Xeriscape is an excellent choice for Arizona’s desert climate. Some of the advantages of xeriscaping are low water consumption, low maintenance, little or no lawnmowing, and plant sustainability in the event of water restrictions and drought.

When designing your yard take in consideration the following components of xeriscape:

1. Design
   Identify sunny, shady, and sloped areas of your yard. Try to group plants with similar watering needs together. Place plants that have a greater need for water in more shaded areas.
2. Soil
   Find the appropriate soil for your plants. Good soil will help a plant consume all the moisture available to it.
3. Turf
   Since lawns use the greatest amount of water try to use grasses that are relatively drought-resistant. Another option is to install artificial grass which requires no water but looks and feels like the real thing.
4. Plant
   Selection Use plants that are native to the area. For more variety you can also use plants that are native to similar climates.
5. Irrigation
   Install an efficient irrigation system. Use low-volume, low-angle sprinkler for grass and drip or spray emitters for flowers, shrubs, and groundcover. Use a timer so each zone gets just the right amount of water.
6. Mulch
   Use a mulch to conserve moisture and control weeds.
7. Maintenance
   When designing your yard consider how much time you have to spend on weeding, pruning, feeding, watering, and pest control. Plan your yard accordingly. A xeriscape landscape, like any other, looks best with regular maintenance.

Soil Preparation

Soil preparation is one of the most important steps in producing healthy plants. It is vital that your garden receive an annual application of manure or other organic material. Commercial fertilizers alone will not get the job done. For the best soil preparation, apply manure at least 2” deep, spade or till it in, and water well two to three times before planting.

Planting Dates

Asparagus: January or February.

Beans, Green Bush: August thru mid-September or late January thru early February for a spring crop. Spring crops will not produce as heavily as fall crops. Easily damaged or killed by frost.

Beans, Pole: Mid-July thru mid-August. This is not viable as a spring crop because the blooms do not set well when hot weather arrives.

Beets: September is the best time to plant beets. They may be planted thru all the fall and winter months but should not be planted after the end of January. Hot weather causes beets to become tough. Frost does not damage them.

Broccoli: September thru November. Broccoli is easily started from seed.

Brussels Sprouts: September thru November.

Cabbage: Mid-August thru November. This is not viable as a spring crop because it does not do well once hot weather arrives.

Cantaloupes: March thru April. Plant for a fall crop in mid-July.

Cucumber: March or August. Cucumbers benefit from a large shovel full of manure several inches below the surface. Water regularly when cucumbers are setting to avoid bitterness.

Carrots: January thru February or August thru December. Carrots grow best as a fall crop. Carrots will keep in the ground thru winter.

Chard: September thru January. Chard is best as a fall crop.

Eggplant: Mid-February thru mid-March.

Lettuce, Head: August thru November. Lettuce planted in January or February will not do well once hot weather hits.

Lettuce, Leaf: Mid-September thru October. Lettuce can be planted January thru March but the harvest season will not be as long as if planted in fall.

Okra: April thru May. Okra is a hot season plant and it is not suggested to attempt an earlier planting.

Onions, Green: September thru January.

Onions, Dry: Mid-October thru mid-December.

Peas, Green: Plant first crop mid-August. Successive planting may continue until mid-September. For a spring crop plant November thru December. Do not plant after January 1st. Peas do not like hot weather and will not produce a good crop if planted to mature in April or May. Plant peas heavily in double rows because peas like a lot of company. Frost will damage blossoms, but not the plants. If peas start blooming during freezing weather just ignore them. You will have a lot of peas by the end of January.

Peanuts: Mid-March thru April. Peanuts love hot weather and need loose soil.

Potatoes: January thru February. Plant 4″ to 5″ deep. When they come up begin mounding soil up around the plant but do not completely cover. Continue this as the plant grows until a wide high mound is built. Potatoes will not set nor grow properly unless they have a deep bed to grow freely. Plant early red and white varieties. Baking potatoes do not grow well here.

Pumpkins: Mid-July for a Halloween harvest.

Radishes: September. Successive planting may continue thru February. Radishes become woody after hot weather arrives.

Rhubarb: September thru December. Rhubarb is not very successful here.

Spinach: September thru December.

Squash, Summer: Mid-February thru April. Zucchini, Scallop, Crookneck, Cocozelle, etc.

Squash, Winter: Mid-July. Butternut, Acorn, Turban, Hubbard, etc.

Sweet Corn: February thru mid-March. For fall crops plant in August.

Sweet Potatoes: Mid-March thru mid-May.

Tomatoes: Mid-February thru mid-March. When planting from seed start in flats inside your house anytime during the winter so they will be at least 2” high at time of planting. It is best to let them grow 8” to 12” before transplanting. Protect from frost.

Turnips: September thru December. Turnips planted in September will stay in the ground all winter, becoming sweeter after the frost. Turnips planted in December will mature as the weather begins to get hot and will quickly become woody and strong tasting.

Watermelons: Mid-February thru March.

With proper staking a tree can be supported while growing a strong trunk and root system. The following guidelines will help you stake a tree properly:

1. Use two stakes per tree and a wide, smooth and elastic tie material. DO NOT use uncovered rope, wire or string that can damage the tree.
2. We recommend using round, two-inch diameter wooden poles. Place the stakes about 1’ outside the root ball, at a right angle to the ground level, and perpendicular to the direction of the prevailing wind.
3. DO NOT tie the tree so tightly that it is completely immobilized. When trees are not allowed to bend they don’t put their energy into growing stronger so instead they just grow taller. The tree should be tied so that it is supported but has the flexibility to move.
4. Check the tree monthly for damage to the tree. Loosen the ties to see if the tree can support itself. Although there are exceptions, a tree should not need to be staked for more than a year.

One of the great things about Arizona is you can plant all year long. However, the best time to plant is in late fall, with the exception of trees and shrubs that are sensitive to frost. Late fall is ideal because warmer soil temperatures and cooler air temperatures encourage roots to establish themselves quickly. If you can’t get to planting in late fall the next best time is late spring.

Preparing the Hole

Dig a hole a minimum of two times (we recommend 3 to 5 times) the diameter of the root ball and no deeper than its height. The sides of the hole should be rough and sloping. It is important to check drainage before planting. Fill the hole with water. Water should drain within 12-24 hours. To help neutralize alkaline soils and increase water penetration, add gypsum to the hole and mix it in with the soil and water.

Preparing the Soil

Native plants do best in their native soil. The addition of compost or mulch is not necessary however you may want to put a little in the hole prior to planting. To help with the water holding capacity of rocky or sandy soil you can incorporate some fine-textured native soil into the hole.

How to Plant

Remove the plant from its container. Take great care in not breaking the root ball because this can kill the plant. Slice the root ball lengthwise about an inch deep in two or three places. Put the plant in the hole that has been prepared and fill it back up with soil. The top of the root ball should be level with the soil surface or slightly above. DO NOT compact the soil. Watering the plant and surrounding area will help settle the soil surface.

After Planting

Irrigate the planting area immediately. Make sure that the root ball remains level with the soil surface after irrigating. Add a mulch layer on top to help keep soil moisture but keep it a few inches away from the base of the plant. A fertilizer is not needed on a new planting. Water every day for the first week then revert back to a normal watering schedule.

If planting a tree, remove the stake that came from the nursery. If the tree can support itself then do not re-stake. However, if the tree needs additional support re-stake the tree. Do not prune the tree at this time.

• 1 gallon of water
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon of Ivory or Dawn Original dish soap

Mix together and spray.

Spray a small test area prior to use to ensure there is no harm to the plant.