Fantastic Bulbs, Pesky Bugs, Winter Watering

The following is from a conversation with Katrina Bishop of Christopher’s Gardens Nursery in Lakeside

Fall bulbs, such as daffodils, muscari, crocus, tulips, and hyacinths, become available in mid-September. They should be planted in the ground from the beginning to the end of October when the weather is more dormant. Amaryllis are popular bulbs that can be forced into a container to bloom during Christmas.

Bulb planters can be used for planting. Follow the instructions on the package. The rule of thumb for all bulbs is to plant twice as deep as the size of the bulb — for daffodils and tulips. Muscari and hyacinths are tiny bulbs and can be popped in after making little holes.

Bulbs need initial watering when they are planted. You don’t want to force them to grow; they need to stay dormant. That’s why we don’t water them consistently. The snow we get is typically plenty for the water they need for the winter. When you start noticing them coming up in the early spring, you can start watering because they are ready to be active and grow. It’s not a big deal if they do come up and start growing. They’re going to die off anyway once they begin to freeze.

People have had issues with tulips — unfortunately, deer and squirrels like them. You can put mesh netting over them until spring. The critters know where they are and like to eat them. They won’t bother the daffodils.

Thrift and Aphids. Many plants were hit with thrift at the beginning of this year’s season. The fruit trees were very susceptible. Thrift makes the leaves curl up and look ugly.

Aphids have also been an issue. The leaves look sticky and shiny, the first indication of aphids. The aphid hangs out on the back side of the leaf. They secrete that sugary substance onto the next leaf, giving it that shine.

Using Tree and Shrub Drench annually is the key to keeping bugs away. That’s the systemic drench that goes internally into the tree or shrub; the roots pick it up and translocate it, and that kills the bugs. Drenches are used on ornamentals, not anything edible. This is because it is picked up through the roots and goes through the root system. It’s good for thrift, aphids, bark beetles, and all the bugs we have issues with up here. Seven is a good on-contact spray for an instant fix when you see something on the plant. Drench is a preventative fix and picks up internally.

Powdery mildew can be a problem with squash. You can use green copper fungicide. If you have any plant issues, you can take a picture or bring clippings in a baggie to Christopher’s year-round, and someone can determine the problem. Prevention is better than waiting.

Dahlias. You can dig them up and store them for a one hundred percent survival rate. Place them in an ice chest with straw, and once a month, add a cup of water over them so they don’t completely dry out. If we have a light winter, they may come back if we don’t dig them up. They will come back up if they aren’t too soggy from the snow.

Chrysanthemums are a good fall perennial flower that will give you color until the first frost. Get them in the ground; they’re perennial and will come back each year.

Herbs like parsley, oregano, and thyme will come back in the spring. Vegetables that will come back are Jerusalem artichokes, green artichokes, rhubarb, asparagus, onions, and chives.

Fruit trees need mulch in winter. In the spring, they should be covered with a frost cloth or a sheet on cold nights or windy days as the blooms are setting. Hard freezes and wind are two hindering factors in getting fruit.

Winter watering is very important, especially if we’re not getting good snow. Newly planted plants and trees also need watering in the winter. It takes a whole foot of snow to penetrate one inch of water. Good sitting snow is great because it constantly drips snow into the ground.

Katrina emphasizes, “Plants are just like people. You’ll be a healthy person with good water, vitamins, and a good diet. Good water and good fertilizer for plants — they’re going to be a healthy plant.”

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