June 1, 1997
Desert Gardening
June Gardening in the Desert
Water, Harvest, Enjoy!
Harvest June is a glorious month in the desert, some tree fruit is ripening, grapes are about to burst with juiciness and veggie gardens are aglow with abundant crops. Peppers of many kinds, tomatoes, green beans - these are the things of garden dreams. I still have the eggplant in a pot which appeared dead all winter and sprang to life this spring - it has several eggplant which will be ready soon. Pick your vining and bush vegetables regularly to keep them producing.
Flowers are also blooming, the roses are beautiful and the glads and lilies are starting to bloom. The ornamental grass is growing ever bigger and bushier, drooping over one end of the pond and water lilies are blooming in the pond.
Remember, keep the spent blooms cut from your flowers as much as possible to prolong the bloom. Once they bloom, they want to set seed and then they think their job is finished.
Water Water is critical for plant growth so it is important to water regularly and deeply. Don�t sprinkle in the sun, it may burn your plants and too much water is lost to evaporation. How dry our desert air is! The best way I have found to water veggies is to mound the dirt up in a berm around all the plants of one kind or similar moisture needs and let water trickle slowly in until it has saturated down to root level. A thick layer of mulch (3" - 6") helps to keep plant roots cool and holds in moisture. As the mulch deteriorates, it also adds humus and nutrients to the soil. Some alternate watering methods are: drip watering, which never seemed to work right for me, soaker hose, which is great for a small area, and trench watering, for which you would have to plan when planting - you raise the planting rows and water in the trenches between. There are other interesting methods which we will cover in a later article.
Be comfortable Since I don�t enjoy working in the garden in full sun in the summer, and my small vegetable garden seems to do so much better with some shade, I will soon drag out the shade cloth. I always imagine I can hear the veggies thank me once this is done.
Remember to use really high SPF sun block and wear a hat. Long sleeves can help with sun exposure too, if you can stand to wear them. When I am going to be working outside for any length of time, I also wear a neat garden belt with places for seed packets, tools, and miscellaneous items. And I use a back belt too when I can remember to put it on.
One of the most helpful things I have is a large garden wagon with a good-sized bed, and a handle that folds back on the bed to make a seat - what luxury to sit while I put in the little plants! I also have a garden cart which is handy for dragging bags of stuff around. The little gadget called the Garden Claw is a big help for loosening soil around plants - don�t believe all the advertising, it does require some work if the soil is hard and compacted but seems to be easier on surrounding plants than using a shovel. To add some compost or other additive to a planted bed, like perennials, I work the Claw in around the plants to loosen the soil - being careful not to get too close to the roots. Add the amendment (use your compost if you have it) and work it in a little with the Claw, and then water thoroughly and deeply. Our desert soil seems to need this treatment often, it is so lacking in humus and nutrients. Perhaps I just didn�t do a good enough job preparing the soil when I made these beds but I still have to add stuff now and then.
Feedback I would like for you to tell me what you would like to read about in future articles and give me your ideas, hints, and anything you think might be useful to other readers. For July, I would like to hear from you how you get your plants through the summer - irrigation, and all the little tricks you use to baby them through. In August we�ll start thinking about fall planting so there�s another topic for your consideration.
E-mail me at [email protected]
Stay safe, try to stay cool, and let�s talk!
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Plant Advisor Southwestern Deserts Edition
This site has a searchable database by plant name (common or botanical), with links to plants, listed by sun requirements and listed by landscape use. Has a plant advisor - describe a planting location and plant advisor suggests plants. Has links to other good sites.
Time Life Electronic Encyclopedia
This has a huge database searchable by plant name or attributes and/or region. This should make choosing plants for the desert easier.
The Gardening Launch Pad
A list of sites, including newsgroups, magazines and newsletters and gardening by subject - wow! 1300 gardening links in 53 categories. That might keep us out of trouble for awhile.
Verna Lynn's Flower Garden
Lists of catalogs on-line and mailed, searchable databases, may sites of interest make this a very good place to visit. Check out "other great sites" and "must visit sites for gardening ideas.
Better Homes and Gardens Page
Many, many interesting sites both by subject and general interest. I especially liked Algy�s Herb Page and Exotic Plant and Garden Seed Catalog. Herbs and many exotic plants do well in the desert, give it a look.
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Desert Gardening
