Too
Much Water Kills; Improper Spraying Won't
Before getting into the horrible details of death and decay in
local gardens this week, I’ll begin with a positive
accent: the Heatwave Sparkle Sage. It’s a garden plant
that rarely is highlighted in gardening publications, bears
hot pink flowers that really do sparkle, and is an instant
favorite with hummingbirds. This super hardy plant with the
ability to survive the cold damp winters in the mountains
of Arizona makes it a ready choice for local gardens. A compact
size, extremely low water demands, and blooms from early spring
through late fall, all make it a must for local landscapes
in need of more summer sparkle. The local crop of this dependable
perennial is showing bold colors and at under $15 per plant
is an excellent value.
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Now, on to the troubles plaguing local gardens. Notice the
humidity is off the charts? Oh, yeah, the mountain monsoon season
is in full swing. Increased monsoonal humidity plus afternoon
rain signals one of our best times to plant. Warm soils, afternoon
rains, and heavy humidity all increase a gardener’s success
rate, but care must be taken not to overwater. But, overwatering
happens so we have experienced an epidemic of drowned plants
being brought to the garden center. This is especially so from
areas with hard clay soils that have difficulty with water perk.
Here’s the problem: Watering schedules were increased
to get plants through the dry heat of June and early July, but
on these irrigation programs plants now are drowning. The soil
is not draining fast enough with all the water from irrigation
systems along with what nature has been so kind to douse on
our region. So, cut back on the water! Personally, I just cut
the water to my backyard flowers by 42%. I will monitor the
gardens closely over the next two weeks, but it looks like nature
will more than subsidize any reduction in irrigation.
I also increased the number of days between watering my trees,
shrubs, and vines. With a new vineyard and bramble patch added
to my gardens, irrigation was set to cycle every 4 days. Since
the monsoon hit, I changed drip irrigation to cycle every 6
days. This not only reduces my monthly water bill, but also
caters to overall plant health. Each garden is different so
there is no watering cycle to fit all landscapes. Just keep
n mind that it really is critical to monitor watering of plants
growing in mountain landscapes. Plants DO NOT like to sit in
wet soggy soil.
Landscapes with many new plantings should be watered twice a
week. For best health and optimum growth plants must breathe
between water cycles. In landscapes with a mixture of established
and new plantings, automated irrigation can supply one of the
water cycles, monsoon rains can provide the second watering,
and ‘newbies’ can be watered by hand as needed.
Stop in at the garden center and ask for a local watering guide.
This professional chart shows how much and how often to water;
it also charts seasonal adjustments. Let’s save as many
plants as possible while saving on our water bills.
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This is the season when all that fertilizer we put down in
spring reflects in how our plants look and bloom. However, without
a summer feeding plants will not continue to perform well. It
really is important to feed mountain plants at the beginning
of the monsoon season. I blended an all-natural food perfect
for summer landscapes. “All Purpose Plant Food”
is an excellent granular plant food that works with our mountain
environment. Because of the organic nature of this special blend
there is no risk of burnt plant foliage or the fear of over
fertilizing.
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Garden Alert! Aphids have taken over many gardens. Never have
our mountain gardens been inundated by so many of these havoc-wreaking
insects. Telltale signs of aphid invasion are wet foliage, glossy
ground beneath an infested plant, flowers that once were beautiful
but now refuse to bloom, and black ants crawling all over a
plant. These are sure signs that a garden has aphids. (Remember
that ants reduce the flower count on edibles thereby reducing
the harvest.)
I've found aphids not only on my petunias and pentas, but also
sucking the life out of my squash, cucumber, kale, and collard
plants. My usual weapon of choice on my edibles is “Home
Harvest Insect Spray”. This all-natural spray is effective
if applied directly on the aphids and can be used up to the
day of harvest without worry of harmful chemical residues.
Unfortunately, the aphid problem is so bad in my garden this
year that I’ve resorted to “Multi-Purpose Insect
Spray”, a harsher anti-aphid defense. The spray’s
main ingredient, permethrin, is especially lethal to aphids,
but it also takes out spiders, scorpions, ants, and grasshoppers.
This killer is not organic, so additional care is necessary
when using it.
Aphid-fighting tip – Aphids are allergic to the sun so
they hang out at a plant’s base and underneath its leaves.
Consequently, no matter the insecticide used, your time and
energy are wasted if the top of the plant is sprayed. Focus
spraying to the base of the infested plant and to the under
side of its leaves.
Until next week, I’ll see you in the garden center.
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