Gardening on the Moon ( GOTM )

Written by Jeff

Hydrating the new Rose

When a bare-root rose is brought home, mix a five gallon bucket (or larger if needed) of water with three drops of bleach added. The bleach will serve to kill any bacteria. Keep the roots submerged in the water between eight and twenty-four hours.

Plant Site Preparation

It is important to prepare the new “home” for the chosen rose. I always find this easier to do ahead of time to avoid the “pressure” of having the plant waiting. The hole should be two feet deep and a minimum of two feet wide. One of the major problems with growing in the desert is that some of the soils don’t drain well and this can be very problematic for roses that need good drainage. Once the hole is dug, fill it with water and check it periodically. If the water drains out in 4-8 hours, then the location will be fine. If not, dig another hole somewhere else.

There are almost as many rose mixes as there are rose growers. As mentioned above, the key is to make sure that the planting medium drains well. Like most plants, roses do not like to have wet ‘feet’ for long periods of time. One recommended planting mix might contain:

• 1/3 native soil
• 1/3 forest mulch – (made from tree trimmings, branches – mostly browns with some greens)
• 1/3 potting soil
• Coarse sand or pumice to aid drainage

Mix the above ingredients together and form a rounded mound or hill in the center of the planting hole.

Planting the Rose

Remove the plant from the bucket of water and carefully spread the roots out over the mound so they are distributed as evenly as possible. Fill the hole to within one inch of the top making sure that the bud union, (the place where the root stock and hybrid stock are grafted), is between one and two inches above the final soil line. Press gently around the plant to firm the dirt, but not too hard. Add water and let the soil settle. Press the dirt lightly once again. This will remove all air pockets. Complete filling in the hole with planting mix, making certain to keep the bud union above the soil line and then add more water. Mulch the top of the soil with appropriate materials such as pine needles, bark, etc.

Once the rose is planted, trim the canes back to about ten inches. Make sure that when trimming the canes that they are trimmed to an outward facing bud eye. Bud eyes are the slightly swollen bumps found along the cane. If you are not familiar with this practice, you can find more detailed instructions and pictures at the Weekend Gardener:

http://www.weekendgardener.net/how-to/prune-roses.htm (see steps six and seven)

HINT - If you are planting a new plant (not a transplant with a soil ball), here is a recommended procedure to get the rose off to a good start. (The idea is to insulate and protect the above-ground canes with mulch that is kept lightly moist.) Take a brown grocery bag and cut off the bottom. Place the bag gently over the newly planted rose. Fill the bag with mulch which will help keep the plant warm and frost-free. Leave this in place for one month. Check to see if there are new leaves forming. If not, cover again for another two-three weeks and remove the mulch.

Container Roses can be planted between March and April. Try to plant them as early in March as possible to allow them to grow and gain strength prior to the real heat of summer. Treat these container grown roses as you would any other desert plant, i.e. prepare a hole as deep as the root ball and three times as wide using a soil mix suitable for roses (see previous section).

Fertilizing

Mary Lou Coffman recommends that the roses be watered the day before they are fertilized because watering a dry plant may cause burn. Begin fertilizing at the end of February. Use 1 cup of good quality, time-release rose food per standard size rose following the frequency recommended on the product container. Miniature roses should be given half this amount. Container roses also require less fertilizer dosage in more frequent applications than in-ground roses.

Serious rose gardeners also like to use a liquid fertilizer to provide even more nutrients to the plants. This may be done every two weeks or so. A number of the very serious rose growers also like to use alfalfa meal or pellets as a supplement to the all-purpose, slow-release fertilizer. Use alfalfa only on established plants. Check with your garden center and follow directions. The Mesa-East Valley Rose Society newsletter, Rose Lore, has articles with more specifics about fertilizing in the February, 2008 edition:

http://www.roses4az-mevrs.org/Newsletters_Articles_files/February%202008.pdf

HINT - At the end of February, June and September (three times per year), one week after fertilizing and just after watering, add 1/3 cup Epsom salts around each rose bush at the drip line and water it in. This promotes the growth of new canes which mean more potential flowers.

FOR CASUAL GROWERS - Ms. Coffman indicated that using one-cup of timed-release fertilizer per bush, every month to six weeks would be “good enough” for most casual rose growers. The other methods mentioned above can then be added as one becomes more comfortable with their horticultural practices.

IMPORTANT – DO NOT FERTILIZE from the end of November through the end of February this is the time of year that the roses do not grow and they rest. There is an art to growing the best roses; it is definitely not a science!

Article References:

Read A Rose Among the Thorns - Part I - http://www.gardeningonthemoon.com/2008/12/16/a-rose-among-the-thorns-part-i/

To view .pdf (portable document files) you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader which is free. Download it here: http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/

Mesa-East Valley Rose Society - http://www.roses4az-mevrs.org/Home.html
Easy Rose Care Calendar for Arizona Gardeners - http://www.roses4az-mevrs.org/Newsletters_Articles_files/Yearlong%20Arizona%20Easy%20Rose%20Care%20Calendar.pdf

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post

Written by Jeff

Who would guess that more than half the roses sold in the United States are grown in Arizona for shipping to various outlets including some of the major mail-order retailers? The truth is that roses do very well in the Sonoran desert as long as they are given proper care and the appropriate varieties are selected.

When growing roses in the desert heat, they may become more spindly than normal and blooms may decrease during the hottest part of the summer. Shade from hot afternoon sun is recommended to avoid sunburn damage and provide relief. While these plants may struggle through the heat of the summer, they provide quite a show in the spring and again in the fall. Some varieties bloom well into November and beyond!

This series of articles is based on a lecture delivered by Marylou Coffman in Cave Creek, Arizona on December 13, 2008. Ms. Coffman is a consulting rosarian and expert rose grower who is eager to share her knowledge and encourage others. She has over 200 roses in her collection and helps to oversee the Mesa Community College Rose Garden with over 8,000 rose bushes on their way to 12,000. If you ever get a chance to visit the Mesa Community College Rose Garden during its peak, you will be treated to a spectacular site!

View pictures and learn more about the Rose Garden at Mesa Community College:
http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/community/rosegarden/

Rose Selections

It is always wise to pick roses that do well in a particular area. One way to find out which roses do well in a given region is to join the local rose society. That is not always possible so many groups such as the Mesa-East Valley Rose Society maintains a list of roses that are particularly suited for the Sonoran Desert (see the link at the end of the article). Another place to find potential varieties is at HelpMeFind [ http://www.helpmefind.com/plant/plants.php ] Make sure that “Roses” is selected in the drop-down menu under the Name Search tab.

Whichever rose is chosen, make sure it is a number one quality. One of the most important considerations is that the roots of the plant are vigorous which means avoiding most roses with roots packaged in bags. Purchasing bare root roses offers the opportunity to examine the roots. Most retailers will stand behind their nursery stock and either refund the money spent or offer a credit towards future purchases if you are not satisfied. Each rose purchased should have multiple, thick canes (branches) above the bud union. Four or more strong canes would be ideal.

NOTE: It is important NOT to purchase any roses for planting in the desert if they have wax on them. This is done to protect tender growth against the cold in some geographic areas, but will be a severe disadvantage to any rose headed for the hotter climates.

Location

Roses need at least six hours of sun to perform their best. In the desert, an eastern exposure with morning and early afternoon sun is ideal. If, however, you want to plant roses in a location where they will receive the heat of the strong afternoon summer sun, shade cloth, lathing or other measures can be used to mitigate the effects of the sun’s rays. There are a few varieties that will tolerate the heat of the full sun and spring back into full action once the cooler days of fall return, but to perform their best, most roses will need some protection from the hottest days of desert sun.

Roses do not like reflected heat. Avoid planting near walls and areas where heat would reflect back onto the bushes. Also give them plenty of room. Three to five feet of growing room should be left between large growing plants with less space for smaller plants such as miniatures or the more compact bush roses. Climbers may need ten or more feet depending on how vigorous they grow. Ask the retailer or research the needs for the particular plant online or with the local rose society.

Article References:

Read Part II of Roses Among the Thorns - http://www.gardeningonthemoon.com/2008/12/29/a-rose-among-the-thorns-part-ii/

To view .pdf (portable document files) you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader which is free. Download it here: http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/

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

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post

Written by Jeff

Air

All living organisms need air. The microorganisms in the compost pile need air to live and reproduce. Air is added to the compost pile by turning it frequently. To help provide air, compost containers should have air holes to allow for circulation. When I had my four-bin compost system in New Jersey, the sides of the compost bins, except for the front, were made of plastic-coated fencing wire which provided more than ample air to reach the compost when it was turned.

Water

A compost bin needs water, but shouldn’t be soggy. As Tyler Storey related during his presentation, it should be as wet as a wrung out sponge, but no wetter. In AZ that is a bit tricky, but attention must be paid for successful composting.

Building the compost pile

Make certain that the container is large enough to hold a significant volume of material. Mr. Storey suggested a 3′ x 3′ minimum. The bin should be in an area that enables access for turning, near to where materials will be unloaded and of course, near a water source.

Ingredients should be chopped into small pieces, but do not have to be too small (no whole celery stalks). The smaller the pieces, the better the mix and at least theoretically, the faster the material will decompose. Materials should be able to be turned with a spading fork.

Once the materials are assembled, pile the layers so that they alternate: Greens, Browns, Garden Soil (to introduce microorganisms to the mix) and Water. Mix this well.

Turn the pile on a regular basis. Tyler Storey turns his compost pile daily, but every few days should also work (remember the water on the days when the pile is not turned). Decomposition is aided by frequent turning; the more it is turned, the faster compost will be produced. Move the material from the outside of the pile to the inside and introduce enough water to keep the pile damp.

Composting generates heat and in some cases it can be quite a bit of heat. This is not bad, just a part of the process. There were numerous times in New Jersey that I could see steam rising from the pile. When the compost is cool, the ingredients are not recognizable*, it is dark brown and crumbly, it is ready for use. At this stage, it is often referred to as Brown Gold!

*NOTE – It is my experience that from time-to-time, something maybe introduced in the compost pile and because of circumstances, it does not decompose or doesn’t decompose as quickly as other items so it remains recognizable even though the compost is basically ready for use. When we say “not recognizable,” we refer to the general overall appearance of the ingredients.

During the presentation, Tyler showed the evolution of a compost pile from May 26 through October 2 which was a period of 129 days from start to finish. It should take about four months to generate finished compost. If you are using a one-container system, you will need to stop adding material for a while to allow proper decomposition of the entire pile.

Once the compost is done, it can be added to the garden at a ratio of one-third compost to two-thirds garden soil. For more information, visit Tyler Storey’s companion website:

http://thedesertgarden.com/

Happy Composting!

PS – It seems that many people are getting into composting!

Read the first part of this - Rotting in the Desert - Part I -

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post

Article References:

Tyler Storey – Phoenix Area Gardening Coach – www.tylerstorey.com
Tyler Storey’s Desert Garden web site - http://thedesertgarden.com/

Additional Information may be found at Earth Friendly Gardening

http://earthfriendlygardening.wordpress.com/2006/05/09/browns-greens-what-to-compost/

Written by Jeff

A rose by any other…no, that’s not it. Composting is composting is composting! Whether you live in the northeast or southwest, the science (and art) of composting is very similar. It isn’t always the same, but very similar. This article is based on and inspired by a workshop conducted by Tyler Storey who presented this information to a group of Scottsdale, AZ gardeners on October 2, 2008. Tyler is a garden coach in the area and you can view his website here:

www.tylerstorey.com

The presentation included a good slide show that unfortunately cannot be reproduced here. I’m afraid you will have to use your imagination here although I have found some pictures on Flickr which I will include and appropriately credit if you mouse over the photos.

The Main Idea

Composting is simply taking actions to provide the raw materials and conditions for the process of breaking down vegetative materials. Hard at work in this process are fungi, bacteria and microorganisms which assist in this process of changing the raw materials into compost.

As Mr. Storey pointed out, there are four basic ingredients needed for successful composting: Carbon, Nitrogen, Air and Water. Ah, water! Yes, that is the rub for those living in the Sonoran Desert. It is very important to make sure there is enough water for the composting process to occur. Without water, things will just mummify and will not rot appropriately. More about this later.

The composting recipe: carbon, nitrogen, air and water. Add all ingredients and mix well until compost is done. Let’s examine the individual ingredients and the roles they play in the composting mix.

Carbon

This is the ingredient that adds energy to the compost pile. Items containing carbon are usually called Browns. Sawdust, for example, has a ratio of carbon to nitrogen of 500:1 while dry leaves have a ratio of 60:1.

Examples of Browns:

• Sawdust
• Woody prunings (chopped or shredded)
• Newspaper or cardboard (cut up)
• Straw
• Dry leaves
• Corn Stalks

Nitrogen

Compost ingredients containing ample supplies of nitrogen are referred to as Greens. These are things like plant-based kitchen scraps which usually have a carbon to nitrogen ration of 20:1. Nitrogen is important because it allows the microorganisms to develop and reproduce. Without enough nitrogen, they may die and composting will not be successful. A suggested ratio of carbon to nitrogen for a healthy compost heap is 25 or 30: 1.

Leaves, for example with a C/N ratio of 60:1 do not provide enough nitrogen. Adding cow manure or coffee grounds which each have a ratio of 20:1 supplies the needed nitrogen.

Examples of Greens:

• Garden waste
• Leafy trimmings (from actively growing plants)
• Manures – Poultry or cow

Things to Avoid:

• Diseased plant material
• Animal byproducts
• Fats or cooking oils
• Weeds with seeds
• Dog or cat waste

To be continued in Part II

Article References:

Tyler Storey – Phoenix Area Gardening Coach – www.tylerstorey.com
Tyler Storey’s Desert Garden web site - http://thedesertgarden.com/ - Where questions about composting are answered. Other gardening information is also posted.

Read Part II of Rotting in the Desert

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post

Written by Jeff

Rocks by the Yard

A trip to the rock yard is a very interesting experience. I had never been to a rock yard until I moved to the desert and I have been to a number of them since moving. The process is quite interesting and this is based on my visit to MDI Rock in Phoenix. Your experience may differ so check the protocol in the business office.

If it is the first time visit, pick a cooler day to walk around, perhaps one with clouds. If you are going to buy a small quantity of small-sized rocks (one-inch, gravel, sand, etc.) that day, bring a shovel. There are shovels at the rock yard, but they are sometimes difficult to find. You will also need buckets. We use five-gallon buckets the kind that can be bought at Home Depot, Lowes or other hardware stores.

Stop by the office and get a price list. The names of the various offerings should be on the list. As you walk around, take notes about the names of the types of rocks that appeal to you and check them on the list. Many rock yards have displays that show off the different types, sizes and colors of rocks. They make them look very appealing because this is what sells. Yes, even rocks need marketing.

Delivery Room and Other Considerations

Keep in mind that there is generally a delivery charge unless a minimum order is reached and then perhaps the delivery will be free. When we visited MDI rock, we needed eleven tons of rip rap at about $60 a ton. Delivery was $60, but it was free if we bought a minimum of twelve tons so for the same amount of money, we took the extra ton of rip rap which we used for a later project. Read all the terms of the agreement to get a complete understanding about what the company requires for delivery. At the delivery site, you will need to prepare a place for the material to be dumped. If you use a driveway, you might have to take a car out of the garage and park it somewhere else.

On most lists, the company will provide a formula to determine how much material is needed to cover a certain amount of surface area so it is advisable to get a good idea of approximately how much square footage is going to be covered. Do the best estimation that you can to avoid having so much material left over that it becomes a burden to store. We found the people in the office to be helpful when discussing how much material might be needed. Most gardeners could probably use a little extra, but that would depend on your situation. We live in the desert on a relatively large piece of land so we store the excess in piles out of the way and use them for projects that arise. I am planning on building a raised garden bed this fall made out of left over rip rap from a dry river bed project.

One thing that may or may not be abundantly clear when visiting the rock yard is that when ordering rip rap, a large percentage of the tonnage is considered waste (not rip rap). Some if it is very small pieces of stone and some of it is dust-like material. Now don’t get discouraged because for the desert gardener these all have good uses which I will cover in a future post.

The Purchasing Process

We sometimes stop by to get a couple of buckets of rocks or a few boulders for a variety of projects. At this point we know our way around the yard. The first thing we do is have the car weighed. Once weighed, we head to the type of rock that we want and fill several buckets with the same material. The rocks are stored in numbered bins and there is generally a map indicating which type of rock is in which numbered bin.

In the past, we made a mistake in purchasing the wrong type of rock either because we didn’t read the map correctly. If you are trying to match a color, bring samples with you. Try to go to the rock yard when the light is not at its brightest. Between 10:30 am and 3:00 pm in the summer desert, the light can be very bright making it difficult to see accurately the actual color of the rock. Moving to a shaded area could also be helpful.

Once the rocks are in the buckets and loaded into the car, we return to the scale and have the car weighed again. When the math is done, it is easy to figure out how many pounds/tons of rock we have. When we are picking up the rock, we often don’t have enough poundage so we pay the minimum price which is generally between five and six dollars for a couple of five-gallon buckets of rock. When compared to bags of similar rocks sold at the box stores, this is a bargain. Of course when you are picking up rocks this way, you can only get one type at a time because of the procedure used to determine the weight.

I think that once you visit the rock yards you will find more and more uses for these landscaping materials. The two rock companies we have dealt with are MDI and Pioneer at their north-Phoenix locations and we have found them to be very professional and reliable.

Happy Hardscaping!

Desert Gardener’s Best Friend- Part I - http://www.gardeningonthemoon.com/2008/10/22/hardscape-desert-gardeners-best-friend/

Article references:

MDI rock – www.mdirock.com
Pioneer rock - http://www.pioneersand.com/

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post

Written by Jeff

The struggle for water

Gardening in the desert southwest is unforgiving. In a more moderate climate you may be able to miss watering a potted plant by a day or two depending on the weather, but in the heat of the Sonoran desert, that window is small indeed.

Each plant that grows in the landscape is involved in a struggle to get enough water to keep itself alive and hopefully thriving. Each plant also needs a minimum amount of fertilizer and care. Thriving plants provide the most blooms. The intensity of this struggle and the demands on the desert gardener encourages a judicious use of plant material in a landscape package and an increase in the amount of rocks, ornaments, driftwood, etc. As a class, these non-plant items are referred to as hardscape.

Joining the rock group

When done correctly, hardscape is wonderful. It doesn’t need water (a prime consideration in the desert) it needs no fertilizer, it doesn’t generate debris and it is reliable. When we lived in Hunterdon County, NJ, our yard had thousands and thousands of rocks. No matter what size rock we needed, we could forage in the woods and pick several that met our criteria. In the desert, we have to buy rocks. To date (and only one year in our home) we have spent thousands of dollars on rocks.

A term I never knew on the east coast was rip rap. To the best of my understand, rip rap are pieces of rock ranging from small to eight inches in diameter. Some of the time they are larger, but not often. These rocks are used to spread on the ground to form a ground cover and highlight certain areas. Rip rap is also helpful in preventing erosion in particular situations. The largest rocks in a ton of rip rap are to be cherished because they then can become accent pieces.

Rip rap is sold by the ton and depending on which type of rip rap ordered, the price varies. These rocks come in a number of colors ranging from dark to light. Most have various hues spread through the pieces of rock. Matching the rock to the rest of the landscape is a challenge so the best thing to do is to take a ride around nicely landscaped neighborhoods to see what other people have done in similar circumstances. In the age of digital photography, it is easy to gather these ideas for future reference.

As a matter of courtesy, if you see an owner outside who looks puzzled about why you are taking snapshots of their landscape, it might be a good idea to stop and explain what you are doing making sure to incorporate copious compliments about their yard. You wouldn’t want anyone to get nervous about having their home cased.

NOTE: When visiting the rock yards, get their handouts explaining how much area particular sizes and tonnage of rocks will cover.

Rocks of Ages

Boulders are another story. It is very rare to find a natural boulder in the desert. There are some, but not many. For my purposes, a boulder is any rock that is more than 24-inches in diameter. Of course many boulders are a lot larger. At ten cents a pound, a ton of boulders would cost $200 and a one-ton boulder doesn’t necessarily look that large. We didn’t think the pricing structure was too bad except in NJ we were able to get them for free by hauling them out of the woods ourselves. Watching the automated delivery process was quite something as the driver maneuvered the mechanical claw to place each boulder with a good degree of precision.

Continued at the following link:

Hardscape:Desert Gardener’s Best Friend - Part II

Article references:

MDI rock – www.mdirock.com

Pioneer rock - http://www.pioneersand.com/

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post

Written by Jeff

We finish our exploration of the P. Allen Smith Garden Home website. Part I of the web tour can be seen here:
http://www.gardeningonthemoon.com/2008/10/08/p-allen-smith-garden-home-website-part-i/

All pictures courtesy of P. Allen Smith

Weekend Projects
A variety of relatively easy projects are presented for the home gardener. Some are very easy while others are more involved. I have made several rustic rose trellises highlighted in this section (http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=900). The first one will take a little bit of time and others will be finished in much shorter time after the procedure is understood. After I made my second trellis, I began to vary the design to suit my needs. Only a few tools and materials are needed. Instead of roses, I grew moon flowers on a number of my rustic trellises.

Kitchen Garden
Those who like to grow herbs and vegetables will find inspiration among these articles. Just perusing the topics will provide new ideas to try. For those who don’t want to devote a major amount of space to vegetable and herb gardening, they can try growing several plants in containers. There is advice to be found in Vegetable Gardening In Containers ( http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=42 ), but don’t stop reading there.

Plant Library
This is a bit of a misnomer since it isn’t actually a library where one might expect to find books about plants, gardening and related subjects. It is, however, still a very valuable resource for gardeners. It serves as a compendium providing information about a large variety of plants. Clicking on the “p” button at the bottom of the page and then clicking on Penstemon brings up a page about the culture of this plant which happens to do very well in the desert area with enough water.

What makes this a very good starting point for finding information about plants is the variety of information: Zone, Height, Soil requirements, Light requirements, Good bedfellows (partner plants), etc. Generally after reading this page, I can decide whether this is a plant I wish to try in my garden.

In The Home

This tab provides articles about doing things in and around the home. The topics are quite varied. Do you want to know how to grow a pineapple? Well the information is presented at this link http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=30. If you want to try the unusual, you can have rye grass containers in your home (http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=1036) I find this section a little thin, but new articles are added over time so there is always more to anticipate.

Food and Recipes

Recipes are a regular feature in P. Allen Smith’s newsletter, but this section of the website discusses the background and use of herbs and vegetables. The section discusses the vast array of chili peppers (http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=16240) as well as the virtues of blueberries (http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=16236). I don’t find many recipes listed here, but perhaps they will be archived at a later date.

Lifestyle

Among the variety of topics covered here are how-to articles such as Plant a Seed which provides a project to involve youngsters in the thrill of gardening (http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=1111), short book reviews such as an illustrated panorama of the song America the Beautiful in a book with the same title (http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=929) and an article teaching how to make Pinecone birdfeeders (http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=99), another project children will enjoy!

Source Guide

This page provides links to the manufacturers of a variety of items used and discussed by P. Allen Smith in print, video or television.

Videos

Many of us are visual learners and these videos will guide us through the steps necessary to complete some projects or develop better planting choices. The variety of topics is large and readers are encouraged to explore.

NOTES: Many of the video topics are similar to those offered in the other sections of the site. When exploring the videos, don’t forget to click on the arrows at the bottom of the window to see more. In some sections the vertical scroll bar is also active to reveal more choices.

If you sign up for P. Allen Smith’s Newsletter, you can find inspiration in your electronic mailbox every week. Find the link and sign up form here http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=1611

Other site areas of potential interest on the P. Allen Smith website:

Allen’s Journal – articles and videos (http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=1613)
Newsletter Archive (http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=1612)

Recipes (http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=1623)

Television (http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=1631) Where to watch P. Allen Smith on TV.

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post

P. Allen Smith Garden Home Website - Part I
http://www.gardeningonthemoon.com/2008/10/08/p-allen-smith-garden-home-website-part-i/

Written by Jeff

All pictures (and quote below) courtesy of P. Allen Smith

“’For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.’ – Edwin Way Teale (1899 – 1980)”

The Internet is a wonderful resource, especially for gardeners. One of my favorite places to visit is P. Allen Smith’s Gardening Home web site. Well, if the truth be told, I don’t actually “visit.” I typically stay connected via the weekly newsletter that is freely sent upon subscription.

Before I continue, I need to make a disclaimer here. Admittedly living in the Sonoran Desert places me in the category of niche gardening. That is to say we have situations that are not representative of most of the country so most of the major resources will not be geared toward our conditions. Instead, we need to make use of these resources in a very special way. After all, most gardening businesses are going to target the major markets, hoping to hit some of the niche markets as they go along.

P. Allen Smith’s website is no different, but there is still a lot to learn from it. Once I read what Mr. Smith and his team have to say, I can often modify the information to suit our area. The newsletter usually has a feature article about gardening whether it is highlighting a specific plant or an aspect of container gardening. There is a recipe included in almost every newsletter as well; often showcasing fruits or vegetables that are in season. A question sent to the Gardening Home team might also be answered for the benefit of the readers.

Keep in mind that this is a commercial website and thus there is obviously some advertising and self-promotion. Even with this said, there are numerous resources for all gardeners. If you go to the website, http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=1, the feature stories, monthly hints and recent recipes can be seen on display there. This is a place to explore for the latest news.

On the left top banner, there is a graphic display offering features. On a day that I visited the site recently there were articles about planting raised beds [http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=892 ], a plant profile of Mexican Sage [http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=1645&plantid=433&plant=MexicanSage ] the Fall vegetable garen [http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=68 ] the butterfly garden [http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=1505 ] and a media presentation about the Garden Home retreat [http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=8&video=1598&cat=Garden%20Home%20Retreat&title=Garden%20Home%20Retreat%20Tour ]. These are worthy of exploration. If these stories do not appeal, then try a few of the other areas of the site.

The tabs across the top of the site:

There are seven tabs across the top of the website, Community, Garden, In The Home, Food & Recipes, Lifestyle, Source Guide and Videos. Let’s take a look at the Garden tab.

Garden

Click on the Garden tab and notice the subcategories on the left (Questions and Answers, Garden Basics, Garden Design, Container Gardens, Weekend Projects, Kitchen Garden, Plant Library).

Questions and Answers – Enter the word hibiscus in the search box and several questions and answers about the care of this desert-hardy perennial are presented. For some information about general care and treating insect pests, see the article under Hibiscus care: http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=1646&questionid=792

Garden Basics – Under the Garden Basics tab, the articles are listed alphabetically by topic. Reviewing all of the articles can be quite a treat and will certainly provide hours of gardening fun. One very informative article discusses Gardening Zones and Frost Dates ( http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=895 ). Understanding these concepts can be a significant benefit to the gardening enthusiast, but don’t stop there…explore many of the other interesting articles as well.

Garden Design – This area is for those who want to learn about landscaping and generating style in a garden. There are so many interesting articles such as outstanding plant picks for the various years. The plant picks will be a good source for new plant ideas and is a good place to start the spring search for planting. Other articles describe how to install hardscape and features. The how-to explanation of building a dry-stack wall will be helpful to gardeners who need to deal with hills. http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=16126

Container Gardens – These are always interesting to me because I view them as gardens in a pot. Each container can have its own color theme and style allowing the gardener to easily highlight various places in and around the home and garden. One container garden of particular interest to the desert dwellers is the Succulent Dish Garden (http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=1309)

A further exploration of the Garden Home website will continue with Part II

Read Part II of the P. Allen Smith Garden Home website tour here - http://www.gardeningonthemoon.com/2008/10/15/p-allen-smith-garden-home-website-part-ii/

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post

Written by Jeff

Every once in a while the gardener finds a plant with which they develop a special affinity. It is difficult to say what exactly causes that attraction. There are many plants that have remarkable flowers and which are appreciated for their beauty. There are those that have unique foliage such as tuberous begonias. Some plants thrive on neglect and provide interest around the house and garden. Others have unusual growth habits such as twisted myrtle, which make them more interesting.

Then there are those plants that just strike a chord and it is hard to define what characteristic endears such a plant to the enthusiast. Less than two months ago, my wife and I purchased such plant, a Madagascar Palm. It is not really a palm, but just looks like one. It is more correctly placed with the succulents and cacti. 1

There are several things to like about this plant for the desert gardener:

• It has formidable spines along its trunk which discourage critters while admittedly making it a challenging plant to handle.
• It takes modest care similar to succulents.
• It produces small, fragrant white flowers.
• It is a fast grower reaching more than fifteen feet in some locales.
• It can take the heat.

These are all positive characteristics, but most of all, it is interesting to look at. It is truly a palm-like plant with the leaves arranged on top in a swirling pattern and a strong, rigid trunk with its prominent spines. This is one plant that the birds, chipmunks and other native critters tend to leave alone. They chew on my Boxing Glove Cholla and a variety of succulents, but the Madagascar Palm goes untouched; perhaps a result of its poisonous sap.

In the north Phoenix area, this plant will have to be watched during the winter months since it is cold sensitive and hardy from zones 9-11. Since we are in zone 9, this puts us at the outer edge of cold hardiness.

This plant needed to be repotted immediately upon bringing it home. It was transplanted in a six-inch pot. Five weeks later it was moved to an 8-inch pot. While we look forward to watching this plant grow and become a conversation piece, we don’t relish bringing it indoors to protect it from the cold once it gets very large. Perhaps we will develop another strategy for protecting our interesting guest.

One thing I can be assured of is that it will be fun to watch the Magascar Palm grow even if it means providing “new shoes” every other month.

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post

Article References:

1 - http://www.seedsandmore-store.com/catalog.php/seedsandmore/pd11458

Written by Jeff

Baja Fairy Duster

We continue our discussion of extreme gardening in the Sonoran Desert region. The following information is based on a presentation at the Phoenix Master Gardener Update of August 13, 2008 with permission from the presenter, Mr. Bruce Solomon. Personal observations and notes have been added.

Adapted Plants

One of the first plants mentioned by Bruce Solomon was Ruellia ‘Katie’ (which I also highlighted in a previous post). He made sure to point out that this plant needs a moderate amount of water. Another Ruellia variety, ‘Royal Carpet,’ can be used as a ground cover. (Watch for rabbits with that one as the bunnies enjoy nibbling on ‘Katie.’)

Ruellia Katie

Golden Dyssodia, sometimes called ‘Golden Fleece,’ has daisy-like flowers and it blooms from late spring into the fall. It can be short-lived, but puts on a show while it grows. It is known to attract butterflies while reportedly resisting rabbits.

Damianita is known as a tough, drought tolerant shrub with needle-like leaves. It blooms from March through September, has an interesting fragrance and rabbits do not appear to use it as a food source.

Coral Fountain (Russelia equisetiformis) is a beautiful plant choice for sun or part sun and it attracts humming birds. The wispy foliage is enhanced by tubular red flowers which gives it another popular nickname, Firecracker Plant. It requires moderate water and is root hardy in the winter. If there is dieback, it generally re-sprouts in the spring. The plant can grow quite large and spreads quickly so plan to keep it under control or give it plenty of room
http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=1403

Firecracker Bush or Texas Firebush (Hamelia patens) – is a small to medium evergreen shrub that has orange tubular flowers attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. The plant requires moderate watering with well-drained soil. This bush-like habit and somewhat broader leaves makes it a “different” choice for the desert landscape if you have a sunny to partially sunny place for it.

Bottlebrush ‘Little John’ is another “different” choice for the desert landscape. The foliage consists of elongated, narrow leaves that are evergreen-like. It enjoys moderate water to get established and rewards the gardener with clusters of red, bottlebrush flowers. While rabbits will nibble, they don’t like this plant as a food source.

NOTE: This is one of my favorites because it has a very different habit for the desert landscape.

Twisted Myrtle was also highlighted as a worthy adapted plant. It can grow large (over ten feet high and wide), but grows slowly so it can be kept in check for quite some time with regular trimming. Once established, it is drought tolerant. The twisting nature and leaf form draws special attention to this plant. Small white blooms occur on terminal ends of branches.
http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Myrtus_communis_Boetica.html

*****

Of course succulents are always a good choice for low-water, desert gardening. Among the succulents mentioned by Bruce were:

Elephants Food (Portulacaria afra) – This easy-to-grow and propagate succulent reminiscent of the Jade Plant. It has somewhat thick, small round leaves. The plant can grow quite large if left to its own devices. It is easily pruned and kept in check. While it might be able to live in full sun, in the hottest parts of the garden it will appreciate some shade.

Aloes of all varieties are excellent choices for a desert-wise garden. Both ‘Blue Elf,’ one of the smaller varieties, and Aloe barbadensis, a larger, yellow flowered variety were highlighted during the presentation.

‘Blue Elf’ - http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?region_id=8&plant_id=2895&page=2

The last plant mentioned in this presentation was Purple Heart, a very prolific grower that also propagates easily. If left unchecked, it will spread and become a ground cover over a large area. It has small pink flowers at the tips of the growing branches, but it is grown mostly for the colorful foliage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tradescantia_pallida

*****

Following are some additional plants that Mr. Solomon highlighted via handouts and which can be grown in extreme desert conditions :

NOTE: The plant listings below are relative, i.e. those listed for Extreme Cold will do better than those listed for Extreme Heat in cooler situations. It does not indicate that they can withstand freezing temperatures. Please check each plant for special requirements. This listing should serve as a starting point.

Extreme Shade:

Begionias (wax leaf or dragon wing varieties), Calla lily, Cyclamen, Dianthus, Delphinium, Foxglove, Huechera (coral bells), Impatiens, Kale-ornamental, Nasurtium, Plectranthus, Primrose (primula spp.), Statice-sea lavendar, Draceana spikes, Vinca major and various herbs such as Lemon Blm, Mints (in containers because of invasive habit) and French Tarragon.

Extreme Cold (Does not indicate these plants can withstand a frost, just cool weather):

Alyssum, Bacopa, Cabbage, Kale-ornamental, Cyclamen, Dianthus/Carnations, Euryops daisy bush, Foxglove, Gaillardia, Huechera (coral bells), Iceland Poppy, Lavendar – Spanish, Licorice Plant (Helichrysum), Roses, Shasta Daisy, Sweet Peas and Stock.

Extremely Dry

Aloe species (A. barbadensis, A. sapnaria, A. striata, A. ‘Blue Elf’, A. Daweii, S. variegata), Agave species (A. attenuata, A. desmettiana, A. Bracteosa, A. vilmoriniana, A. Victoria-reginae), Blue Pickles (senecio), Calandrina-Jazztime Jade, Ice Plant (Drosanthemum, Malephora and Cephalophyllum), Pedilanthus-Lady Slipper, Pencil Cactus/Firesticks, Portulacafria-Elephants food and other succulents.

Extreme Sun (some of these plants will not do well when temperatures are consistently in the mid to high 90’s):

Alyssym, Calendula, Carnation-Border Pinks, Coreopsis, Gaillardia, Gazania, Geraniums, Lavender-Fernleaf, Marguerite Daisy, Petunias-regular and wave, Snapdragons, Stock, Sweet Peas and Herbs such as Rosemary, Oregano, Parsley, Thyme, Sage and Basil.

Be careful with plant selection as some of these may be choice selections for rabbits.

*****

Mr. Solomon lists major considerations for extreme gardening:

• “Consider Native or desert adapted plant material.”
• “If known, choose locally grown plant material or plants that have been acclimated to the particular conditions in which it will grow.”
• “A soil polymer or anti-desiccant may be helpful when planting in hot weather.”
• “Use organic mulches to conserve evaporating soil moisture and keep soil cool.”
• “Create deep wells for watering or place emitters near the base of the plants.”
• “Be attentive to new plants; check if not water, daily until new roots develop.”
• “Protect trunks of young trees from sun and physical damage” (Yes, trees can get suburned.)
• “Fertilize carefully in the beginning. Water soluble or slow release are best.”

I will end this series with Bruce’s final words: “Here’s to extreme success in your garden endeavors!”

Extreme Desert Gardening - Part I

Extreme Desert Gardening - Part II

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post