Annuals, Perennials, Veggies & More

The following is based on a conversation with John Bishop of Christopher’s Gardens Nursery in Lakeside

If you were here to see everything burst into bloom from the end of April into May, just know those bulbs that would have been planted in the previous September and October: tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and grape muscari. Bulbs were everywhere with lots of color. (In the upcoming Fall, we’ll go over planting bulbs).

Flowering plants and trees: Crabapples, flowering pears, and plums also bloom in the spring and can be planted at any time of year as long as they are watered. They can add a lot to your garden, no matter the season.

Dahlias, gladiolas, and Asiatic lily bulbs can be planted now for vibrant summer color. They will bloom in July until they freeze.

Summer color. Pansies, violas, and snapdragons are annuals that can take a little cold. Annuals have a lot of color but don’t come back each year. Annuals include geraniums, Snapdragons, and all the colorful plants.

Perennials return yearly but have a shorter bloom period and generally don’t flower all summer. Instead of spending $100 on an annual color that doesn’t come back, you can dabble in perennials and then put in a six-pack or two of annuals for color.

Shade plants. Hostas are the number one shade plant in our area. Brunnera looks similar to a hosta, only a little softer and with a little purple flower. Begonias, fuchsias. Impatiens will take a little sun. John says, “There’s not a huge range of shade-loving plants, which is a challenge with all the pines. Most people don’t have full direct sun.”

Sun Plants. The rule of thumb is six hours of sun or more each day. It will still grow if you put a full-sun plant in a partly shaded area. It just won’t give you as many blooms or be as big. Perennials: Daylilies, coneflowers, red hot pokers, and yarrow like the full sun. June is a good time to plant.

Wall of Water. Did you try the Wall of Water with tomatoes or peppers in the spring? It can take off when it’s not freezing as hard anymore, and low temperatures are 45 and above. Generally, leave the wall around your plant until late May. Whatever the forecast is, take off seven degrees. The plant may have grown out of the top by the time it’s time to take the wall off. These are amazing!

Water and fertilizer! Plants need water. A healthier tree can help fight off diseases, fungi, and pests. Fertilize once a month, May through September, with 16-16-16. 6-20-20 is a good native ponderosa fertilizer before the monsoons come. Broadcast it over the entire lot because the roots go everywhere. Once we have a good storm that waters it, it’s good.

Seeds. Usually, you should begin four to six weeks before the last frost before getting your seeds started. Lightly cover the seeds with dirt/soil. Water.

Head lettuce. With head lettuce, you’ll get a big plant. Harvest the outside leaves, and it will keep growing upward until depleted. You can start new cycles. In four weeks, if the head of lettuce is four inches, you can start another round of seeds if you want to keep them going all summer.

Consecutively start seeds. When it’s warm enough, you can plant a row of lettuce seeds next to your existing lettuce so that you will have another row coming up when the first row is depleted. You’re watering the plants anyway, so the seeds will germinate and grow in the garden.

Water, Water, Water. If new trees or plants are planted in May and June, when it is windy and hot, there is no moisture. It’s important to water — a good, deep soak every couple of days. Too much water and the plant can rot.

Fertilize. Use water-soluble fertilizer for anything flowery. 9-58-10. The middle number is very high, which promotes blooming.

The more vegetables, tomatoes, and strawberries flower, the more they produce. Fertilizing is great for annual color because it promotes blooming. This can be done every two weeks, starting whenever they are planted in the ground. Put scoops in a gallon watering can or a five-gallon bucket and pour it on everything flowery. 16-16-16 is great. However, it needs water or a rainstorm to break it down.

Trimming. Only trim minor cosmetic branches. Cut dead branches out, or if a branch is smaller than your pinky. Don’t trim pine trees or large branches until the tree or plant is dormant in the fall.

Aspens are dying. Scale crawlers, also known as oyster scales or oystershell scales, are a big issue with our aspen. Every other house in our area may have them on aspens. You may not know it, but they’re spreading and can kill all the aspens in our area. If it’s not bad and you can see it, scrape it off with your fingernail or a brush.

John says, “On the trunk or branch of an aspen, they are generally pure white and kind of chalky. The scale is a raised, bumpy, grayish bug. With an infected tree, there are so many of them that you can run your finger down it, and it will be bumpy. It will be grayish or black, whereas a healthy tree shouldn’t be that color.”

The bugs are airborne; they can fly, so they attach themselves to the tree and suck the life out of the tree, which kills it. You can put a systemic drench in the ground around the tree so the roots pick it up and protect the tree from the inside out.

A systemic drench is a liquid you pour around the tree’s base. The roots pick it up, and they put it inside the sap, and it runs the sap up to the top of the tree. What it’s doing is the nutrients from when it’s growing; when the bugs start sucking on the tree, they get that chemical that kills them. The hard thing is they don’t just fall off. Even though it may be working, you’re not going to know. You can also take a soft brush and scrape them off.

Treat with a systemic drench in May and June because that’s when the tree is most actively growing, moving all the water and nutrients. Getting the systemic drench in the ground can move that, too. You can spray it anytime. Drench works better earlier in the season. The more powerful spray is an annual one, done once a year. There are sprays you can do multiple times. Sprays can be done into late August when the trees are still growing. In the winter, you don’t have to worry about it.

Aspens can easily get a black, moldy look on the trunk that puts off a sugary substance from aphids. It makes the leaves look shiny. The systemic drench will also work for aphids. If the tree is covered in ants, they are attracted to the sugary substance. The ants like aphid juice. They can be sprayed, or you can use the systemic drench.

Summertime is all about getting the color in, fertilizing, watering, and enjoying the weather. All the prep work should have been done before now. You can always take pictures of a tree or plant and show them to someone at Christophers for a diagnosis. John says, “We’re always here to help when we have pictures.” Remember to check out the Veggie Guide. See you in the fall!

Christopher’s Gardens Nursery 1629 W. White Mountain Blvd. / 744 W. Apache Lane Lakeside, AZ 85929 | 928-368-6723 christophersgardensnursery.com