Month: August 2017

If you’re searching for “How to plant strawberries in Arizona” you’ve come to the right post.  Gardeners in Arizona that are feeling adventurous won’t let the challenging conditions keep them from growing juicy, plump strawberries within the hardiness zones of 3-10. The diverse soils and climates mean that strawberries will need some extra TLC. The growing zones in Arizona go from 4b – 10, which have average winter lows from 40F to -25F. Whatever region you are in, proper planting will get Arizona strawberries started right.

Planting Strawberries In Arizona

Strawberry flowers are very vulnerable to frost, so the time of year you plant them will vary depending on where you live in Arizona.  It is a best practice to wait until you are completely sure the frost is over for the spring before starting to plant your frost sensitive plants such as strawberries.

Site Selection

In the low desert in Arizona, unexpected frosts may damage tender strawberry blossoms and destroy spring crops. The earliest blooms will create the largest berries, so having the right protection is vital.

You should plant your strawberries on elevated slopes, this will be where cold air will drain away and it lessens the chance of damage from frost.  The north-facing, cooler slopes will start later blooms, which adds a buffer to any bloom lost.

Strawberries will fruit best in locations that are in full sun, but the low desert berries will need protection from the intense sun. Locations that are close to homes will help to protect against frost, just be sure to avoid any west facing walls that will reflect the Arizona heat.

Soil Adjustments

Strawberries love low-saline, well-drained, organic soil that has a slightly acidic to neutral pH around 6.5. Many Arizona soils are saline and alkaline, with very little organic matter and without adjustments, the strawberries will have nutrient deficiencies.

Test your soil and follow the recommendations to the letter. Many Arizona gardens will need their pH lowered for strawberries, but some will have acidic soil. This is because the soil contains calcium carbonate, the average pH lowering products like sulfur won’t work. Using the wrong amounts or amendments can cause your soil to be toxic. Don’t just guess, test your soil.

You should layer up to 3 inches but no less than 2 inches of organic compost in the bed, as well as for ever 100 square feet, using a pound of 12-24-12 fertilizer. Be sure to wear protective clothing such as goggles and gloves and mix the layers to be 8 inches deep and be sure to avoid any manure based compost which often add salts.

Planting Time

Start planting your strawberries in late winter or spring, after the last frost date for your area. In the low desert of Arizona, this is often in February and the mountain regions need to wait until June.

Trim the roots to about 6 inches long, and keep them moist at all times. Be sure to use sharp garden pruners or scissors and use a household disinfectant to sterilize the blades before and after you use them.

Your planting depth is vital. Bury the roots but keep the crown of the plant exposed at the surface of the soil. If they are planted too low, then the strawberries will rot. If they are planted too high, then the crown dries out. Space your strawberries at 12 – 18 inches apart, and be sure to water them thoroughly.

Initial Care

Remove all the flowers during the first season so that your strawberries will focus on their roots and not the fruits. When the new growth starts, for ever 100 square feet use a half of a pound of 21-0-0 ammonium sulfate. Be sure that you are wearing protective clothing and lightly scratch the soil to add the fertilizer so that you don’t disturb the roots. Water it thoroughly and wash the fertilizer from the leaves.

Drip irrigation works best for Arizona strawberries. Overhead watering will promote disease, wastes water to evaporation and fuels the growth of weeds. Adding organic mulch like straw or pine needles will help to retain soil moisture, keep it cool, and keep weeds from growing.

Strawberry roots will stay in the top 6 inches of the soil. The shallow roots will need to be consistently moist at 1 inch per week. Water the strawberries every 3 – 5 days, with up to 2 inches of water weekly during the hot weather.

Strawberry Selection

With the diversity of Arizona, match your berry types to your elevation. Strawberries will fall into 3 groups: day-neutral, June-bearing, and everbearing.

June-Bearing Strawberries

June-bearing strawberries will flower and fruit early. If frost gets to them, then your crop will be lost. They work best in warmer, lower elevations with a few late frosts. The cold hardy, Mesabi June-bearing strawberry does quite well in high pH southwest soil.

Everbearing Strawberries

Everbearing strawberries have few runners, but will produce smaller crops in fall and spring. Autumn harvest follows if the spring frost destroys the spring crop, but everbearers have trouble in low desert heat. Cooler, higher elevations work best for them, but have shorter growing seasons. The Ogalla everbearing strawberry works well in these conditions.

Day-Neutral Strawberries

Day-neutral strawberries will flower and fruit for all growing season with smaller berries and fewer runners. Their flowers will fail if the temperatures go above 70F. They work best in the moderate elevations and moderate climates. The Tribute day-neutral strawberry is disease resistant and tolerates alkaline soils and does well with short growing seasons.

Phoenix Valley Plant Nursery

If you are looking for strawberry plants to plant in your garden A&P Nursery has everything you need to get started.  With quality seeds and plants we can get you started right.  In addition we carry a wide assortment of tools, fertilizers, and even offer starter raised gardening kits.  No matter what your gardening project A&P Nursery has the valley’s best plants, helpful staff, and everything you need to grow fresh fruit, produce, and beautiful plants in Arizona.

Call or visit one of our 4 locations today

If you’re searching for a guide on How to grow potatoes in Arizona this post is for you!  Potatoes are cool-season crops that provide various minerals, vitamins, and protein. The best time to plant are early spring, and late fall.

Origin Of The Potato

It’s not really known exactly how potatoes got from Andes to Ireland, but prior to disaster striking the potato was firmly rooted in Irish soil. It as grew and part of culture for centuries.

During 1846 to 1847, Ireland was hit by an unseasonably cool and wet year, with millions of tons of potatoes becoming rotten due to an opportunistic fungus. It also resulted in thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of emigrations. This event has become known as the Great Potato Famine, and could be the only drastic human catastrophe named after a plant.

It does not matter how you pronounce ‘potato’, it is likely that the birthplace is considered to be Ireland. However, potatoes actually originated on the other side of the world, in South America’s Andes mountains.

Thousands of years ago, wild potatoes were discovered by early Incan tribes and were considered life-sustaining storehouses for nutrients and energy. Using the environment that had less alkaline and humidity in the soil, similar to that of the Southwest U.S, they were able to domesticate more than 100 varieties.

Potato Nutritional Value

When considering the per unit of land, a potato provides more calories and protein than other grown foods. They are able to store many vital minerals and vitamins as well.

When To Grow Potatoes in Arizona

The potato plant will grow best during late fall or early spring as days are warm, but have cooler nights. While being a cool-season crop, edible sections of the potato are under the ground, while the tops are above ground and unable to handle frost. Therefore, timing the planting of potatoes is important.

You will need to plant them early as possible to obtain the most crop possible before summer heat kicks in, or the winter cold takes the plant.

Within Phoenix, AZ the month of March is an ideal planting time for potatoes, or in late September. However, within Albuquerque, NM or Denver, CO the potatoes should be ordered in, and ready for planting in mid-late April.

Potato Growing Conditions

Soil: Potatoes often do better in loose acidic soil that is well-drained. Because of the alkaline in Southwestern soil, compost should be added to the area to assist with acidifying the soil. Also, soils with heavy alkaline or poor drainage can result in undersized and lower yielding crops.

Fertilizer: The potato plant requires fertilizer during the early stages of growth, therefore, apply the majority of your fertilizer prior to planning. You should ensure the fertilizer is balanced. If pre-planting applications are missed, you should wait to fertilize until after sprouts begin producing leafs.

Light: A minimum of six hours of light is required by the potato plant, full sun.

Water: For the best possible yields, you want to maintain an evenly damp soil, not wet. You want to allow some drying prior to watering again.

Starting: For larger seed potatoes (bigger than a chicken egg), you want to cut them into pieces, roughly 1 inch across. Once being cut, allow the seed potato to heal/cure for several days prior to planting, or it could rot underground.

Each of the pieces need at least one bud (eye) where stems grow. If possible, having two eyes would be better. Potatoes that are egg size or smaller are able to be planted whole.

Selecting: You want to ensure that you buy seed potatoes that are certified disease-free from a trusted online catalog, mail in catalog, or garden market to get the best results. You should avoid planting potatoes bought at the supermarket due to being less vigorous and easier for them to become diseased.

Phoenix Valley Nursery & Gardening

If you want to grow potatoes or any other kind of vegetable in your Phoenix Valley garden A&P Nursery has everything you need to get started.  If you already have a garden started you can get more out of it with better soil, fertilizers, and other quality gardening products.  We also offer gardening kits to help you get a head start and organize your gardening.  With friendly and knowledgeable staff A&P Nursery is your stop for helpful gardening advice for Arizona.

Call or visit one of our 4 locations today

If you’re searching “How to Grow the Saguaro Cactus” this post is for you.  The Saguaro Cactus is an iconic cactus common to Southern Arizona and Northern Mexico, also known as the Sonoran Desert.  The area these giants grow in and thrive is limited to regions that do not experience freezing temperatures during winter.  They are generally limited to areas below 4,000 feet above sea level but do grow on south facing slopes where sun is more plentiful higher than that.

How Saguaros Grow – Buying Your Saguaro – Watering Your Saguaro

How Saguaros Grow

The Saguaro is one of the most impressive and iconic cacti in the world and it grows under unique conditions which are common in Southern Arizona.  Read below to get information about where they grow, how quickly, when they flower, and their average lifespan.

Nurse Trees

In the wild the Saguaro Cactus typically grows next to a “nurse tree” such as the ironwood, mesquite, or palo verde.  When they first germinate and grow from a seed they can be quite tiny and hard to spot. Scientists have speculated that many times this nurse tree dies as it beings to compete with the Saguaro for water and nutrients in the surrounding soil.

Growth Rates

Studies done in the Saguaro National Park have shown that they grow about 1 to 1.5 inches per year for the first 8 years of life.  Growth rates for the Saguaro do depend on the climate they are planted in.  Studies have shown however that the most active growing is done before there are branches from the main trunk.  Branches typically begin to appear after the first 50 to 75 years in well saturated areas, and up to 100 years in more arid climates.

First Saguaro Cactus Flowers

The first flowers on the Saguaro begin to appear after 35 years of growth.  They generally appear at the terminal ends of the primary trunk, but can grow on the sides of the plant.  Once the flowers begin to appear you can expect to see them for the remainder of the Saguaro’s lifespan.

Saguaro Cactus Lifespan

While the adult age of a Saguaro is considered to be about 125 years they can live to be more than 200 years in the right conditions. Average lifespan varies from 150 to 175 years of age.  These impressive giants can grow as tall as 150 feet and weigh as much as 6 tons!

Buying Your Saguaro Cactus

It is best to choose a Saguaro to purchase which has not yet reached maturity as the transplant rate for mature Saguaro Cactus is not favorable.  It is also illegal to procure a Saguaro cactus from the desert to bring home, so purchasing your Saguaro from a Saguaro Cactus Nursery is the best way to one for your landscape.

Watering Your Saguaro Cactus

These giants require very little water to grow well.  They cannot however grow indefinitely without water, yet it should be given sparingly and owners should avoid excessive incidental watering while watering lawn and other plants. Read below for instructions on how to water at different stages of the cactus’ life and times of year.

New Saguaro Cactus Watering

When the new Saguaro is being planted some water is typically added to the hole prior to planting. After the soil is firmly packed around the saguaro it will not have a need for water for about 2 weeks. During the hotter summer months between May and October a deep watering should be done every 2 to 4 weeks.

The soil should be watered to a depth of around 1 foot. Never water when there are rainstorms and completely cease watering during the winter months. Generally the Saguaro will have good roots within 6 months yet is not completely established for another year or two.

Established Saguaro Cactus Watering

Once your cactus has been planted for a year or two the ribs will stay spread out.  This means that your Saguaro roots are established and have found water.  Established cactus build up a water store inside them so you can cut your watering down during the hot months to about once a month.  Again, don’t water if there has been rainstorms or during the fall or winter months.

Saguaro Cactus Watering Technique

The Saguaro’s root system is only about a foot below the surface of the soil which enables it to benefit from even small rainstorms. Due to how shallow the roots are for the Saguaro Cactus it is watered differently than other plants.

The best technique for the Saguaro Cactus is to place the hose on the ground about 5 or 10 feet from the trunk of the cactus and let the water flow for about 30 minutes.  Never water directly onto or around the base of the cactus as you want the roots to reach out around and grow to support the fully grown weight of the cactus.  Watering directly around it will prevent a stronger network of roots.

Root Rot & Overwatering

In residential and commercial landscaping that includes plants such as grass which need watering via sprinklers Saguaro Cactus should be planted at a distance from these elements to avoid overwatering.  Not only can the Saguaro Cactus experience root rot but it can steal water from other plants if placed too close.  Experts recommend about 10 feet from the base of the Saguaro and other plants and landscaping that need frequent watering.

Saguaro Cactus for Sale – Phoenix Valley

If you want to plant a new Saguaro Cactus in your landscape A&P Nursery has locally grown Saguaro Cactus at our nursery.  We offer wide selection of sizes and can have your Saguaro Cactus delivered to your home or business along with professional planting by our landscaping company partners.  We make it easy to include one of these iconic beauties in your landscape in the Phoenix Valley.