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Gardening in Phoenix
Phoenix Gardening Tomatos
Phoenix is blessed with almost year-round sunshine. Although it can get extremely hot in the summer, temperatures rarely dip below freezing even in the coldest month, January. There are two growing seasons in Phoenix, from mid-February through May, and then from September to mid-November. Get started early by planting summer bulbs and root vegetables, such as asparagus and carrots, in January. You can also plant a variety of flowers then, including African daisies, pansies, petunias, and verbena.
February kicks off the growing season, so plant vines and other fruits and vegetables then. Good ideas for your garden include melons, beans, corn, peppers, squash, and tomatoes. If you have citrus trees, start fertilizing them, because they’ll begin blossoming by March. March is when you should plant your herbs and other quick-growing plants, such as basil, lavender, and marigolds. By April, the rising temperatures will have weeds overrunning your garden unless you’re vigilant, so make sure you weed and feed your garden regularly. Summer exotics likes bougainvillea are best planted in April.
May starts the summer months in Phoenix, so take extra steps to protect your plants. Mulch wherever the sun shines to protect young roots, and paint the trunks of your citrus trees with diluted flat latex white paint to reflect the glare of the sun. Because it gets so hot in the summer – up to 130º – keep everything watered; some plants may need watering twice a day. By June, you probably won’t be able to plant anything except the hardiest of plants, like palm trees, pumpkin, and winter squash. July and August begin to cool off thanks to the monsoon, so you can start planting vines, beans, and corn for the fall growing season, but be sure to keep watering.
September sees the end of the monsoon, and also the time when you should plant more delicate vegetables and flowers, like garlic, lettuce, broccoli, sweet peas, and poppies. Because it can still be very hot during the daytime, plant early in the morning or in the evening, when temperatures are less likely to fry your seedlings. October is the month you should plant perennials, wild flowers, and pretty much anything else you can think of, including iris, impatiens, artichokes, and radishes. In November, plant bulbs that require cooler temperatures, such as tulips, crocuses, and hyacinths. Consider wrapping the trunks of your citrus trees to protect them from dropping temperatures. In December, you can plant root vegetables, like carrots, beets, and radishes, but watch for frosts. Trim and shape your trees before spring budding, and get ready to start all over again!
February 1, 2010
