10 top reasons to fire your landscaper

DO NOT let anyone prune your agave like this!

So you think your landscaper is doing a good job? Many people think as long as the person shows up, trims everything, rakes around the yard, and hauls trimmings away, they are doing a good job. Maybe. But if your landscaper is recommending any of the items below, it’s time to find someone else.

1.         They recommend topping your tree so it doesn’t block your, or your neighbor’s, views.

Nonsense! Topping does not only create rampant sucker growth, requiring even more pruning to keep it in check, but can lead to insect infestation, sunburn of exposed bark, disease, or even plant death. Not to mention how it will devalue not only your property, but your entire neighborhood’s home values. Don’t get me started as to how ugly this is, either.

2.         They shear your Texas Ranger shrubs into globes. Texas Rangers should never been sheared. Not only will all of the interior foliage die, but they are cutting off all of the lovely flowers. If the plant is too large for the space where it is planted, then take it out and plant either a smaller variety of Texas Ranger or a smaller plant. Period.

3.         They insist that snakes will live under your plants, and thus you must let them raise the plants off the ground: including cutting the leaves of agaves and desert spoons, effectively turning them into pineapples. This is ridiculous. We live in the desert, and so do snakes. Snakes are just as likely to curl up at your front door or under your car. The fact is: don’t stick appendages into places you can’t see.

4.         They recommend you feed your desert and desert adapted plants twice a year. Plants that are adapted to our desert soil rarely need fertilizer. In fact, if you feed plants in the legume family (and many of our desert plants are legumes), you will inhibit their natural ability to obtain nitrogen from the atmosphere. (Nitrogen fixation.) If your plant looks good, don’t feed it.

5.         They recommend dousing your agaves with poison to prevent the agave snout-nosed weevil from attacking your plants. Chemical insecticides are contact insecticides: which means you have to hit the bug with the chemical in order to kill it. Dumping poison on your plants to prevent the insect from doing damage does not work. It’s also wise to avoid using pesticides and insecticides at all, since they all end up polluting our groundwater.

6.         They tell you that if you let them cut the flower stalk off your agave, it will prolong its life. No, that is not true. Agaves flower at the end of their life cycle (about 30 years) and die. They will not live longer if you cut off the flower stalk.

7.         They offer to cut the arm off of your sahuaro because it is leaning and that will keep it from falling over. NO! Don’t do this. If your sahuaro is leaning, it could be because something is wrong with the roots. Make sure your sahuaro is NOT getting regular irrigation.

8.         If they tell you packrats will eat all of your flowers, don't believe them. Rabbits will, but packrats won't.

9.         If they insist covering your ground with landscape rock (gravel) will keep weeds from growing, they are wrong. It actually makes the weed problem worse because the seeds get trapped in the gravel where birds can't eat them.

10.     And last, but not least, they routinely cover your yard with Round-up weed killer. Don't let them do this! Round-up is poison. It ends up in your home, on your pet's paws, in your drinking water. Give them a hoe or tell them to use a vinegar and soap spray instead. It works, and is non-toxic.

Other vegetables for your desert garden

GROWING OTHER VEGETABLES

Sweet pepper ripen to several different colors

BEETS

Beets like cool weather, so plant seeds in late September. Standard red beets do fine, as do golden varieties. I like the golden beets because they don’t stain like red ones do.

BROCCOLI, CAULFLOWER AND CABBAGE

Starting these cruciferous vegetables from seed does work, but can be a bit challenging to start indoors in mid summer as there is usually not enough sun coming in a window to get them off to a good start and not too leggy.  I have had some success, but finally resorted to planting seeds in August, and keeping them shady until established.  Transplants work well too, but don’t set them out until September.  Provide shade so they can become acclimated as the sun is still pretty brutal.

Cabbage lopers are the main troublesome pest, so you will need to spray them with Bt (see Article 8; Biological Insect Controls) or hand pick.  They can decimate the leaves very quickly, so start spraying long before you see any signs of chewed leaves.

Harvest broccoli when the head is full and you just start to see a few yellow flowers.  This means it is as large as it will get.  Don’t let them go past that point, however, as they become bitter and tough.  Also, don’t pull the plant when you have harvested the main stalk, as they will continue to produce side shoots for months.

Harvest cauliflower before the head starts to open up.  You can tie the leaves over the head to keep it whiter, if desired.  Once harvested, the plant will not form another head, so you can remove the entire plant.

Cabbage should be picked while still compact and the leaves are tight.  Keep an eye out for cabbage lopers as they will work inside the leaves and eat the plant from the inside out. 

All of these only need to be protected from really hard frosts (into the teens).  Covering them with heavy duty polyester row covers will allow them to grow but keep them from freezing.  Remove the row covers if it starts to get too warm (over 85).  These plants prefer cooler weather.

CARROTS

Carrots like cool weather. Plant the seeds in late September. If the winter is too warm, they aren’t very sweet. Don’t expect to grow really long carrots here like you see in the store. Short varieties (like Nantes) are a good choice.

CORN

Corn is a summer crop. Growing corn is quite tricky and it requires a ton of attention.  Plant it in full sun after all danger of frost has passed, and in several rows.  Corn needs to cross-pollinate so a group of plants is much better than one long row.  Unless you are willing to hand pollinate (shaking the tassles over the silks), you will probably struggle getting ears to fill out.  Corn ear worms will drill holes in the tops and through the bottom, so you need to put mineral oil on the silk end weekly and use Bt for the exterior invasion. It also takes a lot more water than most crops.  However, if you are successful, you will have the best tasting corn ever.

CUCUMBERS

Cucumbers are a summer crop. Most standard cucumbers do not do well in the desert. The Armenian cucumber takes the heat very well, and produces long, crunchy fruits that do not need peeling. Keep an eye on them though, as they can grow several feet long if you let them.

Cucumber beetles can be a problem, and are difficult to control. I carry a bucket of soapy water around and shake the bugs off into the bucket.

EGGPLANT

Eggplants are spring planted. They do well here, but don’t expect to grow 2 to 3 pounders. They are usually much smaller here. Pick while their skin is still shiny purple to avoid seediness. The long Japanese eggplant is very prolific and a good choice.

Tomato hornworms will attack eggplants too, so spray the plants weekly with Bt.

GREENS (LETTUCE, KALE, ARUGULA, SWISS CHARD)

Fall is the time to plant greens in the desert southwest. There are many lettuce varieties to choose from, but I’ve always had excellent luck with Black Seeded Simpson which has frozen solid in cold winters but lived, and is the longest lasting lettuce when temperatures climb. It also easily reseeds itself if you let the plant go to seed. I haven’t had to plant lettuce in 10 years.

The only green I’ve had no luck with is spinach. If we have a mild winter, it bolts quickly or simply dies off.

PEPPERS

Sweet and hot peppers are planted in the spring. I love to pick sweet pepper varieties that ripen to a variety of colors. Look for red, orange, purple (black), and yellow.

Tomato hornworms will attack peppers too, so spray the plants weekly with Bt.

MELONS

Melons are a summer crop, and like rich soil, so compost is a must. There are very few pests that seem to bother them. Squash vine borers will sometimes attack them, but it is fairly rare.

I’ve had great success with the basic varieties of cantaloupe (no fancy hybrids for me). The Rocky Ford melon is delicious, and has green flesh. Honeydews need a very long growing season, which we have, and are harvested in late summer, early fall.

SUMMER SQUASH

Summer squash (like zucchini and scalloped squash (also known as patty pan) do extremely well here and are spring planted. The biggest pest is the squash vine borer. The telltale sign are holes drilled into the stems near the ground. You will see frass (what the borers leave behind) piled at the entrance hole. Once they have entered the plant, there really isn’t much you can do. I have read that you can split open the stem, remove the borer, and cover the incision with dirt. I have had no luck with this as the plant dies anyway. I have found the easiest and most effective thing to do is used Bt regularly.

Cucumber beetles can sometimes attack squash flowers. See the soapy water trick under “Cucumbers”.

WINTER SQUASH

Winter squash (pumpkins, butternut, acorn and others), do well, but prefer afternoon shade. Pumpkins will take over the garden, so give them lots of room. Squash vine borers also attack these, but butternut squash seem to be somewhat resistant, as the borers seem to prefer larger stemmed plants. Cucumber beetles will also attack the flowers, so see tip under “Cucumbers”.

Simple composting

Nothing will get your garden growing faster than compost. Just ½ INCH of compost can feed your entire garden for the entire summer. That’s quite a powerhouse! Not only is it healthier for your soil than using liquid fertilizers, it also encourages earth worm populations and helps the soil hold water.

Some people use compost piles, which are fine, but a challenge to keep at just the right moisture level to be successful, and in the desert heat that can be a major challenge. The pile needs to be watered and turned regularly, which can be a ton of work. Another option is a composting barrel or bin. These are small and more easily turned, but you will need to regularly empty it to keep the compost going.

I have found over the years the most efficient way is to compost right in the garden itself. This depends, of course, on if you have room. Essentially what you do is bury kitchen scraps (only produce scraps, no meat, fish, or dairy. Eggshells are okay.) in between the rows. It will compost quite quickly since it is in an ideal situation for keeping moist. No turning needed, just bury in a different spot each time. When you rototill in the spring, mix it up good and you are all set. No transporting, no turning…works great.

Setting up drip irrigation to water your garden

I have found the most efficient way to irrigate my garden is with drip irrigation. It is efficient and easy to assemble.

To get started, you will need to select a supplier. Not all parts are interchangeable, so make sure you pick someone that you intend to stick with for a long time. It is pretty frustrating when you get all set up, only to find that when you need repair parts you can’t find ones that fit. 

Here is a list of supplies you will need:

Polyethylene tubing-1/2”

Elbows

T’s

Straight Connectors (also known as menders)

4 gallon per hour emitters

Tubing cutter

Hole punch

In-line valve

Flush valve

Heavy wire

Pliers

Battery Operated Timer (optional)

Gated Y hose bib (optional)

The quantities of everything you will need are based on how big of an area you are irrigating. Lay the plan out on paper so you have a pretty good idea of how much tubing, fittings, and emitters you will need. 

Assembling the system is quite easy. If your garden is fairly large, you will want to have each planting bed on a separate system, or at least install an in-line valve so you can turn one off while watering another. The system can lie on the ground as the polyethylene tubing is unaffected by sunlight. I use a gated Y at the faucet, too, to separate beds. Design your system so you have a flush valve at each bed to clean out calcium buildup. I also made mine so that each area was set up in such a way that I can fold back the entire layout when I need to rototill.

I always wire all connections together to make sure they do not come apart.  If you opt for the battery operated timer, you can run your irrigation in the very early morning hours, which reduces the changes of the fittings coming apart. Early morning is the best time to water as it reduces loss to evaporation and decreases the chance for the fittings to come apart since they expand in the heat of the day.

Space emitters 1 to 2 feet apart. You will be planting at each emitter, and not along the whole length of the line.

Growing herbs in the desert

Mexican Oregano

There are a number of herbs that do quite well in the desert, as long as you pay attention to their needs, and not kill them with kindness (overwatering and over-fertilizing).  Some are annuals (which must be replanted every year) and some are long lived biannuals or even small shrubs.  Most herbs prefer filtered shade (such in the shade of a native mesquite).

BASIL

Basil is very easy to grow from seed, and in the right conditions will reproduce on its own. There are many varieties to choose from, including cinnamon, lemon and lime flavors. Lettuce Leaf basil’s leaves are indeed the size of a lettuce leaf. I enjoy growing many different kinds. 

BORAGE

Most people have never heard of this herb. Borage is a fun annual (which can overwinter if the winter is mild) that produces tiny bluish flowers that taste like cucumbers, adding a delightful color to salads.

CILANTRO (CORIANDER)

Cilantro grows best when planted in the fall or very early spring. It will bolt (go to seed) very quickly in the heat of the summer. The seeds are known as Coriander, so don’t throw away the seeds!

OREGANO

I find that Mexican Oregano (Poliomintha maderensis ‘Lavender Spice’) doesn’t die out like the Italian version, and is a hummingbird magnet to boot. It is best started from containers. This small shrub grows in filtered shade to about 3 feet tall and wide, with multitudes of pale pink to lavender flowers for months and months. The tiny leaves have a mild oregano flavor.

ROSEMARY

Rosemary is a tough, drought tolerant shrub from the Mediterranean. There are many varieties, from trailing to large shrubs, but only Trailing Rosemary and the variety called Tuscan Blue are considered good for culinary uses. Other varieties tend to taste overly “piney”. Rosemary needs good drainage, and does not like to be overwatered.

SAGE

Culinary sage is also from the Mediterranean, and becomes a small shrub, about 2’ tall by 3’ wide. It prefers filtered shade and well-drained soil.

As with all herbs, do not apply regular fertilizer. Fertilizing reduces an herbs potency, resulting in rather bland flavor.

Just what are biological insect controls, anyway?

There are a number of products on the market that advertise they are biological insect controllers, and it is important to understand how some of these products work. Just because a product is made from natural ingredients does not mean it is necessarily non-toxic or safe for the environment. 

For an organic garden, you need to keep in mind what your priorities are. If you do not want to use any pesticides what-so-ever, then handpicking bugs and barriers (such as floating row covers) may be your main options. There may come a point when you need some help, and there are products out there that can do that for you.

BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS

I am a big proponent of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis and it’s counterparts) as it is totally biodegradable, non-toxic to humans, pets, fish, birds. It affects the digestive system of caterpillars when they eat the treated plant. Although it will also kill caterpillars of butterflies, they rarely eat the type of vegetable plant of concern. To be safe, don’t spray ornamental flowers that normally attract butterflies. Another reason I consider Bt a really good product is that you spray the plant that is being attacked, not by contact on each individual insect.

ROTENONE

Although this insecticide is made from natural ingredients and is biodegradable, it is not non-toxic. It is a contact insecticide (you have to actually spray the insect itself to work) and is not allowed to be used on produce to be sold as organic.

PYRETHRUM

This too is a synthetic insecticide made from Chrysanthemums. It is highly toxic to fish and honey bees. It is a contact insecticide, and considered to have a low toxicity to humans. 

SAFER INSECTICIDAL SOAP

This product is made from natural oils and animal fats and is effective against aphids, scale and other soft bodied insects. It is considered non-toxic to humans and approved for use on organic produce. The downside is if you apply it in really hot weather in a sunny location you could damage your plants. 

Is your soil sick?

There are two soil born diseases that are a problem in the southwest.  Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt both can decimate tomato plants seemingly overnight. These diseases also affect peppers, eggplants and potatoes.

With Verticillium wilt, you will see leaves turn yellow and die without wilting, or drop prematurely with shoot tips wilting slightly during the day. As the disease progresses, the leaves may curl up at the margin but remain alive for a short time. There is no cure, so you must choose resistant varieties. I’ve had decent luck with a preventive soil treatment called “Root Guardian” available from Gardens Alive! It doesn’t always work, as I still may lose a few plants, but it must be doing something because the rest of the plants are doing fine.

Fusarium wilt starts out with leaf yellowing at the bottom of the plant working its way up.  The yellow leaves wilt before they die, followed by the entire plant.  Again there is no cure, but “Root Guardian”, as mentioned above, helps. Fusarium wilt is more common in the southwest than Verticillium.

Keep in mind that these diseases are inevitable and it is important to rotate your crops (do not plant tomatoes in the same place every year, in fact every 3 years is best) and buy varieties that are resistant.

A last resort option is to “solarize” your soil. This only works in hot, sunny climates. In late spring, cover the infected area with CLEAR 5 mil plastic. Secure the edges with weights, or bury edges with dirt. That’s it! Leave the cover there for at least 2 months. This will kill all soil diseases, insects and eggs, weeds and weed seeds; however, keep in mind it will also kill beneficial insects, soil microbes…everything. Your soil will be dead, but it will be free of diseases. After you have solarized your soil, you will need to introduce lots of compost and earthworm castings to bring it back to life.