FULL SUN Full sun, or afternoon shade pH Acidic 5.6  FEEDING Balanced fertilizer PLANTING Spring, Fall, Winter Grapes are an easy-to-grow vine for the Arizona area. They are perfect on large chain link fences, trellised against large block walls, or for use as an overhead shade canopy. Botanically, grapes are considered berries and grow on deciduous woody vines that can live for hundreds of years.  Grapes are deciduous; during fall, leaves will turn yellow to beautiful coppers and reds depending on the variety, before they are shed.  They grape pi ..read more

A Better Way to Grow Beans and Legumes Did you know there’s a better way to grow healthier, more productive bean and other legume plants, that is not widely discussed? In fact, most gardeners are unaware of this simple, beneficial process – Inoculation!  Bean inoculation has to do with nitrogen fixation on the roots.  Most of us use mycorrhiza and understand that it has a relationship with plants that benefits the plant root system. Bean inoculation works in much the same way. In order for beans to fix nitrogen, they need a relationship with a specific rhizobium. (Bacterium and rhi ..read more

FULL SUN Full sun,  pH Acidic 6.2- 6.8   FEEDING Heavy Feeder. Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Pottasium PLANTING Plants: January Seeds: October Growing onions can be frustrating for many gardeners in our desert climate, however,  however, with a few basic tips, success is possible. Onions are photothermoperiodic, which means they are affected by temperatures and daylight/day length. They are divided into short-day, medium-day, and long-day types. Short-day onions grow best when the summer day length is 10-12 hours long( Southern States), medium-day when it ..read more

LEVEL 1 FULL SUN Full sun for best fruit production pH 6-7 tolerant of various soils FEEDING Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium PLANTING Fall through spring, October to April The absolute easiest tree to grow! Mulberry tree seedlings often show up in gardens across Phoenix after the seeds have been “ planted by birds” They are native to Asia and North America and related to figs and jackfruit.  Mulberry trees are either male or female and many mature male trees can be found across the valley. Male trees are not needed for the females to fruit, in fact, if berries are ..read more

Using Kaolin Clay for Pest Management If you are not familiar with kaolin clay, this product is mostly available as Surround WP and used in commercial organic agriculture. It is used to deter squash bugs, cucumber beetles, cutworms, boring insects, thrips, and more. When purchased, it is surprising how large the bag is, but it lasts a long time and if used correctly, this size makes sense.  Recently we visited Shannon Ruckers Market Garden in Mesa and she shared the most genius tip with us on using kaolin clay to control pests. While we have always been familiar with spraying the plants ..read more

LEVEL 3 FULL SUN Dappled or afternoon shade pH Acidic 5.5-6 FEEDING Light Fertilizing PLANTING March – September Magiferia Indica Mangoes grown in AZ are very tasty because the summer heat really develops the sugars resulting in a  sweet, flavorful mango. In addition, they are less plagued by the fungal and bacterial diseases of more humid climates when grown in a desert climate. As a tropical fruit in the desert, they do require some specialized care and patience. If you are new to mangoes, be warned that you will lose one or two plants. Many immigrants like to g ..read more

Planting Times and Watering The biggest mistakes gardeners make with lavender are planting times and watering. While lavender is considered a full sun plant, our desert sun is brutal, therefore planting between May and September should be avoided. Get plants established when it is cooler, plant in late fall or early spring. If temperatures are above 80 when you plant out, give it some sun protection until it is established. Ideally, plant lavender in a spot that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. Some will take all day sun if there is enough moisture in the ground. Wilting lavender is a g ..read more

Summer gardening can be overwhelming in a hot dry desert climate. Preparing for what is to come can be the difference between a successful summer garden and a lot of disappointment. We are sharing our best tips to help gardeners grow plants in the hot moths of summer. Remove Old Spent Plants Prepare the garden for summer by removing spent winter plants and any remaining brassicas. Stressed winter plants are an invitation to pests. Bagradha bugs will move from weeds to brassicas if they are left in the ground. Leave flowering herbs, lettuce, and carrots in place. This will encourage benefic ..read more

Summer Color Summer Color may initially seem like a challenge in the garden if you garden in a hot arid desert environment. Most flowers that are regarded as full sun, per the seed packet are not really full desert sun tolerant. This can lead to frustration and disappointment, especially for new gardeners who hope to have something attractive and colorful in the garden during the hottest months. This article appeared in our newsletter in August 2020, but we feel that it should be shared as so many gardeners want this information.   A mix of perennials and annuals are listed below ..read more

A Love of Sunflowers Sunflowers are one of the easiest flowers to grow and in our mild desert winters, they can be grown year-round. They have a rich cultural background in folklore and mythology and is revered by the Native Americans. Some native tribes used it as the 4th sister in a planting system of squash, beans, and corn. The Hopi nation of the Southwest even used them to predict the coming harvest. If the sunflowers were tall and abundant, it was predicted that the harvests would be too.  Sunflowers belong to one of the largest plant families; Asteraceae and the flower head is co ..read more