Oh, what glorious rains we’ve been getting here in the desert! This should definitely give any spring wildflower seedlings that we have in our gardens a boost towards a spectacular color display. Remember to turn your irrigation control system to the “rain” mode for a while until the soil dries out again.
Desert lupine seedling |
Desert blue bells seedlings |
Desert annual wildflowers are best grown a little on the tough side. Do not over-fertilize them, especially
with nitrogen as this will encourage a focus on foliage production rather than bloom development. Most of
our native annuals don’t need any fertilizer.
If your penstemons reseeded and sprouted a bit too prolifically,
this is a great time to transplant some of the volunteer seedlings
to small pots. Let them get their roots established in the containers
in well-drained potting soil and they can be planted out with nicely
formed root balls next month.
Perennials such as penstemons (Penstemon spp.), blackfoot-daisies (Melampodium leucanthum), white-tufted
evening primrose (Oenothera caespitosa), and Gooding’s-verbena (Glandularia gooddingii) don’t mind being
planted into cold soil, so they can be transplanted into the garden now for a splendid spring show of bloom.
Dandelion weed |
Stay on top of your winter crop of weeds, such as
cheeseweed (Malva parviflora), mustards, and dandelions.
Most of them are easy to pull out of the soil when it is moist.
Definitely don’t allow them to bloom and produce seed, or
you’ll have yet a more lush carpet of cool-season weeds to
deal with next year. Break the cycle!
Early in the month, cut back your perennial bunch grasses that died back for the winter. Scalp them back as close to the ground as possible. This will allow all the new spring growth, which usually begins by the end of February or early March, to develop easily and fully. Too often around the Valley we see them sculpted into foot-tall balls. This chokes potential new leaf growth, so the plants will not develop their full beauty and the unsightly dead growth remains the predominant feature.
If some of your plants suffered frost damage this winter, be patient and don’t cut them back until the end of this month or even sometime in the first half of March. We still have the potential to get another freeze, and the damaged material can protect lower stems and leaves from being harmed.
This is the perfect month to run a full check on your irrigation system. Turn on each valve one at a time to test for leaks in the lines or clogged emitters, and make repairs as needed. Check the back-up battery in your control box to make sure it still has life in it. Don’t get caught off guard with a malfunctioning system once we heat up! If we start to dry out and warm up by the end of the month, begin adjusting your irrigation schedules. If relatively hot and dry, you can even begin water agaves again for the season.
If you intend to plant a warm season vegetable or herb garden, get your soil prepared now. Most veggies prefer a well-amended organic soil, so mix lots of compost in to at least a foot deep. Many annual herb prefer organic soil as well. With the soil prepared, you’ll be ready to plant early next month when daytime and nighttime temperatures become warmer.
Continue to adjust the watering schedules
as temperatures change and the soil
dries out.
Gardening Calendar Archive
November 2007
October 2007September 2007
Garden Meetings:
Arizona Native Plant Society
Tuesday / May 13 / 7-9 p.m. / Webster Auditorium
Central Arizona Cactus & Succulent Society
Sunday / May 18, June 29, July 27, August 24 / 2 p.m. / Dorrance Hall
Central Arizona Butterfly Association
Saturday / Webster Auditorium
Maricopa Audubon Society
Tuesday / Webster Auditorium
