Never underestimate the Arizona sun, wind and dry air.
My words are limited here, but they’re enough that I can sketch out the big picture of mountain gardening. The local USDA garden zone is 7 with a definite influence from zone 8. This defines our area as mild but with a solid winter and possible subzero temperatures.
Never underestimate the Arizona sun, wind and dry air. They are significant influences in determining which plants do well in our landscapes and which ones won’t. Local soils are typically heavy clay with very little organic material. Therefore, soil preparation for planting is of extreme importance. It demands organic mulch to add to your soil to either hold in the moisture for granite soils or to keep clay soil from compacting. Our soil is alkaline and usually doesn’t need the addition of either lime or wood ashes, which would increase its already high pH.
When selecting plants, look for those with thick, leathery leaves; they allow plants to retain extra moisture and be less prone to tear in the area’s fierce windstorms. This is where it pays to talk to garden experts with some experience with local plants. It can save you a whole lot of time, energy and expense in planting your gardens. Visit Top10Plants.com.
Mild winter temperatures provide the chilling necessary to grow all the deciduous fruits and perennials that thrive in the region. The list includes apples, peaches, cherries, grapes and berries. Get a free copy of my new Fruit Tree Book for more. This climate also is conducive to blooming deciduous shrubs such as lilac, forsythia, hardy camellia, rose of Sharon, butterfly bush and Russian sage. The most exciting roses in the country thrive without the tedious demands of constant tending. Thanks to the low humidity and mild winters, mountain roses experience few bugs, mildew and virtually no black spot.
The climate is so mild, we garden and design landscapes 12 months of the year. The average last frost date in spring is Mother’s Day. However, spring is so mild that our cool-season gardens can be planted as early as March 1. These can include lettuce, spinach, broccoli, potatoes, onions, radishes and more.
The first light frost happens on or about Halloween, depending on your garden’s specific elevation, but gardens look great through Thanksgiving. This makes the average frost-free growing season in the area approximately 150 days long.
Until next issue, I’ll be helping new mountain gardeners here at Watters Garden Center. QCBN
By Ken Lain
Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Road in Prescott, or contacted through his web site at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Plants.com.
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