture in around the base of plants and eliminates evaporation....thus conserving water and the need to water the plant constantly. It also protects the roots of newly placed plants from the scorching sun.   Be careful not to have the mulch up against the trunk of a tree as it could encourage rot. Add a 3 inch layer of organic mulch(compost, dried leaves, grass clippings, wood chips) to the soil around plants to prevent weeds, maintain moisture and slightly lower soil temperature.  As the mulch decomposes, it adds nutrients to the soil.   If anything, think about mulching areas to conserve water and keeping weeds OUT!  Think about your warm-season vegetables.  Transplant sweet potatoes. Sow cantaloupe, Armenian cucumber and okra seeds.  Continue monitoring your herb garden.  Pinch out ends of basil for a bushier plant.  Sunflowers love this heat and do very well. But mostly, monitor the watering of plants and enjoy the green outside from inside your cool home. If you need to hand water anything, do it in the morning or early part of the evening when temps are more comfortable.  This may sound ridiculous, but sometimes I'm working out in the garden at around 11 PM with a flashlight because the daytime temps are too hot! Stay cool gardening friends.  Until tomorrow......