Garden Info

Fun

Buying Plants

Preparing Your Garden

Raised Bed Examples

    • Raised beds dry out and heat up more quickly
    • Make sure you can access all areas of the garden
    • Let them lay fallow in the summer with turned in compost
  • Irrigation around the perimeter – Drip line, soaker hose
    Replace about every three years
  • DO NOT USE above the ground sprinklers

Planting in the Ground

  • Dig hole at least twice as big as the root ball
  • Plant in 1/2 native soil and 1/2 compost
  • Remove rocks
  • Soil in Arizona is 7.5 – 8.5 – Add compost 2x yearly

Potting Mix Mixture

  • Mortar Mixing Basin – Toss about every other week
  • Egg Carton
  • Compost
  • Bone meal
  • Coffee Grounds or Blood meal
  • Local ground
  • Lava sand
  • Soak in milk

Starting Seeds

  • You can use a clamshell package (strawberries, blueberries use them)
  • Put a wet paper towel in the bottom
  • Fill with potting mixture
  • Keep soil moist until they are one inch tall
  • Transplant at 3-4 inches

Transplants

 

 

Garden Maintenance

Test trees for soil moisture

  • Push stick in.  It should go three foot into the dirty
  • Water every two weeks
  • Fertilize on schedule

Peppers

  • Keep soil moist for peppers for milder and more flavorful

Plants with Moist Fruit

  • Keep soil moist for plants with high moisture content such as cucumbers

Squash

  • SUMMER Squash – Plant in spring, harvest in summer – quick growing
  • WINTER Squash – Plant in spring, harvest in winter – slower growing
  • EGGPLANT and ZUCCHINI – Cut off fruit to trigger more production
    • Oriental Eggplant grows well in Arizona
  • Thin by cutting off at ground level.  Leave the roots.

Flowers attract pollinators and repel pests

  • Begonia, Marigold, Petunia, Finias, Alyssum, Zinnia, Snapdragons
  • Plant in early autumn for flowers in early spring

Fertilize

  • Bone meal – Phosphorous
  • Corn meal
  • Blood meal
  • Molasses
  • Compost
  • Organic fertilizer
  • Manure
  • Tomato Blend – summer winds
  • Bury fish for tomatoes

Tips and Tricks

  • Garden sink?  Route drainage to your tree
  • Temperatures over 90º kill active pollen
  • High temps can also kill roots – Mulch to three inches when temperatures go above 90º
  • Start seeds inside 5-8 weeks before Transplants go into the ground
    – Clam-shell strawberry box works well for this
    – Consider a GREENHOUSE for your starts.
  • Seeds should be planted at a depth of twice the widest measurement of the seed width
    – The problem is they will starve before germination if planted too deeply
  • IF ROOTBOUND – Soak, then cut bottom in quarters – Soak again, then plant
    – Also remove a peat pot if this is used
    – Keep soil moist until germination
  • Keep soil moist for high moisture fruit such as melons, cucumbers, etc.
  • Re: SQUASH BEETLES – Pick them off in early morning
    • Put a board on the ground, they will collect there
  • THREE SISTERS:  Corn, Beans, Squash – Wait for corn to be at least four foot high before planting others
    • Plan in a mound 1″ high and 2″ wide
  • Thin your plants or they ALL will do poorly
  • Sprinkle Cayenne Pepper around to keep cats off your new transplants
    Coffee grounds and orange peel also work
  • Nurseries will special order plants for you

Education

Book:  The Garden Guy

Arizona Herb Association

Glendale Class – by Carol Stuttard

Handouts:  PAGE 1 :: PAGE 2 :: PAGE 3 :: PAGE 4 :: PAGE 5 :: PAGE 6
Other notes have been incorporated somewhere within this page

Carol’s Gardening Blog

 

Timeline by MONTH

  • NOTE:  Any transplant can be started from seed INSIDE 5-8 weeks before moving outside.  Transplant at 3-4 inches.
  • Go by the Extension Service Calendar NOT the dates printed on the seed packet.
  • CLICK HERE for reputable seed providers.
  • For average temperatures, CLICK HERE or click on the chart
    FREEZE RANGE – Worst case scenario –
  • Climate similar to Spain, South Affrica, Australia

 

January

  • SEEDS – Lettuce – Mustard – Peas – Radishes – Rutabega – Spinach – Turnip –  Bulb Onion – Green Onion –  Spinach – Bok Choy – Carrots –  Swiss Chard –  Collard Greens – Basil
  • TRANSPLANTS – Lettuce – Kohlrabi – Broccoli – Swiss Chard  –  Collard Greens –
  • BULBS – Onion –
  • OTHER – Potatoes

February

  • SEEDS – Mustard Greens – Onion – Peas – Watermelon – Green Onion –  Spinach – Sunflower – Bok Choy – Carrots –  Collard Greens –  Sweet Corn – Cucumber – Armenian Cucumber – Basil
  • TRANSPLANTS – Tomatoes – Artichokes – Swiss Chard –
  • BULBS – Onions –
  • OTHER – Potatoes –

March

There is only a 20% chance of temperatures below 32º after March 1
Chances are 80% that the temperature will be about

  • SEEDS – Watermelon – Cantaloupe – Green Onion – Pumpkin – Summer Squash -Winter Squash –  Sunflower – Basil – Carrots –  Sweet Corn – Cucumber –  Armenian Cucumber –
  • TRANSPLANTS – Peppers – Tomatoes – Artichokes – Basil – Eggplant –
  • BULBS –
  • OTHER – Sweet Potato Eyes –
  • TIPS – Keep soil moist for high moisture fruit

April

  • SEEDS – Cantaloupe – Green Onion –  Summer Squash –  Sunflower – Basil – Carrots –  Sweet Corn – Cucumber –  Armenian Cucumber –
  • TRANSPLANTS – Artichokes –  Basil –
  • BULBS –
  • OTHER – Sweet Potato Eyes – Peanuts
  • TIPS – Keep soil moist for high moisture fruit

May

  • SEEDS – Cantaloupe – Sunflower – Basil – Armenian Cucumber –
  • TRANSPLANTS – Basil –
  • BULBS –
  • OTHER – Sweet Potato Eyes –
  • TIPS – Keep soil moist for high moisture fruit

June

  • SEEDS – Cantaloupe – Sunflower – Armenian Cucumber –
  • TRANSPLANTS –
  • BULBS –
  • OTHER – Sweet Potato Eyes –
  • TIPS – Shade bell peppers from intense sun – Keep soil moist for high moisture fruit

July

  • SEEDS – Cantaloupe – Pumpkin –  Winter Squash –  Sunflower – Sweet Corn –  Armenian Cucumber –
  • TRANSPLANTS – Peppers –  Tomatoes –
  • BULBS –
  • OTHER –
  • TIPS – Shade bell peppers from intense sun – Keep soil moist for high moisture fruit

August

  • SEEDS – Green Onion – Summer Squash – Brussels Sprouts – Carrots – Swiss Chard – Collard Greens – Sweet Corn – Cucumber –
  • TRANSPLANTS – Tomatoes –
  • BULBS –
  • OTHER –
  • TIPS – Shade bell peppers from intense sun – Keep soil moist for high moisture fruit

September

  • SEEDS – Kale – Kohlrabi – Lettuce – Green Onion – Spinach – Bok Choy – Broccoli – Brussels Sprouts – Carrots –  Swiss Chard –  Collard Greens – Cucumber –
  • TRANSPLANTS – Brussels Sprouts –  Swiss Chard –
  • BULBS –
  • OTHER –
  • TIPS – Shade bell peppers from intense sun – Keep soil moist for high moisture fruit

October

  • SEEDS – Kale –  Kohlrabi –  Lettuce – Green Onion – Bulb Onion – Spinach – Bok Choy –  Broccoli – Brussels Sprouts –  Carrots –  Swiss Chard –  Collard Greens –
  • TRANSPLANTS – Lettuce – Broccoli – Brussels Sprouts –  Swiss Chard –
  • BULBS – Garlic
  • OTHER –
  • TIPS –

November

  • SEEDS – Kale –  Kohlrabi –  Lettuce – Green Onion –  Bulb Onion –  Spinach – Bok Choy –  Broccoli – Brussels Sprouts –  Carrots –  Swiss Chard –  Collard Greens –
  • TRANSPLANTS – Kohlrabi –  Lettuce – Broccoli – Brussels Sprouts –  Swiss Chard –
  • BULBS –
  • OTHER –
  • TIPS

December

  • SEEDS – Kale –  Lettuce – Green Onion –  Spinach – Bok Choy –  Broccoli – Carrots –  Swiss Chard –  Collard Greens –
  • TRANSPLANTS – Kohlrabi –  Lettuce – Broccoli – Swiss Chard –
  • BULBS – Bulb Onion –
  • OTHER –
  • TIPS –

SHOULDERS ARE NOT COVERED WELL.  SEE THE BELOW IMAGES FOR MORE EXACT TIMELINES.