DON'T STOP NOW: There is a high mortality rate among spring-planted plants in September. It isn't that spring is a bad season in which to plant in the desert or that our fall weather is hard on plants. The problem actually relates to our wonderful rainy season. The rains of July and August meant we could relax our water vigilance a little. Now that the drier months of September and October are here and the desert is experiencing its final temperature surge before winter arrives, plants that have been in the ground less than a year are prone to drought-stress. All plants, EVEN DESERT OR LOW-WATER USE PLANTS, need extra water during the first year. Not watching for drought stress during the first months of fall is a mistake that gardeners new to the desert often make, and the reason that spring plantings sometimes fail during those months. This includes trees and shrubs that are less than a year in the ground. By the end of their first year, most plants will have established healthy root systems and need a lot less water, especially if they are drought-tolerant varieties. Neglecting young plants during the early fall can result in the loss of the plants you so carefully protected through the hot summer.

YOU CAN ALWAYS PLANT SOMETHING: You can still plant lettuce, radishes, and spinach for harvesting before the first frost.

START SHOPPING FOR BULBS: Bulb planting will be at its peak in early October and you want to be ready. Order bulbs from catalogs and watch for their arrival in area nurseries. If you're planting a bulb bed for the first time, turn over the soil, removing any rocks and breaking up all chunks, and check the soil drainage, adding sand or mulch as needed. Pull up any weeds that sprout in your new planting bed. Bulbs planted in fall will bloom early spring and include crocus, hyacinth, iris, and daffodil. By the way, gophers are reported to detest daffodil bulbs. Keep bulbs cool and dry until you're ready to plant. (The bulletin Bulbs For Southern Arizona is available at the Cooperative Extension Office in Sierra Vista.)