IN YOUR GARDEN

4 days ago
2 min read

By Pam Albo

July and August

July begins the monsoon season. This is the time to trim trees to protect them from the high monsoon winds. (See Tree Trimming article in this newsletter.)

Now is a good time to transplant tropical favorites such as adeniums, plumeria, and palm trees. Fertilize these regularly throughout the summer.

Check all plants to make sure they’re getting enough water.

Add mulch to potted plants to help keep water moisture from evaporating in the hot

summer months. Organic mulch also improves soil over time. Choose wood chips, bark

mulch, or compost blends.

Water cacti and yucca plants more frequently from now through September. Smaller cacti and yuccas, such as agaves and prickly pears, can be watered every three weeks.

This is a good time to plant or transplant cacti, agaves, succulents, and other heat-loving plants.

Newly planted cacti and succulents planted in full sun should be shaded with shade cloth to prevent sunburn.

September

Planting can start in late September for spring flowering perennials and cool weather

vegetables. Add mulch to protect from frost over the winter.

Plant cool weather vegetables such as artichokes, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots,

cauliflower, celery, lettuce, potatoes, and spinach at the end of the month.

GARDENING WITH REFLECTED HEAT

In greater Phoenix, sunshine is abundant – and so is reflected

heat. Block walls, gravel, rock, concrete sidewalks, driveways,

and patios can intensify temperature around your plants far

beyond the actual air temperature. Reflected heat happens

when surfaces absorb solar energy and radiate it back into the

surrounding area. A plant listed as “full sun” may still struggle

if it’s planted against a west-facing or south-facing wall that

radiates intense heat into the evening.

The Toughest Exposure: West-Facing Areas

West facing walls are often the harshest in the Phoenix area because they receive the most intense afternoon sun during the hottest part of the day. Here are some truly heat-

tolerant plants best suited for west-facing and south-facing walls:

Red yucca Texas sage Yellow bells Desert spoon

Baja fairy duster Lantana Aloe Angelita daisy

When planting, leave extra spacing near hot walls to allow room for airflow.

RETREAT FROM THE HEAT

When things heat up in the Phoenix area, it may be time to retreat indoors with

houseplants. When you buy new houseplants, it is recommended to transplant them

into new containers that are 1-2 inches larger than their existing container so they do

not become rootbound. Also pick a container that has holes in the bottom to allow

excess water to get out.