By Pam Albo
Winter Gardening
January and early February are the coldest months of the year in the Phoenix area, so be prepared to cover your frost-sensitive plants on cold nights. You can use sheets, towels, or frost cloth available at nurseries and garden centers. Remove during the daylight hours so the sun reaches your plants. The traditional last date for frost is March 15.
Here are some key winter garden activities:
Garden clean-up: Pickup spent blossoms and fruit from around plants and remove weeds.
Prune established shrubs/deciduous trees by removing dead branches.
Prune roses by one-half to two-thirds, and water twice a week. Do not feed roses until February.
Plant cool weather, colorful plants such as alyssum, calendula, pansies, violas, snapdragons, petunias, and geraniums.
Plant cool weather vegetables such as carrots, lettuce, potatoes, radishes, and spinach.
Check your irrigation system for leaks and clogged emitters.
Spring Gardening
March 15 is the best planting date for our area.
Plant groundcovers to retain soil moisture. Purple Trailing Lantana and New Gold Lantana are great for hot, sunny areas.
Plant spring and early blooming summer annuals such as alyssum, geraniums, gerbera daisies, marigolds, and petunias.
Plant eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, melon, squash, and watermelon.
Plant herbs such as basil, chives, cilantro, oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.
Prune established shrubs once the frost danger is over. Lantana and bougainvillea can be pruned back as far as you want.
Plant citrus when the frost danger is over.
Wind can be a factor in March. Keep young plants well watered so they don’t get dried out in the high winds.
