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Ask a Desert Gardener<br />
By: Howard Galin / Happy Gardening<br />
September is a very busy and important<br />
month for desert gardeners. As we move<br />
into more moderate temperatures and decreased<br />
direct sunshine, many of our plants in our gardens emerge from their<br />
heat induced “summer dormancy” and begin to grow once again.<br />
Now is the time to freshen up our gardens to prepare for a second<br />
surge of growth that can continue well into the autumn months and<br />
beyond! Even annuals can survive through a “mild” winter into next<br />
year if we take steps now to encourage their growth.<br />
We should begin to prune away sun/heat damaged foliage from our<br />
landscape. This will stimulate new and hardy growth and flowering.<br />
This is especially true of flowering plants such as roses and fruiting<br />
plants. Many varieties of tomatoes and peppers can be heavily pruned<br />
leaving approximately 3”- 5” of stem remaining. This will promote<br />
new flowering and fruits forming during the coming months giving<br />
you a second crop right around Thanksgiving!<br />
September is also an ideal time to fertilize the soil again. This will<br />
stimulate new foliage now and strengthen your plants for the winter<br />
months by making them more resistant to the cold and winds we<br />
experience during that time.<br />
In addition, September is a good time to use “systemic” insecticide<br />
around agave, yucca and aloe to “kill off” weevil eggs that have been<br />
buried underground that would hatch in the early spring feasting on<br />
the plant roots and<br />
killing off your<br />
desert landscaping.<br />
Also Sulphur can<br />
be added to the<br />
soil in order to<br />
lower the pH and<br />
reduce alkali levels<br />
that have built<br />
up during the hot<br />
and dry summer<br />
months.<br />
September marks the beginning of the Fall planting season. Many<br />
nurseries will have fresh supplies of plants, trees and shrubs. In<br />
addition, seasonal plants such as “Winter Decorative Cabbage” and<br />
many root vegetables become available right after Labor Day.<br />
Fall is a great time to plant since the temperature is moderate while<br />
the soil remains warm. These are the perfect conditions for new plants to<br />
take root and establish themselves for life in our desert neighborhoods.<br />
Have any questions? Contact me at: Theplantwhisperer28@gmail.<br />
com.<br />
Howard Galin, a/k/a: “The Plant Whisperer” is a retired NYC<br />
school administrator, transplanted in Las <strong>Vegas</strong> who devotes his<br />
time to communicating with and lecturing about our native<br />
plants.<br />
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