Fall Vegetable Gardening In Arizona

fall-vegetable-gardening-in-arizona

Vegetable gardening is a great hobby, a way to save money on groceries, and the best way to get fresh produce into your home. Good advice on how to garden and when to plant your fruits and vegetables depends on regionally specific information, as you wouldn’t want to use tips that only work in Maine in your Arizona garden. Each region has different types of soil and different months that are best for planting certain types of vegetables. So this is our fall vegetable Gardening In Arizona guide.

Vegetables To Plant In Fall

These are the best vegetables that you can plant in your garden in the fall and some of their main benefits and uses. Make sure to mark in your calendar when you plant and when the harvest should be to keep track of your vegetable garden.

Planting Bok Choy – This vegetable has about a 45 day to harvest time.  Originally from China it has been used extensively in culinary purposes, and even has medicinal value. It is used widely in soups and salads to add a nice crunch and flavor. It is also one of the main ingredients in Kimchee, a Korean favorite.

Planting Broccoli – Broccoli seeds take about 125 days to be ready for harvest. Broccoli is native and used to grow wild along the Mediterranean. Commercial cultivation started in the United States in the 1920’s. Broccoli is a staple of so many Arizona dinner tables because of it’s amazing nutritional value. It has nearly the same calcium content as whole milk and double the vitamin C as an orange.

Brussels Sprouts – Brussles Sprouts take about 140 days to be ready for you to harvest. Not surprisingly this vegetable was named after the city Brussels. It is a miniature cabbage and it is thought that cultivation started in Italy during the rule of the Roman Empire. Brussles sprouts are jam packed with a variety of vitamins. Vitamin K is one of the most abundant vitamins in Brussels sprouts. It is also a great source for Vitamin C, A and B6. It also contains potassium, thiamin, foliate, and more. It is great for helping to control blood pressure and heart rate.

Cabbage – Another vegetable that has its roots near the Mediterranean cabbage is a favorite for lots of Phoenix dining tables. Eating cabbage raw, or just cooked shortly helps preserve the many nutrients. The wide variety and concentration of nutrients in cabbage has been found to protect against several types of cancer. It also helps fight bad cholesterol levels which can help prevent heart disease.

Carrots – Everyone knows that carrots are good for you and are just about the greatest thing in the world with some ranch dip. They have been grown in just about every area of the world, so your garden should be the perfect spot. Everyone knows that carrots are good for your eyes, but it can also help in stroke prevention.

More Great Fall Vegetables For Your Arizona Garden

There are a lot of vegetables that need to go in the ground in the fall in Arizona. They all have different times that are approximate for harvest. Information is available on each of the seed packets or transplant tags.

  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Chard
  • Garlic
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Lettuce
  • Onions
  • Peas
  • Radish
  • Rutabaga
  • Spinach
  • Turnips

 


Phoenix Valley Gardening Nursery

If you live in the East Valley of Phoenix or simply want to talk to the experts and get the best seeds and plants for your Arizona garden A&P Nursery has you covered with 4 locations in Mesa, Gilbert, and Queen Creek, Arizona. We have the tools, knowledge, and even ties to professional landscaping companies that will make starting and maintaining your garden easy.  Call or visit one of our 4 locations today.

 

Growing A Magnolia Tree in Arizona

growing-magnolia-trees-in-arizona

Magnolia Trees are the pride of the south and have a wonderfully sweet smell that can add character to any landscape. Growing a Magnolia tree in Arizona does take a little extra care, but the best things in life usually do. The sweet smell and beautiful flowers and evergreen like leaves will add beauty and visual appeal to your landscape.

How To Plant Your Magnolia Tree In Arizona
how-to-plant-magnolia-tree-arizona

There are a few steps that are a bit different for best practices when planting the Magnolia tree. It takes a little more prep and knowledge than simply digging a hole and dumping the tree in. The tree does require a little more water because of our hot and arid environment, but it rewards owners and gardeners with a sweet aromatic smell and beautiful displays of flowers and foliage.

Choosing A Site

In Arizona it is best to choose an area in your yard that will receive afternoon shade, when the sun is at its hottest. This will help eliminate potential sun damage to the trunk, as the tree is not native to Arizona.

Prepping The Soil

These trees are fairly tolerant of any soil type. So there is little effort that needs to be taken to prep the soil. They tolerate clay soils and water logging well. So adding sandy soil types to promote drainage isn’t critical like in trees that are native to more arid environments. Some mulch or compost can increase the nutrient content and help the tree grow.

Planting

With just a little prep work you will be ready to plant and start growing your Magnolia tree in Arizona.

Expose The Root – Gently move the soil away from the top until you expose the top of the root system. Generally you’ll find it after removing about 2 inches of soil.

Unwrap And Score It – These trees are sold with burlap covers many times, these need to be removed before the tree is planted. In addition you can help the root system grow right, without circling roots. You do this by making 4 evenly spaced slices down the sides of the root ball.

Dig It – Start out by digging a hole for the tree to be planted in your yard that is about 1.5 times the width of the ball or container. The hole should be just slightly less deep than the root ball.

Plant It  – Place the tree into the hold you have dug and make sure that the top most root section is either even with or slightly above the level of the surrounding soil in your landscape. After you have put the soil back, gently compact it in around the roots to get rid of air pockets. Fully saturate the soil around the tree. Take care to leave the top most section of the root ball out of the soil slightly. You can cover this area with some mulch to protect it, but it needs to have exposure to the air.

Watering

Magnolias are native to the southeastern United States. Arizona is a lot hotter and drier than that region of the country so it is important to water the Magnolia tree regularly. You can test the soil with your finger to see if it is dried out and create a watering schedule that fits your soil and region. During the hotter parts of summer it is critical that you keep up with watering to help the tree cope with the hot Arizona summers.

Pruning

The Magnolia tree needs less pruning that other trees. It is best to allow the canopy base to extend all the way to the ground if your landscaping will allow it. This helps protect the trunk bark from direct sunlight and potential sunscald.

Types Of Magnolia Trees
types-of-magnolia-trees-arizona

There are quite a few varieties of Magnolia tree, some do better in the intense heat of Arizona. These are a few of the favorite variants. For more specific information on which Magnolia trees will grow best in your particular zone talk to your local nursery.

Southern Magnolia Tree

The Southern Magnolia is also known as the Grandiflora Magnolia. It is native to the southeast but has spread naturally as far as Texas and Oklahoma. The tree is heat tolerant to about 107°, after that point there can be some yellowing and potential trunk sunscaling. However even the mild growing magnolia in Phoenix can reach heights of 25 to 50 feet.

Star Magnolia Tree

These beautiful trees have star-shaped flowers. They, like all Magnolias are deciduous trees. There are a few different sub variants of the Kobus, but they all share a tulip like shape. The flowers of the Kobus variant don’t tolerate frost, but the tree is otherwise hardy and can weather cold and extreme heat well, making it great for Arizona.

Sweet Bay Magnolia Tree

This type of tree is grown as a showpiece or ornamental tree. The flowers of the Sweet Bay burst out in spring and summer. If pests are a problem in your landscape the Sweet Bay is one of the best types of Magnolia as it is a hardy, pest resistant tree. The Sweet Bay is also tolerant of heavy water conditions and can even survive standing water.


Magnolia Trees For Sale In Mesa, Queen Creek, Gilbert AZ

If you are looking to add a Magnolia tree to your landscape A&P Nursery can help. We have a large selection of trees at our 4 locations in the Phoenix East Valley. We also offer delivery and planting services to make the addition of this sweet smelling tree even sweeter.

 

Guide To Growing Herbs Indoors

guide-to-growing-herbs-indoors

Outdoor gardening for the city dweller is a bit unrealistic, and impractical. Growing your own herbs at home is possible in the city; it just takes a little more work and guidance. This is a guide to growing herbs indoors. Having fresh herbs sitting right in your windowsill saves you money and gets you fresher ingredients that mean better flavor.

Gardening isn’t always an easy hobby and along the way there will be plant casualties. Start with some of the easier to care for herbs and don’t get discouraged. While you won’t be able to grow everything that outdoor gardeners can, there is still great satisfaction in growing your own, saving a little money, and having the freshest herbs possible.

Herbs To Grow Indoors

Some herbs are easier than others to grow indoors. This list breaks down which herbs to choose for your indoor herb garden based on their difficulty.

Easy Herbs To Grow Indoors

These are few of the easier herbs to grow in your home. Great for beginners or people that don’t have loads of time to dedicate to their indoor garden

Growing Vietnamese Coriander – If you love cilantro this is a great alternative. It is very easy and reliable herb to grow in your indoor garden and has a taste that is hard to distinguish from cilantro.

Growing Mint – Mint grows so well that it is considered an aggressive or invasive plant. It should be grown in its own pot. Because of this you should only grow mint if you use spearmint frequently in recopies, or if you like peppermint in your tea.

Growing Lemongrass – This is one of the most simple herbs to grow indoors, it does not even require soil. It can be set in a container of water and new growth will begin to occur. It will grow new sprouts, roots, and a plethora of stalks from the bottom. These stalks can be cut away easily and used in cooking.

Growing Bay Tree – Bay leaf is a very common herb that is called for in a wide variety of recipes. While bay tree is a slow growing plant it is very rewarding. Care for the Bay Tree means careful watering and cleaning of scaling if it becomes too dry.

Growing Chive – Chive is a great herb for indoor gardening. It requires less light than many other plants. In fact some varieties have been developed specifically for indoor growing. The Grolau Chive is engineered to grow in lower light and is perfect for indoor gardening.

Growing Parsley – While parsley does not need much sun, it is a slow grower. This is an attractive herb to grow visually, but if you use it often in recipes you will have to have a good amount to rotate through as you use it for culinary purposes.

Growing Kaffir Lime Trees – Another great tree for indoor herb gardens is the Kaffir Lime. This is a very common herb for Thai cooking. This plant does require a special “citrus plant food”. Take care if what you feed it and it will grow well and have the right flavor.

Stay tuned for additional herb gardening tips and plants.


East Phoenix Valley Herb Garden Nurseries

To get your indoor herb garden going A&P nurseries have everything you need in Mesa, Gilbert, and Queen Creek Arizona. Stop by to pick out your herbs, pots, fertilizers and ask any questions you might have about getting started and getting the most out of your indoor herb gardens.

 

Growing Succulents Indoors In Phoenix

growing-succulents-indoors-in-phoenix

Many Phoenix residents live in apartments and urban areas with little space for a garden. Houseplants are a good way to bring the benefits of a living plant into your home, but many people struggle to remember watering as often as they should. Growing succulents indoors in Phoenix is a much easier undertaking, and they are visually amazing.

In nature succulents are naturally drought resistant due to the thick stems, fleshy leaves, and well developed root systems. This means they can absolutely horde water. This makes them perfect for indoor plants as they don’t need as much attention. One succulent everyone is intimately aware of are cacti. However cacti are just one example of succulents. The wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors is near limitless.

The succulent’s shapes are dramatic, otherworldly, and add unique appeal to any room of your home. Take a moment and learn how caring for one of these beauties can be simple and rewarding.

What Makes Growing Succulents Indoors Great?

The air inside our homes is naturally drier than outside. This fact makes it hard for most traditional houseplants to thrive. Succulents originate from areas of the world that are naturally dry. This makes them naturally better at surviving in dry environments, without showing signs of distress.

Choosing Indoor Succulent Containers

When choosing your container for your succulent your number 1 concern is drainage. The pot needs to have drainage holes so that water does not linger too long and rot the root system. Some choose to use non glazed pots for this very reason to help ensure proper drainage. Because some water is invariably going to find its way out of these drainage holes, get a drainage saucer to catch this water. No one likes having to mop up after a plant.

Indoor Succulent Soil

Like most desert plants succulents enjoy well draining, sandy soil. For the pots you plant your indoor succulents in you will want to duplicate that mix. This can be done by blending half potting soil with half sand. To make sure you have the right mix wet the soil and then squeeze it in your hand. If it falls apart you’ve got the right mix. If it holds together like playdough you need more sand.

Fertilizing Indoor Succulents

Much like most other plants succulents see the most significant growth in the spring and summer. Fertilize your succulents 3 to 4 times during the course of the spring and summer. Standard houseplant fertilizer is fine, but make sure you only use about half as much with your succulent plants. During the fall and winter the indoor succulent does not need to be fertilized as their growth has either slowed or stopped completely.

Indoor Succulent Light

The majority of succulents want the sunlight. Give them as much light as you can by placing them at a south or east facing window. During the warmer months succulents can be placed outside. Just ensure that they have a protected location from sudden downpours. Each succulent has a preferred amount of sunlight they prefer per day, take note as you are buying each type to ensure you get the best light.

Watering Indoor Succulents

While under watering is one of the common houseplant killers, over watering is the killer of indoor succulents. Succulents are a category of plants defined by their structural ability to collect and store water. Watering them too much causes root rot and can lead to their demise.

Your goal with indoor succulent watering is to provide just enough water that they are not withering. A visual clue that you need to water is the appearance of the leaves goes from a nice shine to a dull look. If the leaves start to pucker or shrink it is time to test the soil’s moisture. Place one of your fingers directly into the soil and put it 2 knuckles deep. If it is dry all the way down it is time to provide some water.

Put enough water that you can see that it is coming out of the drainage holes, and coming into the saucer. Before bed, just make sure that your drainage saucer is emptied so that the soil can dry completely. It is normal and healthy for the soil to dry out between waterings.


Indoor Succulent Nursery East Phoenix Valley

A&P Nursery has 4 locations in the East Phoenix Valley for all of your indoor succulent needs. We have the pots, plants, fertilizer and knowledge about how to best grow each of the different varieties of succulent plants in your Phoenix home. Stop by one of our 4 locations to get started with your indoor succulent garden.

 

Desert Landscaping Plants Mesa Arizona

Desert Landscaping Plants Mesa Arizona

Enduring and beautiful landscaping takes planning and a keen eye no matter where you live. Creating visually appealing and sustainable landscape in the desert is a bit more tricky. Choosing desert landscaping plants for Mesa, Arizona takes a little extra planning when making your selections. Take a look at the categories below to see some of what does well in the heat of the desert.

Desert Succulents
Succulents For Desert Landscaping Arizona

Succulents are plants that have thicker or fatty areas that store water. Cacti are considered part of the succulent family, but are usually listed separately because they feature the sharp spines.

ocotillo-succlent-desert-lanscaping-arizona
Ocotillo – While the ocotillo may appear to be a cactus it is technically a succulent. During the year they might appear to be dried out sticks, but during rainfall they become lush and green very quickly. These add an other worldly beauty to your desert landscape.

cape-aloe-succlent-desert-lanscaping-arizona
Cape Aloe – This single stemmed aloe plant can grow up to an amazing 10 feet. Featuring brightly colored red orange stems in the center they are a great way for landscapes to create visual appeal.

aloe-vera-succlent-desert-lanscaping-arizona
Medicinal Aloe – Also known as Aloe Vera these plants are beautiful, drought resistant and also have well known medicinal applications. Many of the skin treatments sold at stores actually contain aloe. As part of having it growing in your landscape, makes tending to sunburns or minor burns easy.

agave-lechuguilla-succlent-desert-lanscaping-arizona
Agave Lechuguilla – While the name lechuguilla means little lettuce its use is best for decorative landscaping purposes. With long, sharp, rigid, tough leaves these can be a visually attractive landscaping option. However for families with younger children the sharp leaves can pose a safety hazard. Given the name “shin-daggers”, care must be exercised when deciding which yards and where to plant these beautiful desert plants.

Desert Cacti
Cacti For Desert Landscaping Arizona

A staple and icon of the desert the cactus is at home in any Arizona landscape. Featuring different shapes, styles, and spines there is a lot of variety to choose from. Many include beautiful, brightly colored flowers that bloom during certain parts of the year.

saguaro-cactus-desert-lanscaping-arizona
Saguaro – As a native resident to the Sonoran desert in Arizona few plants are as prepared to thrive in the desert. These amazing cacti have the ability to grow up to and over an amazing 70 feet. The lifespan of this cactus can be as long as 150 or more. So this can be a great addition to family properties landscape.

golden-barrel-cactus-desert-lanscaping-arizona
Golden Barrel – As a plant that is actually somewhat endangered in the wild these round cactus can bring a varied and contrasting shape to your desert landscape. While they start their life as a single round ball they develop ribs and end up having a series of knobs and protrusions which create amazingly unique and beautiful visual shapes.

engelmanns-hedgehog-cactus-desert-lanscaping-arizona
Engelmann’s Hedgehog – Common to the southwest of the United states these beauties typically grow in clusters. The brightly colored magenta flowers bloom in April or May depending on the heat and rainfall. Daring gardeners may try to collect the fruit these cacti grow. Many say that the fruit tastes like strawberry, which earned the cactus the secondary name of Strawberry hedgehog cactus.

totem-pole-cactus-desert-lanscaping-arizona
Totem Pole – Totem poles are an art form of the Native Americans in the northwest. This cactus features the same type of tall, bumpy, sectioned appearance. With a brilliant green appearance these thorn less cacti are great for desert landscapes. Without thorns they are a great option for families with younger children as they are smooth to the touch.

 

Desert Perennials
Perennials For -Desert Landscaping Arizona

Perennials are flowers and plants that living for more than 2 years. Many live for about 2 to 4 years, and then drop seeds. This means more of them are coming back without requiring a lot of work by the gardener. Perennials differ from annuals in that annuals much be planted each year. There are many different types of perennials that do well in the arid desert landscape of Arizona. Here are a few popular types of perennials.

Canyon Penstemon – Featuring a bright pink blossoms in the warmer parts of the year. These large blossoms are a favorite for hummingbirds and will keep them coming back to visit your yard. The plant grows up to about 3 feet tall and up to 2 feet wide. This makes for a beautiful splash of color in your desert landscape.

Mexican Bush Sage – Being native to central and eastern Mexico these plants are quite at home in the desert. While not very frost hardy they do well in the warmer, lower deserts of Arizona. The bracts the white flowers bloom out of are typically colored and offer a wonderful contrast in your landscape.

Jerusalem Sage – While being native to a the Mediterranean this small evergreen shrub displays beautiful yellow flowers. The blossoms  have a sage-like aromatic quality that permeates gardens. This perennial smells as good as it looks.

Firecracker Penstemon – Bearing a resemblance to the firecrackers these perennials add a much needed “pop” to any garden. They are native to the west and southwestern United States, so they do very well in our gardens.


Mesa’s Desert Landscaping Plant Nursery

A&P Nursery has 4 locations in the East Valley of the Phoenix area. 2 locations in Mesa, 1 in Gilbert and another in Queen Creek, Arizona. We carry a wide range of plants that do great in the desert. Swing by one of our locations to view the full selection of desert landscaping plants and get pro advice about how to start or upkeep your garden or landscape.

Perennial Flowers Arizona

Perennial Flowers Arizona

Gardeners love perennial flowers in Arizona for a lot of reasons. There are hundreds of variations and types of perennials. They come in a wide variety of foliage types, flower colors, forms, and come with different environmental requirements. Perennials bloom for different amounts of time. Some only bloom for about a week, while others will bloom for over a month. This is a great way to give a huge blaze of color to your garden. But many times perennials are added to landscapes purely for their beautiful foliage.

What Does Perennial Mean?

A perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years, or more. Shrubs fit this definition but are not usually technically classified as a perennial. This is because the majority of perennials are non wooded, and shrubs generally are. The majority of perennials are herbaceous. This means that the section of the plant that is above ground dies each year and decays into the soil’s surface. The root system is the anchor of the perennial and what brings it back each spring.

Why Plant Perennial Flowers?

There are number of benefits in planting perennial flowers and plants. Trees and shrubs are usually the larger more prominent features in landscaping. Perennials are the filler and ground level interest in any landscaping design. Annual flowers need to be replanted each year, while perennials can live for many years with the proper care. This means a reduced workload to keep the garden up. The root system doesn’t just help keep the plant coming back every year, but it makes the perennials hardier. This means not only do perennials tolerate dry spells better, but because their root system is more developed they help prevent erosion.

Planting Instructions For Perennial Flowers
Perennial Flower Soil Preparation Arizona

Location – Because perennial is a general term each type of perennial plant will need a different type of location to thrive. Some perennials like primroses require plenty of shade and deep loamy soils. Other perennials won’t survive without full sun. When designing your landscaping approach consider each location and select the plants that will do well in those areas.

Preparing the soil – Perennials require more through soil preparation than many other types of gardening projects. With annuals and product gardens the soil is prepared each planting cycle and you can add organic matter at these times. Perennials are love because they last longer than a couple of years. Attention must be paid to ensure that you start with a well mulched soil, to provide the needed nutrients. Loamy soils are the best in these applications because they drain well but retain the moisture needed by the plants.

Depending on the plant the addition of compost can also be advantageous. There are perennials that do not tolerate the rich nutrients compost adds to the soil. So consult your local Arizona nursery for more information about the individual plants you’ve chosen or want to purchase.

Types Of Perennial Flowers For Arizona

The southwest presents different challenges and environments for gardeners. Given the hot summers and typically drier weather some plants just simply do better in Arizona. Here are some of the favorite perennials that do well in our desert conditions.

Datura Perennial Flower Arizona
Datura
– The Datura is a native type of wildflower to the southwest. It blooms all summer long and tends to sprawl as wide as it can. This can fill up the ground areas and make garden beds look complete. As beautiful as this perennial is, care must be taken with small children and animals as all of the plant poisonous.

Salvia Perennial Flower Arizona
Salvia
– A great companion for Datura is Salvia. The blooms appear in spikes and come in a bunch of colors. These are a favorite plant for butterflies and hummingbirds and are drought and heat resistant. This makes the Salvia a easy win, especially for the beginner gardener.

Penstemon Perennial Flower Arizona
Penstemon
– Penstemon is one of the toughest perennials available. In addition to also drawing in hummingbirds and butterflies Penstemon can be a great flower to add to a custom or homemade arrangement.

Primrose Perennial Flower Arizona
Primrose
– The contrast between the sunny yellow blossoms and the darker evergreen foliage makes the Primrose a favorite perennial for the Arizona gardener. Primrose also is a low growing type of perennial. This makes it a great choice for ground cover for those hot and sunny areas.


Arizona Perennial Flower Nursery

The best place for any gardening project to begin is with the experts. Arizona nurseries have everything you need to get your gardening project underway and know how to help you get your perennials started the right way. A&P Nursery has locations in Mesa, Gilbert, and Queens Creek Arizona and is happy to help you get get started. Call or visit today!

 

 

Growing An Herb Garden In Arizona

Starting An Herb Garden In Arizona

For the beginner gardener an herb garden can be a great way to get into the hobby. Consummate home chefs also love herb gardens because it puts the fresh herbs right outside the door. This means they get the ultimate in fresh herbs, which deliver the best flavor. Growing an herb garden in Arizona is pretty easy. All you need is a little sunshine, good soil, compost or fertilizer, and some regular watering. While it is possible to have herbs in containers it does restrict their growth. This means smaller plants and less herbs to harvest.

Choosing The Location For Your Herb Garden

Herb Garden Site Location Arizona
In some areas of the country where summer highs don’t go above 90 degrees it’s ok to plant your herb garden in full sun. In Arizona we know that isn’t true. So for the successful herb garden in Arizona you want to make sure to plant them in an area of your yard that gets morning sun but is shaded in the afternoon. If you don’t have such an area you can plant your herbs in a semi-shaded area. Under a tree is a great area as the leaves will protect the garden from excessive sun and heat. No matter where you decide to plant mark out the area when the sun hits it, and when it leaves. You want at least 4 hours of sun on your herb garden per day. This time of day will be different based on location.

Getting The Soil Ready

Soil Preparation Herb Garden Arizona
Soil in our gardens settles and gets compacted over time with foot traffic. The first step after having selected where to have the herb garden is to prep the soil. To do this you will want to use a large garden fork to churn the soil apart. This creates looser soil that will drain. It also makes it so the soil is looser and helps with plants creating better root systems. Some gardeners like to go the extra mile and add some compost to their herb garden soil. This improves drainage and adds nutrients to the soil. This is a labor intensive step, but absolutely critical for a successful herb garden.

Herb Garden Layout

Herb Garden Layout Arizona
Depending on the herbs you select for your garden you will need to space your rows differently. Herbs generally grow anywhere from a foot to four feet in diameter. Listed below are the plants that fit each diameter category. You’ll also want to afford yourself some room to walk and work in between your plants.

Small Herb Plants – 1 foot wide – Parsley, Cilantro, Chives, Dill

Medium Herb Plants – 2 feet wide – Savory, Basil, Tarragon, Thyme

Larger Herb Plants – 3-4 feet wide – Oregano, Mint, Sage, Rosemary

You can either plan the size of your garden based on how much fresh herb you want to be able to harvest, or you can decide how much of your yard you want to dedicate to gardening. Many experienced gardeners will set out stakes and string to visualize their spacing for each of the different types of herbs. Adequate spacing will give your plants room to grow. Giving each plant that space will translate to more sun and less competition for nutrients for the root systems.

Watering Your Herb Garden

Watering Your Arizona Herb Garden
There is a delicate balance to learn between not watering enough, and over watering your herbs. Clearly not watering enough means the plants dry out, don’t produce, and potentially die. However over watering can also lead to root rot and plants that are sick and underdeveloped. The majority of herbs grow best when they are watered as soon as you can find dry soil 2 inches under the surface. This takes digging next to your plants often to keep track of your garden, but hard work pays off.


Herb Gardening Experts In The Phoenix Valley

If you’re ready to start growing your herb garden A&P Nursery has locations in Gilbert, Mesa, and Queen Creek, AZ. We have all the tools, soils, nutrients, and plants you will need to get your herb garden started. That and we have expert knowledge that will help you every step of the way. Visit one of our 4 locations today to get started!

 

Benefits of Backyard Gardening in Arizona

Benefits of Backyard Gardening in Arizona

Backyard gardening is becoming a favorite activity for many families in Arizona. Not only do you get the exercise and feeling of accomplishment of growing your own, but you also get better tasting produce and save money on paying the grocery stores. Below we look at all of the benefits of backyard gardening in Arizona.

Health Benefits of Backyard Gardening
Backyard Gardening Exercise and Health Arizona

We all know that eating our fruits and vegetables is a proven way for us to stay healthier.  Study after study has found that the people that eat more fruits and veggies suffer from less chronic diseases like gastrointestinal disease, heart disease, and impaired vision and cancer.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment, and what easier way is there to have the healthier food growing right in our own backyards?  Better than that, when you grow your own you can oversee the planting, growing, and harvesting which will ensure the best flavor.  Being the freshest fruit and veggies you can get, you’re also assured to have the full nutrient value that your food can offer.

Stress is a fact of our lives, jobs, family, and politics can put us under a lot of pressure.  Gardening has been found to be one of the best ways to help alleviate stress as it gets us out in the fresh air and sunshine doing some light exercise and keeping us active.

Financial Benefits of Backyard Gardening
Financial Benefits of Backyard Gardening Arizona

Considering the cost of fresh fruit and vegetables these days, having a backyard garden can be a great source of savings on your grocery bill. In fact when you start checking prices for things like fresh tomatoes you’ll find they can be $2 per pound or more.  The average gardener can get as much as 10 pounds of tomatoes out of just one tomato plant.  So with even a modest amount of plants you can see the savings adding up quickly.  In addition the cost of getting started is very low, a typical packet of tomato seeds is usually less than a couple of dollars.

You might be thinking that you don’t have enough room to start you own garden for feeding your family.  Even a small plot dedicated to gardening can produce a significant amount of food.  Even just a tenth of an acre can be used to produce enough most of the veggies that a single person will eat in a year.  If all you’ve got is a balcony or porch you can still grow many vegetables in containers and we all know, every little bit helps when it comes to our budgets.

Backyard Gardening as a Way to Enrich Our Children’s lives
Backyard Gardening Enriches Childrens Lives Arizona

A great way to help kids learn valuable lessons is right in your backyard. They can be in the garden observing the animals, insects, and plants growing there.  This helps them understand their relationship to the environment and their place in caring for it.

Not to mention how as they help out in the growing of food that benefits the family they will develop a sense of accomplishment and surely enjoy eating the fruits and veggies of  their labors.  This is a great way for them to learn the value of hard work, while improving their nutrition.

There are additional benefits to our health with backyard gardening. Getting outside and enjoying some sunlight has benefits to improve our moods. A lot of people today suffer from depression and the number 1 key to beating it is exercise and getting outside. All of the digging, shoveling, weeding, planting and harvesting you and your family will do in your garden will reap more rewards than just the fruit and vegetables.

Backyard Gardening’s Impact on the Environment

When most of us think about how we can help the environment we immediately focus on the fossil fuels we use in our own vehicles.  Most people aren’t aware of the tremendous costs involved in taking the fruit and vegetables we eat from where they are grown to sitting on our grocery store shelves, and then in turn on our trip home.  They say that you’ll save about 2 lbs of carbon emissions from going into the atmosphere for every pound of produce you grow yourself.

Backyard Produce Tastes Better
Backyard Produce Tastes Better Arizona

The fruit and vegetables you produce in your backyard garden are tended to with more care than the produce that is available at your local grocery store. If you’ve ever tasted a home grown tomato you’ll know the clear difference between backyard and store bought tomatoes. Tomatoes in particular ripen better on the vine, rather than on a truck or in your local store. This is true of just about every kind of perishable food. The closer you can get your fruit, vegetables, meat, and other perishable items to the source they are produced the fresher they will be. Fresh food simply tastes better and you can’t get closer to the source than having it growing in your own backyard.

Guidelines For A Great Backyard Garden
Backyard Gardening Guidlines Arizona

There is a monumental amount of information you can read about gardening. These are just a few guidelines to help you get started.

The Soil Is The Foundation

Depending on what you’re growing you will want different kinds of soil. Some plants need soils that will drain more quickly than others. Soils that have a lot of clay in them will need to be either replaced or reworked. Mulch can be added to clay rich soils to improve drainage and increase the nutrients. Research the specific plants you are wanting to grow and choose soils that benefit them specifically.

Well Watered Gardens

This is one situation where more isn’t always better. As much as plants need water to live, they also are susceptible to having problems with over watering. Root rot is a real problem with some plants and you need to make sure that you read about each plant and strike the right balance between providing enough water, without water logging and ruining your garden. In Arizona it is a smart idea to choose drought tough plants to start with, especially for landscaping.

Harvesting – Reaping The Rewards

Each type of fruit and vegetable has it’s own schedule for maturing and being ripe. Most seed packages have directions for how deep to plant each type of plant and how long it will take to grow.

After the harvest you will also have to evaluate how much of your fruit and vegetables you can use right away. Produce you are not going to use immediately can be preserved in a few different ways. Some people love to dry their fruit for a healthy snack. Others preserve their produce by freezing it until they are ready to use it. In these cases a stand alone freeze is a great idea. Be aware that you will want to create air tight seals to protect your produce from freezer burn. Frost free freezers tend to create more wear on your produce as they circulate air in the freezer to prevent the frost from building up. 

Gardening Made Easy In Arizona

The backyard gardening experts with A&P Nursery are ready with simple and easy ways for you to get started with a great hobby, that ends up paying you back again and again.

They even make a quick and easy way to get you started on your backyard garden with Easy Garden Kits.

If you’ve got a few questions or you’re ready to make plans and order away give us a call at one of our convenient locations near you.

Benefits Of Backyard Gardening In Arizona

 

 

Growing A Pomegranate Tree In Mesa AZ

Growing A Pomegranate Tree In Mesa AZ

There’s nothing like having a beautifully landscaped yard. But it’s even better when parts of it are edible. You can’t run out and gnaw on your tulips. So growing a pomegranate tree in Mesa is a great option. That way you can have your yard, and eat it too. The pomegranate tree’s beautiful red fruit against the dark green leaves provides a wonderful contrast and interest to your yard. In addition if you already love pomegranate you won’t have to go pay the grocer to get your favorite fruit.

Pomegranates are native to Asia and Southeastern Europe. They have also been extensively cultivated in ancient Babylonia, Egypt, Iran, and India. As far as pomegranate trees history in North America they were brought here by the Spanish. First they were brought to Mexico and then to California and Arizona.

The pomegranate tree is easy to grow in your Mesa garden. It has beautiful flowers and is well suited to our Mesa desert environment. They might be called a tree but they are somewhere between a bush and a tree. Typically growing anywhere from 6 – 12 feet high they are a deciduous and will lose their leaves for the fall and winter. They relish the full sun and summer heat, but can withstand some pretty stout cold days. They can survive as low as 10°F. During the hotter, drier parts of the summer they might need a little tending. Pomegranate trees are mildly drought resistant, but better safe than sorry and help them out with some water during the harshest parts of summer. This will help ensure that you get more, better fruit.

What Pomegranate Tastes Like
What Pomegranate Tastes Like Mesa

Pomegranate flavor will vary some depending on the soil and amount of water they got during the growing season. However most will have a tart, sweet taste. Despite the tendency of the seeds to stain skin with a reddish hue, they are the favorite part of the fruit. Pomegranate seeds are bursting with flavor. They have a juicy, sweet taste that people in Mesa love.

What To Do With Pomegranate

Unlike fruits like the banana or orange where you simply grab a hold and peel the fruit, it takes a little more effort to get into a pomegranate. But you will be rewarded for your efforts with a unique flavor and a deliciously sweet fruit. Here’s how to get one open.

Opening A Pomegranate
Opening A Pomegranate Mesa

The pomegranate typically has a leathery pinkish to red skin. It may look hard to open, but with a little knowledge it becomes very simple. Here’s the specifics on how to make it easy and get to enjoying the fruits of your labor. Always cut away from yourself and use common sense when handling your knives.

Pom Preparation

  • Cut off the top of the pomegranate
  • Slice down the edges or ribs of the pomegranate
  • Try to cut deep enough to crack the skin, but don’t score the seeds
  • Gripping the top where you cut initially pull outwards and crack it open
  • Enjoy the fruit of your labors

Ways To Enjoy Pomegranates
Ways To Enjoy Pomegranates

Not being one of the fruits they teach you much about in elementary and not being one of the best known fruits a lot of people are hesitant to plant one of these beauties in their backyard.  Here are some ideas of what you can do with the fruit.

Here’s just a few ways that people love enjoying their Pomegranates:

Make A Stake Glaze With Pomegranate – After extracting the juice from your pomegranate you can combined it with some coarsely ground peppercorn, rosemary, olive oil, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar to make a wonderfully complex glaze to set your steaks apart.

Throw Some Seeds In Your Salad – After you’ve got your Pomegranate cracked open you can sprinkle them into your tossed green salad with some pear slices and blue cheese. The Pomegranate gives it that extra depth and flavor.

Toss Some Seeds In Your Breakfast – Many pomegranate lovers will add the seeds to a variety of foods. From throwing a few into yogurt to simply making a breakfast salad having some pomegranate seeds give

Planting A Pomegranate Tree In Your Mesa Backyard
Planting A Pomegranate Tree In Your Mesa Backyard

While the most common pomegranate trees that are grown in Arizona and California is the “Wonderful” variety of Pomegranate, there are other varieties. The Wonderful pomegranate grows best in the Mesa area which is why it is so prolific.

Choosing A Site For Your Pomegranate Tree – Like most trees that thrive in hot dry desert like areas like Mesa the Pomegranate tree relishes the full sun. In fact a successful harvest of pomegranate is dependent on getting enough sun so it can grow properly. If you don’t have a backyard or spot that gets that full sun every day, pick the spot that gets the least amount of shade.

The soil in the site you pick needs to be a well draining soil, like a sandy soil. Loam soil also offers good drainage. They grow well in alkaline soils, but some growers believe that they must be growing in slightly acidic soils. The biggest problem is if you have a clay type soil, which will retain too much water and risk getting root rot.

Choosing A Site For Your Mesa Pomegranate Tree

Planting Your Pomegranate Tree – In some areas of the country that has frost problems they have to wait for spring and after the first frost. In Mesa you have a little more flexibility. But earlier in the year is better. This will help get the tree established with a healthy root system before the intense Mesa summers take hold. If you are planting the tree yourself you need to have a hole dug about 2 feet deep and about 2 feet wide.

Watering Your Pomegranate Tree – For newly planted trees an immediate watering is necessary to help the soil settle. Continue to do daily watering until the tree grows new leaves. This is a sign that your pomegranate is settled into its new home. After you’ve got new leaf growth you’ll want to start spacing you’re watering out and end up at about once a week. This can vary depending on the heat for the week, harsher weeks require a little more watering. When your pomegranate is flower or fruit is developing you will want to give your tree a deep watering every week.

Fertilizing Your Pomegranate Tree – For the pomegranate a ammonium sulfate fertilizer is a great option. Using about 1/3 of a cup sprinkle your fertilizer on the ground around the roots to enrich the soil with the nutrients that you tree needs to grow the best it can. You’ll want to do this about 3 times during the first year of growth. The best months to do this fertilization are February, May and September.

Fertilizing Your Pomegranate Tree in Mesa

Pruning and Weeding – Because the pomegranate grows a bit like a shrub some of the limbs will be closer to the ground. You don’t want weeds to grow up into the tree and strangle some of it’s health. When it comes to pruning the pomegranate tree some owners like to do more than simply pruning. They like to form the tree to be a shape they prefer. As much as the pomegranate tree grows as a bush you can make it look like a tree with proper pruning. Shortly after your tree is established you will want to use a pair of clippers or shears to cut the “suckers” from the base of the pomegranate tree. This is only for appearances, not a necessary step. If you let it grow naturally it will take on a more bush like appearance.

The only necessary pruning is removing dead or damaged sections. In the spring you will want to cut away sections that look like they are dying, dead, or struggling.

Pest Management – There are two insects that pose a danger to your pomegranate fruit. The aphid and pomegranate butterfly. The butterfly is pretty rare and can be guarded against by simply getting some butterfly spray from your local nursery. Some owners wouldn’t ever even imagine killing the butterflies and choose to coexist with them and sacrifice a little bit of their fruit. Ultimately the choice is up to the individual. The spray will make the butterflies stay away and avoid them laying their larvae on your trees. The aphids can also be managed using sprays that are available from your local nursery.

Mold Management – Apart from pests running your fruit you have to be careful not to ruin the tree yourself. Avoid over watering your pomegranate tree, follow the guide we have laid out to avoid root rot and problems with your tree. Too much water will mean that the soil cannot effectively drain and will leave the tree in danger of developing mold.


Nursery Palm Tree Mesa Arizona

If you’re ready to choose and have a pomegranate tree planted at your Mesa home contact the knowledgeable and helpful folks at your local A&P Nursery.

 

Growing A Fig Tree In Arizona

Growing a fig tree in Arizona can be phenomenally rewarding. They grow two harvests per growing season, produce deliciously sweet fruit and are beautiful trees. Fig trees might take about 3 or more years to start producing a viable crop, but when they really start to produce you will have all the figs you can eat!

Figs being one of the oldest cultivated crops were a favorite of some of our oldest societies. The ancient Greeks, Romans, and even Egyptians enjoyed figs. Fig trees grow anywhere from 10 – 30 feet tall. The plants have leaves that make them look particularly tropical. The common fig tree is deciduous, so you can expect for the leaves to come off in the fall. Having all of its flowers as “female”, the fig does not require pollination to develop fruit. This means you will have bigger crops without having to rely on pollination.

In fact there are usually 2 cycles of harvesting figs per year. The first crop has the name “breba”. This is a crop that is the maturation of the previous growing year’s buds. The following crop is actually the main crop and is the fruit that develops from the buds that are set in spring and summer.

What Figs Taste Like

There are many varieties of fig trees, and fig flavors. A few of the most popular that have become mainstays of our pantries are; Brown Turkey, Black Mission, Sierra, Kadota, Calimyrna and King Fig Trees. Flavors can vary from nutty, caramel-coffee to maple syrup, caramel, honey and almond, and raspberry.

What To Do With Figs
What To Do With Figs Mesa

Many new fig tree owners are surprised with the volume of fruit these trees provide, once they are properly matured. It does take a couple of years after planting to get your tree to produce its first fruit. However when the going gets good, it really gets going. Many fig tree owners scramble to hurry and start making jam. But there is so much more that can be done with these versatile fruits.

Here are some of the ways you can enjoy your figs:

Add Flavor To Your Meat – While cooking up a roast for your holiday or weekend meal toss a few figs in with the meat. As they cook they release an wonderful aroma and slowly release their savory juices into the sauce.

Figs In The Batter – When you are making cookies, muffins or scones throwing some fig into the batter can add some unique and delicious flavor. It will set your treats apart and give them a wonderfully unique taste.

Fig Chutney – Chop up some figs and simmer them with a couple sprigs of thyme. Toss in some caramelized onions for a deliciously rich fig chutney. This can be a wonderful addition to your cracker and cheese platters to add some depth and variety.

Planting A Fig Tree In Your Mesa Backyard
Planting A Fig Tree In Your Mesa Backyard

Choosing Fig Trees – Most types of fig trees will grow anywhere. But some do better in the hot dry climate we have here in Mesa, AZ. The Conadria and the Kadota fig trees are a couple of the best suited for the Arizona heat.

  • Conadria Fig Trees are one of the largest fig trees, and has a high sugar content to the fruit. The fruit a Conadria produces can be used to eat fresh or make great dried fruit. This fig type also resists spoiling in rainy weather and has a small eye size. The small eye size helps with insect resistance.
  • Kadota Fig Trees produce a medium to large size fruit. The fruit is yellow in color and deliciously sweet. The fruit from the Kadota fig tree ripen best with hot temperatures and full sun. The Kadota fig tree is grown extensively and is actually one of the most common types of fig to find in the grocery stores.

Choosing A Site – Depending on the type of fig tree you choose you will need to consider the width around where you are planting the tree.  Fig trees can grow very large, spanning from 10-30 feet. In fact they can be wider than they are tall. Another consideration when choosing your site to plant your Mesa fig tree is the leaves it will drop. The fig is a deciduous tree and if you have a pool you’ll want to plant this tree in the front yard or as far as practical from your pool. Requiring at least 8-10 hours of full sun a day you’ll also want to keep your fig tree away from the house or anywhere that’s excessively shaded. Needing a soil type that drains well, the sandy soils you find here in Mesa are actually pretty ideal for a fig tree.

Planting Fig Trees – Like most trees that you want to plant in the desert, the time to plant the fig tree is in the fall or early spring. This gives the root system time to mature and be ready for the harsh summer weather we have here in Mesa.

Watering Fig Trees Mesa AZ

Watering Fig Trees – During normal summer heat in Mesa fig trees require watering about every 3-5 days. If its unusually hot and Arizona is setting records you should water more often. If you’re unsure of if your tree needs water use a soil probe to find out. All trees should be watered to a depth of 3 feet each time there is a irrigation event. There’s no hard and fast rule for how much water it will take for it to reach 3 feet as different soil types will take longer.

Fertilizing Your Fig Tree – Many times fig trees that are planted directly in the ground have no need for fertilization. The exception is if they are planted in sandy soil. If you’re unsure if your soil has the required nutrients you can have your soil tested by a lab. If your soil is deemed to be low in nutrients get a half a pound of nitrogen and divide it equally into 3 treatments. Apply the nitrogen in the months of growth, May, June, and July.

Pruning Fig Trees – One of the greatest parts of growing figs from your own fig tree in Mesa is that they rarely require pruning. They produce two crops per growing season and are best pruned after the second harvest. If you wait and try to prune your fig during the winter risk removing some of the fruit already growing that would be in your first harvest.

Mesa Fig Tree Pests – Luckily in Arizona we don’t have as many pests to worry about as some regions in the United States. There are 3 pests you might encounter with your fig tree. The green fig beetle, birds and gophers are the most common pests for this area. To protect your figs from the beetle and birds you can cover the fruit with bagging or netting. There is little that can be done about gophers.


Growing A Pomegranate Tree In Mesa AZ

If you’d like to learn more about fig trees in Mesa or you’re ready to buy one come see the experts at A&P Nursery at one of their 4 convenient Mesa locations.