Seasonal Gardening « Southwest Gardener Newsletter

There’s a Garden Club For Everyone

Gardeners are nice people and they like nothing more than to get together and share ideas, best practices, specimen plants and stories. Central Arizona is full of gardening groups. We’ve complied a list of clubs we know about. Some we are pretty familiar with, some are new to us.

We encourage you to connect with a club that meets your interests. You’re a fan of bonsai? There’s a group for you. Roses? Lots of opportunities in our desert cities. Have an interest in ponds? There is a Pond Society. Want to know more about native plants? Head out to a Native Plant Society meeting.

Don’t be shy, these groups are full of enthusiastic people, just like you. And, if you know of a group we should list, please e-mail the information to us at info@southwestgardener.com. We’d like to keep this as up-to-date as possible and we’d like to make it statewide, so if you’re in southern or northern Arizona, Yuma or the White Mountains, let us know of the clubs you like.

African Violet Society - email anncie@cox.net<anncie@cox.net

Arizona Herb Association - http://www.azherb.org/index.php

Arizona Native Plant Society/Phoenix chapter – http://aznps.com/chapters/phoenix.html

Deadheaders, a volunteer group at Mesa Community College Rose Garden – http://rosegarden.mesacc.edu/deadheaders.html

Desert Pointe Garden Club, Ahwatukee - http://www.desertpointegc.org/home

Desert Valley Orchid Society – http://www.dvos-az.net

Greater Phoenix Pond Society – http://www.phoenixponds.com/index.html

Mesa East Valley Rose Society – http://www.roses4az-mevrs.org

Orchid Society of Arizona – http://www.orchidsocietyaz.org

Phoenix Chrysanthemum Society – http://www.mums.org/chapters/az.htm

Phoenix Rose Society – http://www.phoenixrose.org

Rose Society of Glendale – http://www.roseglenaz.com

Scottsdale Bonsai Society – http://scottsdalebonsai.weebly.com

Scottsdale Rose Society – e-mail Mklevittmd66@gmail.com

Southwest Gourd Association – http://swgourdpatch.com

Sun Country Iris Society – http://www.suncountryiris.org

Tempe Garden Club – http://www.tempegardenclub.com/home

Valley Permaculture Alliance – http://www.phoenixpermaculture.org

Washington Garden Club – http://www.azwgc.org/home

Weeders Garden Club – http://weedersgc.org/home

West Valley Rose Society – http://www.westvalleyrose.org

Protect Your Plants

Winter came upon us fast this year and as usual in the desert we go from one extreme to another: A hot dry summer quickly becomes a cold winter.

You all know how important it is to protect frost-sensitive plants from freezing temperatures. One thing you can do is water the soil around them well during the day. Then please remember to adequately cover your plants. That means the entire plant should be covered whenever possible. So if you’re trying to protect shrubs and garden beds, place your frost covering over the whole plant and anchor the covering to the ground around the plants with heavy rocks or spare bricks. The idea is to trap as much heat around the plant as possible. Remember to never let your frost covering get hit with water from a sprinkler or rain. If it gets wet and then freezes on top of your plants you’ll have severe damage. Frost cloth, sheets, old tablecloths all make good covering.

For cactus, take a big styrofoam cup and top off each arm. Cactus tips can be very vulnerable.

For the most complete information on frost in the low desert, check out this publication on frost from the University of Arizona Maricopa County Cooperative Extension.

Wonderful Wildflowers

California poppies and lupine

Mid-October through November is prime planting season for a great show of spring wildflowers. We think wildflowers are some of the happiest plants you can cultivate. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, and they often spring from some of the most unlikely places (rocky landscapes, along busy highways). Plus, they are easy to start. Sun, seed, water – that’s all you need to get a wildflower patch going on your property.

We love all wildflowers but are partial to the orange and purple combination of California poppies and Lupine with a bit of scarlet flax thrown in. But you could go crazy with several types of penstemon, a bright orange/red/yellow gaillardia and a fuzzy looking owl’s clover. Or if you like more of a sunflower look, the shy Mexican hat is perfect.

The point is to have fun. So here’s how:

1. Grab a pack of wildflower seeds – we like the Wild Seed brand from the well-respected Tempe company of the same name. Each small packet from Wild Seed will cover a 100 square foot space, so make sure to get enough for your space. You can get individual varieties as well as nice mixes. If you have a lot of space we can order larger quantities that arrive quickly.

2. Work your planting area with a hard rake. The point is to scratch up the surface a bit – no hard digging is necessary.

3. Mix your seeds into a bucket with a couple of scoop fulls of soil or compost – you can use soil from the planting area or any potting soil you have around. The mix helps in two ways: First, it enables you to see where the seed is broadcast; second, it helps to weigh down the seed.

4. Gently distribute the seed mix in your planting area. Then rake it around to even it out.

5. Water well on a regular basis, but not so well that you’re making streams that move the seed. We suggest you keep the seed bed relatively moist for three to four weeks after planting and until seedlings appear. Then time your watering around winter rains – assuming we get some. If there is no rain you’ll need to continue watering on a less frequent basis, weekly will work well.

After you get your great show of flowers, you can let them dry and go to seed right where they were planted. With amply rain or moisture, many will reappear in subsequent years.

Check this website in early spring for information on the best places to view wildflowers: http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/wildupdates.html

All About Gardening Workshops & Events

For gardeners, here’s a list of fall 2011 Plant Events and Gardening Classes. If you’re coming to a class, please call preregister, even for the free events. For classes that require a fee, you’ll pay at time of registration; debit and credit cards are accepted. No refunds available. Call 602-279-9510 to register. All the crafty workshops are located here.

Tomatoes, Peppers, and Chilies Sale

Saturday, August 20, 10:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. For all you tomato and pepper enthusiasts, there is a window of opportunity each fall to grow a quick crop before the winter chill sets in. And it’s now. Local grower Gregory Ware will be here with a great selection of his outrageous organic plants. Choose from hardy desert-grown tomatoes, and peppers that range from hot to mild, from edibles to ornamentals. Slip these into your beds now and you’ll still be eating home-made salsa on Halloween.

Soil Prep – Everything You Need To Know Before You Plant A Garden

Sunday, September 11, Noon. Your best guarantee for gardening success comes in the preparation. Soil is a key component and yet it’s the area most folks bypass. Local gardening guru Gregory Ware will demystify soil for you in this two-hour workshop. He’ll walk you through the steps needed to prepare your fall and winter garden. You’ll also take home enough locally produced organic fertilizer and soil sulfur to cover a 100 square-foot- garden. After this workshop, you’ll be set to grow! Cost $32.

Starting Gardens From Seed

Sunday, September 25, Noon. The benefits of starting a garden from seed are huge: Home-grown seedlings are acclimated to our desert climate, you control the organics of the garden, and seeds offer many more interesting varieties than you’ll find buying just plants. Local grower Gregory Ware will share his secrets for successfully starting your garden from seed in this two-hour workshop. You’ll plant a large seed tray of 72 starts using Gregory’s custom soil blend and his considerable knowledge. Southwest Gardener will give you a $10 credit to use on seeds of your choice. Cost: $35

Ready, Set, Grow Veggies!

Sunday, October 2, Noon. Fall is our biggest growing season, so you don’t want to miss it. Local grower Gregory Ware will return to share his considerable knowledge about growing vegetables in the desert. Whether you are starting your first plot or you’re a seasoned gardener, you’ll benefit from this class. Each participant will select two six-packs of starter plants to help get a garden started. Plan on a two-hour session with plenty of time for your questions. Cost $35.

Masters Of The Garden Day – And It’s Free!

Saturday, October 8. We thought that it would be fun to celebrate our 13^th anniversary and the fall planting season with a series of free talks by some of the Valley’s premier gardeners. So we’ve got three sessions planned on key gardening topics that come up in our shop almost every day. The sessions are free of charge, but seating will limited so please call ahead and reserve a spot. Then come back the next day for our annual Fall Veggie Plant Sale.

11 a.m. –The ABC’s of composting Compost, mother nature’s original recycling project, is an easy and inexpensive way to manage peelings, parings, clippings, and garden debris to make a great soil amendment that improves the quality of our desert soil. Learn all of the basics with Master Gardener, Pam Perry. Pam is truly an expert on turning trash into treasure.
1 p.m. – Gardening Mysteries and Challenges. Is there a mysterious critter nibbling on your flowers? Not sure what that beautiful plant is or how to take care of it? Gardening pro Mary Irish will be on hand to answer your question on everything from plant ID to discussing what’s bugging your fruits and flowers. Mary’s been providing quality information plants and gardening for a long time. Your are welcome and encouraged to bring samples or photos .
3 p.m – Rose Gardening in the desert. We’re so excited that Jeannie Cochell of the Phoenix Rose Society is going to talk with you about how to grow and nurture rose gardens in the Sonoran desert. She’ll talk about planting, watering, feeding and how roses deal with our summer heat.

Fall/Winter Veggie Plant Sale

Sunday, October 9, Noon to 3 p.m. Gregory Ware of Dos Arbolitos Nursery will be here with a truckload of his fabulous winter vegetable plants. These starts plants are grown organically here in the Phoenix area so they are well suited to our desert climate. This plant sale is timed during prime planting season for fall and winter gardens so don’t miss this opportunity to snag some of Gregory’s cool and unusual varieties.

Create An Herb Garden

Sunday, October 30, Noon. Fresh herbs add great flavor to every day cooking, and growing your own means you have a steady supply. Gregory Ware of Dos Arbolitos Nursery will be back to share his tips for creating the perfect herb garden. You’ll learn all about growing and maintaining herbs and will select three of Gregory’s locally grown herb plants to get your garden started. This is a two and on-half-hour class. Cost: $40.

Herb Plant Sale

Sunday, November 6, Noon to 3 p.m. Just in time for holiday cooking, Gregory will be here with a fabulous selection of tasty herb plants. Tuck a few into your garden or stash them in a pot for a sunny windowsill, or a nifty holiday present. What a great gift for your favorite cooks.

Lettuce Bowl Gardening

Sunday, November 13, Noon to 2 p.m. Propagating your own gourmet salad greens is a snap. Local grower Gregory Ware will share his best tips on growing fresh and tasty greens along with proper harvesting techniques. Then you’ll plant a pot with a nice mix of lettuces that will grow into a bounty of salads – about three months’ worth. This class will last about two hours. Cost $40.

A Favorite Cactus

This Astrophytum myriostigma, commonly referred to as Bishop’s Cap, is a star-shaped, spineless cactus that usually has between 4 to 6 ribs. Amy purchased this particular plant at a Phoenix-area nursery about 12 years ago. It was in a 4-inch pot and the lone yellow flower on top caught her eye – it really was just like the cap (they are called mitres) that bishops in the Episcopal church wear. It made her smile.

With just the right amount of neglect – numerous family dogs have knocked the poor potted cactus over dozens of times – and filtered sun, this Bishop’s Cap has thrived. It takes almost no water from October through March and just a bit through the summer.

Its dark green skin is covered in numerous, small, silvery glochida. As you can see, this plant now bears lots of sweet, yellow, summer blooming flowers that open in the morning and close at night. Commonly available garden literature says the plant can grow to heights of 2 to 3 feet. This one is probably about 12 inches tall.

Bishop’s Cap needs a well-drained soil that’s porous, but each time this one gets knocked over, it gets re-potted in whatever soil is handy. It likes filtered shade and can take cold temperatures, down to about 20 degrees fahrenheit. This plant is native from southern Texas to the north central Mexican plateau and will regrow from the root if the top is cut off (let’s hope the dogs don’t figure that out).

What Is Mulch?

Staw is an excellent mulch for vegetable gardens.

Now that we’ve discussed the Soil v. Compost question, we’ll move on to Mulch. First, mulch is one of the best summer practices you can do in your garden. Second, mulch is not really soil or compost, so you don’t want to use it as a planting medium. Mulching a desert vegetable or flower garden should be done before the high summer heat becomes constant.

Mulch is a protective layer of material that you spread on top of your soil several inches thick. Mulching is a simple and highly effective way to help your garden, especially as summer nears. It helps soil retain moisture, stay cool and it inhibits weed growth; soil temperature and water retention are very important for desert gardeners.

Mulches can be organic – think bark chips, straw, grass clippings, pine needles, dry leaves, shredded newspaper, even compost. Or they can be inorganic, such as decomposed granite or other small stone. Inorganic mulch is often used to give gardens a tidy look, but remember they can be a lot of work to move if your garden plans change.

As organic mulch slowly decomposes, it adds organic matter to the soil which helps keep it loose, improving root growth and increasing water retention. Organic matter is a source of plant nutrients and provides an ideal environment for earthworms and other beneficial soil organisms.

If you live in an area where hard freezes are common in the winter, you might want to read more about winter mulching in the USDA’s Backyard Conservation Tip Sheet on Mulching.

The Dirt On Soil Versus Compost

We’ve had questions lately about soil and compost. Apparently there are lots of folks who think they are the same thing, but there’s a big difference.

Soil is basically the top layer of the earth. Soils are made up of various proportions of sand, silt, clay and small amounts of organic matter (decaying insects, plants, creatures, fungi), as well as minerals and nutrients. These different-sized particles give soil its texture. It is the natural medium in which to grow plants. A publication from the Environmental Protection Agency says there are more than 70,000 types of soil in just the United States. Just don’t call it dirt. Dirt is is mainly ground rock and pebbles; a filler with mainly mineral content but no real nutrients. Dirt smells and looks like dust. Soil is dark and smells earthy.

Soil formation happens when many things interact: air, water, decaying plant life, rock, animal life and chemicals. It forms over a period of up to 1,000 years. Plant roots and lichens break up rocks, which become part of new soil and roots loosen the soil and allow oxygen to penetrate it. Also, earthworms and other organisms live in soil and help loosen or aerate it. If you’re creating new in-ground garden beds or building a raised-bed garden, you’ll need to amend the native soil and in some cases add soil. That’s where compost becomes important.

Compost is the recycling of plant and kitchen waste as a fertilizer and soil amendment. It is dark and crumbly and, when done correctly, smells like good soil. Compost improves soil and plants by returning organic matter to the soil in a usable form. Compost helps break up heavy clay soils, improving its drainage. It makes sandy soil better able to retain water and essential nutrients. Adding organic matter (compost) to soil improves plant growth and is essential for gardens in the Sonoran desert. Improving your soil is the first step toward improving the health of your plants, bt compost is not a planting medium; it is a terrific soil amendment.

You can make compost at home, easily. Or you can purchase organic compost at Southwest Gardener or reputable nurseries. If you’d like to start a home compost pile, chapter 6 of “Desert Gardening for Beginners” tells you all you need to know to be successful.

A Word About Pruners . . .

Regular bypass pruners are perfect for taking frost damage off plants and small shrubs; they cut branches up to 1/2-inch in diameter. Bypass pruners are the type that act like scissors – the blades cross. Anvil pruners have blades that cut across a flat plate. Bypass pruners are a little more expensive than anvil pruners but the cuts they make are cleaner which allows the plant to heal quickly. Anvil pruners can crush plant tissue.

Pruners should be disinfected after each use. Take a clean rag and sterilize the pruner blades with a small amount of rubbing alcohol. Carefully clean the blade. Whatever gunk remains can be removed with very fine steel wool. Also, you’ll want to keep your pruner blades sharp so cuts are clean and don’t tear the plant.

After each pruning session, it’s good to oil the blades. You can find an inexpensive bottle of 3-in-1 oil at a hardware store or use WD-40. Wipe an oily cloth on blades and other surfaces after each use, and remember to keep cutting edges sharp.

The University of Arizona Master Gardener Manual has good, specific information about pruning shrubs, trees and hedges.