   December Gardening - November 30, 2005 Jeff Schalau, County Director, Associate Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County Many plants go dormant during the cold winter months. Woody deciduous plants sequester most of the nutrients from leaves before they shed them. The buds remain dormant until conditions are again favorable for growth. The leftover nutrients in the leaves provide organic matter and essential minerals as they slowly decompose on the soil surface. If a deciduous plant is native or drought adapted, then it may not need irrigation during the cold winter months. Other deciduous ornamentals usually benefit from infrequent deep irrigation in the winter months. Irrigation frequency varies with the amount of natural precipitation, but a good rule of thumb is to provide monthly deep irrigation if rain is lacking (or nonexistent). Evergreen plant growth rates slow down in the winter. Photosynthesis requires water, so demand continues, but is decreased. This is especially true of evergreen ornamentals such as Photinia, Xylosma, pine, juniper, cypress, and other similar plants. Texas ranger (Leucphyllum frutescens), Texas mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora), and other drought-adapted ornamentals can get by with less supplemental irrigation. When in doubt, simply observe the plant for wilting and irrigate monthly. Newly planted plants should be irrigated more frequently until they become established (one or two years in the ground). Cool season annuals germinate in the fall, winter, or early spring and finish their life cycle before summer temperatures kill them. In December, these plants appear to grow slowly. This is an illusion because they are producing roots and building energy reserves so that growth can accelerate when the weather warms in spring. Cool season annuals can be flowers, vegetables, or weeds. If they are weeds, then it is much easier to control them in when they are small. If they are flowers or vegetables, a light application of complete fertilizer will increase plant vigor. Organic fertilizers will not be readily available due to cool soil temperatures. So, if you choose to fertilize during winter, use non-organic products. Some people may be considering purchasing a living Christmas tree that can be planted in the landscape after the holidays. If so, then consider the species and its suitability for your area. Deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara) and Altas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) are really good plant choices for the Verde Valley area. Most often, these are balled and burlapped (grown in the ground, dug, and wrapped in burlap). Deodars are very large when mature. Atlas cedars are smaller and slower growing. Be aware of the mature size of the tree and do not plant it under utility lines or too close to structures or walkways. Many of the small, potted Christmas trees sold during the holidays are not labeled by species. These may or may not be suitable for planting outdoors in our area. The following suggestions will give the best results if you choose to have a living Christmas tree in the home.
The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension has publications and information on gardening and pest control. If you have other gardening questions, call the Master Gardener line in the Cottonwood office at 646-9113 ext. 14 or E-mail us at mgardener@verdeonline.com and be sure to include your address and phone number. Find past Backyard Gardener columns or submit column ideas at the Backyard Gardener web site: http://cals.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/. |