Gardeners of Green Valley, Arizona

The Gardeners of Green Valley

If time has run out for your winter annuals, pull them up and plant warm-season ones.
Good summer flower choices are ageratum, coreopsis, gaillardia, portulaca, sunflower, cosmos, marigold, and zinnia.
It is best not to plant flowers around the base of mesquite, palo verde, or acacia trees. The flowers appreciate the shade, but the amount of water they will need in the summers may affect the health of the tree.
This is prime time to transplant cactus and palm trees. Although heat-loving, there is still time for them to get established before temperatures soar too high.
Towards Memorial Day, give citrus their 2nd fertilization of the year. Use specific citrus food or a high-nitrogen mix such as ammonium sulfate (21-0-0)
Palms should also be fed now with palm fertilizer.
When applying fertilizer, carefully follow instructions on the package and always water fertilizer into the soil after applying.
Non-desert trees and shrubs should have a deep soaking every 7 to 10 days.
Now is the time to readjust your irrigation system timer. Increase the frequency of watering, but leave the duration the same. Plants need to be watered more often in the summer, but they still need the same amount of water.
Watch for and simply pick off any orange dog caterpillars from citrus trees.
Aphids, spider mites, and spittle bugs start to show up. Just blast them with hard spray of water or soap spray. Avoid insecticides to keep our bird and butterfly friends happy and healthy.