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Gardening Calendar for
the Southwest
Mid-November through December:
Winter?
PLANTING
You still have time in
mid-November to plant wildflowers from seed and set out landscape plants,
especially if the weather is mild. But don't procrastinate. If you wait much
longer or the weather has turned cold, hold off until spring to plant.
WATERING
Cool, cloudy and rainy, or warm,
bright and sunny? If it’s the former, reduce watering (or reset the drip
irrigation timer) to twice a month or less. (Newly planted plants more
frequently.) If it’s the latter, continue to deep-water established plants
about once each month until spring, perhaps every six weeks for established
native trees and shrubs.
CARE
Protect Cold-Tender Plants. By
mid-November, rustle up some old blankets, tarps and plastic coverings ahead
of time to cover citrus, tender perennials, bougainvillea and other
cold-sensitive plants. Listen to the weather reports for projected lows, but
if the evening sky is cloudy, temperatures will probably be moderate. The
clouds act as insulation, holding in the daytime heat. Clear night
skies--especially if they occur several evenings in a row--often mean we’re
in for freezing temperatures.
Pruning. Wait one to two more months
(January-February) before pruning most deciduous (leaves drop in winter)
trees and shrubs when they are fully dormant. With a hard freeze, top growth
of tender plants such as red bird of paradise and lantana will be killed to
the ground. You can cut them back in December to improve landscape
appearance but better to wait till after last frost has passed in March.
Plants will regrow vigorously when warm spring temperatures return.
Fertilize Vegetables. Winter vegetables will
benefit from applications of ammonium nitrate fertilizer November through
December. Apply small amounts around the roots of peas, lettuce, broccoli
and carrots and water well.
Remove Mistletoe. By December, most leaves from
trees will have dropped. The bare branches may reveal a problem that was
hard to see when the tree was in leaf--mistletoe. Prune to remove.
Make the Most of Compost. Take advantage of
winter leaf drop and other organic by-products of the landscape and add them
to a compost pile. A simple frame of heavy wire fencing or discarded pallets
in an out-of-the-way corner of the garden will hold the materials, help heat
up the pile to make what many gardeners call black gold. Use compost as a
soil amendment or mulch. |
