High on the Desert Newsletter
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Newsletter Cochise County Master Gardener High on the Desert Vol. 26, No. 9 September 2015 The University of Arizona and U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating The Virtual Gardener—For Everything There is a Time A calendar can be one of the most The first tool is an interactive table on a useful tools in a gardener’s toolbox. Not webpage showing data for 29 herbs and only can it help in keeping track of the vegetables and 67 flowers and other past—what was planted, when it was ornamental plants. The data shown focus planted, and how it performed—but it can on planting seeds indoors for later trans- also help plan for the future by providing planting into the garden. They include how guidance on what to plant and when to far ahead to plant seeds indoors before plant it. This month I want to take a look at transplanting and when to transplant some great online tools for creating garden seedlings. To get customized data for your calendars and some tips for using them. area you must supply the average date of One of my favorites is found on the last frost for your area. Burpee Seed Company website. Simply In addition to the table described above, enter your zip code to display a calendar you can also find a couple of downloadable Inside this issue: customized for your area. The calendar spreadsheet-based (Microsoft Excel) shows your approximate first and last frost calculators that provide additional custom- Cuttings “N’ Clippings 2 dates, a list of 40 common garden vegeta- ized data for your area. To use these Advantages of Fall Planting 3 bles, ranges of dates for starting seeds calculators, you need to supply the Ready, Set . Grow! 4 indoors, planting seeds outdoors in the estimated first frost date for your area. The A Few Gold Comps . 5 garden, and transplanting seedlings started first of these, a succession planting September Reminders 6 indoors. The graphic format makes it easy calculator, shows a selection of herbs and to compare the characteristics of different vegetables (and includes blank spaces for plants. Links on the page also provide you to enter additional types and varieties), additional information about each vegeta- the number of days to maturity for each, ble listed. As you can see on this calendar the recommended interval between even at this late date, there are still plenty plantings, and the dates for each planting. of options for planting cool weather By using a succession planting strategy, veggies outside. you can be assured of a constant supply of A more elaborate set of tools is found on produce throughout the growing season. the Johnny’s Selected Seeds website. Here The second calculator gives you recom- you will find a set of calendar-related tools (Continued on Page 2) to help you with your vegetable gardening. Cochise County Cooperative Extension www.ag.arizona.edu/cochise/mg/ 1140 N. Colombo, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 450 S. Haskell, Willcox, AZ 85643 (520) 458-8278, Ext. 2141 (520) 384-3594 P AGE 2 (The Virtual Gardener Continued from page 1) Probabilities for Sierra Vista and see frost,” in this case November 16. mended planting dates for 28 how to interpret these data. The WRCC produces a similar table vegetable crops to harvest in the fall. Although most plants will not showing the probabilities of last In addition it indicates which immediately expire when the tempera- “freeze” dates in the spring. That vegetables should be started indoors ture touches freezing, I’m going to table shows the probabilities that the and which can be directly seeded select 32.5˚F as the critical tempera- last “freeze” will occur by a certain into the garden. The dates shown are ture for this example. You might date. For Sierra Vista, there is a 50 either for direct seeding into the choose to be a little more daring and percent chance that the last “freeze” garden or for transplanting seedlings select one of the lower temperatures. will occur by March 23. started indoors. As I glance over the chart, I note the There are many additional re- Because many of our vegetable earliest date that my critical tempera- sources on the web that provide crops are frost sensitive, the ture occurred during the period of guidance on garden calendars and estimated dates of first and last record was October 22, so I can be related information. Here are a few frosts are critical to garden planning. almost certain that it won’t freeze for you to check out: The Western Regional Climate before that date. On the other end of Optimum soil temperatures for seed Center (WRCC) maintains extensive the chart, I see the latest date for my germination. data sets containing information critical temperature to be recorded was Arizona Master Gardener Manual about the climate, including 30-year November 28. That means it’s almost Planting and harvesting times for averages of first and last “freeze” guaranteed that it will frost on or after garden vegetables. dates for hundreds of locations. that date. Iowa State Extension bulletin These data allow you to make The next column tells me that only Scheduling vegetable plantings for sophisticated guesses about these 10 percent of the time has a low continuous harvest. critical dates for your area. Records temperature of 32.5˚F been reached on National Sustainable Agriculture for cities in Arizona can be found or before October 30. Each succeeding Information Service here. column shows higher and higher Vegetable planting guide. The “freeze” data supplied by the probabilities of 32.5˚F being reached Colorado State University Exten- WRCC allows you to assess the risk by the indicated date. The next to the sion of temperatures reaching or falling last column tells me that 90 percent of Until next time, happy surfing! below a selection of five tempera- the time it’s been reached by Novem- tures. Let’s take a look at the table ber 24. The 50 percent value is most Gary Gruenhagen, Master Gardener below showing Fall “Freeze” commonly used as the date of “first [email protected] Cuttings ‘N’ Clippings Cochise County Master Garden- The next free Water Wise presenta- garden and wonderful plants ready er Association—Check the web site tion will be Saturday, September 12 for a home in your landscape. for the next scheduled event or contact from 10:00—11:00 AM at Ace Hard- Check the Water Wise 2015 Valerie at: ware, 3756 E. Fry Blvd. Sierra Vista in schedule on their web site: [email protected] the gardening section. Cado Daily, Wa- waterwise.arizona.edu ter Wise Educator will speak on Winter For more information contact The Master Gardeners have returned Gardening: Vegetables and More. It’s Valerie at: to the Sierra Vista Farmers Market still a great time to plant landscape [email protected] on the first Thursday of each month. plants—and a winter garden. Learn how to have a productive winter vegetable (Continued on page 3) P AGE 3 (Cuttings ‘N’ Clippings Continued from page 2) The Advantages of 7. New plantings in the fall can be more gradually hardened off to the sun, The Fall Plant Sale by the Sierra Fall Planting so as the sun becomes gradually more Vista Area Gardeners Club will be intense in the spring, there is much less held at the Sierra Vista Farmers I hear people talk about cleaning chance of leaf scorch. This is especial- Market in Veterans Park on Fry their garden tools and stashing them ly true for plants you may wish to Boulevard, Thursday, September away until next spring. No! Don’t do place in a sunnier location, but might 17 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 it! The very best gardening season is be borderline shade loving. An exam- PM. They will have lots of house- about to begin! Most folks think that ple is Star Jasmine (Trachylospermum plants, cool season vegetables, annu- spring is the best time for new plant- jasminum). If planted in full sun in the als, and perennials for sale. As usual, ings. We are so fortunate to be gar- spring/summer it will most likely suf- they will be offering free packets of dening in our high desert, as we can fer some burning on the leaves. But if seeds. For more information, contact actually plant a huge variety of things planted in the fall, those same leaves Diane Levine, Chairman Fall Plant 12 months of the year. But the best become gradually and gently accus- Sale, Sierra Vista Area Gardeners time . the VERY best time to plant tomed to the less intense sun, and are Club at: is in the fall. Our fall season is Sep- hardened off or “sun tanned” when [email protected] tember through about mid-November, spring arrives when the stronger sun and there are numerous reasons why The Cochise Chapter of the Ari- begins rising in our desert skies. this is such a great gardening season. 8. Autumn plantings have to deal with zona Native Plant Society holds 1. The air is cooling down and new monthly programs on the third Fri- fewer pests and less disease than in the plantings require less water on a con- hotter months. day of each month from September tinual basis to get them started. through May at 5:00 PM in the Co- 9. New fall plantings will lose less wa- 2. The soil is still warm from the ter through their leaves, and any winter chise County Community Develop- summer months.