Calling Tucson/Southern Arizona Gardeners

[acorn]

I haven't planted any seeds yet but need to get on it. A remodel project was sucking up all of my spare time for the last few months. I did manage to get a cover crop planted in our main bed in November though and we got some Garlic lettuce, peas and radishes growing at our community garden plot.

- Aaron

[flyingbrass]

This year I started seeds inside on Jan. 2. I moved the plants outside to the storeroom soon after they came up, which I think was too soon. A few weeks later I brought them back in the house at night. They get full sun during the day.

Cold treatment is supposed to be beneficial. My plants are a good 2 weeks worth of growth behind last year's started at about the same time.

I've mixed bone meal and aged horse manure into the garden beds. I'll probably plant this week.

Have others in the Arizona desert planted yet? This whole winter has been unusually warm. We've only had a few nights here below 32, and I live in a Phoenix valley cold spot. The forecast looks pretty good. We've been dipping down to high 30's the past few mornings.

Look at what I found when I chopped out my peas. Hiding in them was a tomato plant -- a volunteer. I've decided to leave it. I'll bend it over into a trench so it will fit with my planting arrangement.

The white stuff is bone meal applied at 5 lbs. per 100 square feet. I weighed it out because I hadn't used it before.

[desertlzbn]

I planted seeds on Jan. 1st this year. I wish I had planted earlier also. The weather has been wonderful, but I have been sick and have not been out to the greenhouse much.

I have about 1000 more plants to transplant from the seedling bunches to the cups. I finally got the hoop houses up today, and started moving some of the seedlings out there.

I am beginning to get the nickname "the tomato lady" in my neighborhood. I am about 3 weeks out from starting to sell my plants. Lots to do before then.. Signage is the big one.

Good luck with your plants! I have some bigger plants that I plan on planting out in the next couple of weeks.

I sure hope it stays warm.

[flyingbrass]

I'm thinking about growing some plants for sale next year, though I'm not yet sure how exactly to go about it.

I'm very small scale so far. I have 20ish plants of, IIRC, about 6 tomato varieties going. Some peppers too. I'll plant maybe 10 full size tomato plants in my small garden this year, along with 3-4 little Sophie's Choice.

Last year was my first starting from seed. I start inside, then get the plants under my single fluorescent light as soon as they come up. Soon after, I haul them outside in the day and bring in at night. While that works for a couple dozen plants, I'm not sure how to translate to hundreds or thousands. Carts and a lot of dedication?

I'm somewhat afraid of greenhouses here. Seems they would need either automation or constant attention, else on a warm day here the plants could cook. Oh well, lots to learn, and the general topic is probably best left for the commercial subforum.

When do you think is the best time to plant here? I don't mean a set date, but whether it is better in general to plant fairly early and suffer lows dipping into the 30's or hold off until later? If so, what is "later"?

[tuk50]

flyingbrass, I've had a garden in 4 different areas in Tucson over the last 30years and everyone has different planting times.. I'm now east of Catalina, Az in a very cold valley and we got a hard freeze last year on April 10. This year has been much warmer as noted, but I'm waiting till the middle of march to decide. When in Tucson, there were years I planted in late feb. and had no problem. I tend to prefer planting as early as possible so to be able to get a good crop before the heat hits here in june. Then start again the first of july with, hopefully with the coming of the monsoons.
desertlzbn, what area do you garden in? It sounds like you are very busy now with all your seedlings.

[desertlzbn]

I am out in western Marana, out by the Glideport. I try to plant out March 1st. But it really depends on the weather. 2 years ago I planted out in Feb, but the plants really did not grow at all until March. Last year I waited until mid March early April. I don't know when I am going to plant out this year, I have to check the mesquite trees and se if they are budding out. That usually indicates whether it will freeze or not.

[tuk50]

I use the mesquite to plant my beans and squash. It has worked well over the years. I read somewhere that the Indians used it. I have one peach tree that already has blooms on it and another that is just now getting buds along with my apricot. I just hope we've seen the last hard freeze, but you never know.

[desertlzbn]

I have apple blossoms, and peaches already growing. I have so much to do, but feel like doo-doo cause I have some kind of flu/upper respiratory sickness. I wish I felt better cause I do have a lot to do. But oh well it will have to wait.

[tuk50]

Hang in there! That lung virus is just now finishing up in our family... it started with grandma around Christmas and my son just missed a day of work this past week and he never misses a day of work. Its not the flu, but has been worse on us than even the flu. I'm just now feeling good enough to start work in the garden this coming week.

[flyingbrass]

I hope you both get over that crud soon.

Interesting about the mesquite trees. There is an old one across the street from me, which I'll go check out. Last year I planted March 1. Good thing I waited because we had a freeze that last week of February.

Maybe next year I'll do an experiment by planting at intervals starting in January using some sort of covers. Seems like a lot of effort for probably not much return, but I'm curious.

tuk50, I noticed that you mentioned, either in this thread or somewhere else, that you use cottonseed meal. Where do you buy it? I did a search some time ago and found a thread where Arizonans were bemoaning the fact that cottonseed meal is so hard to find here given that so much cotton is grown in AZ. Apparently it gets shipped off for processing.

[tuk50]

flyingbrass, the feed store in Catalina, Az is called Rawhide Feed and is on E. Edwin... last I bought was 14.85 for 50lbs, but everytime I buy it, it goes up another couple of bucks.... some carry soybean meal and most carry alfalfa pellets... all three work well. If you like organic fertilizers, this fish bone meal is fantastic... http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Earth-749-F...9701906&sr=8-3
I only have a 2000sq ft garden and it lasts for a couple of years.. so is fairly inexpensive.

[flyingbrass]

Thanks. If I can't find any cottonseed meal closer, I'll stop by there next time I'm headed toward Tucson.

For those in the west Phoenix valley, the Stock Shop at 66th Ave. and Thunderbird is a feed store that has alfalfa pellets and other goodies. Pellets were too pricey for me. BTW, I've read to be careful about alfalfa pellets. Make sure they don't have added salt. I guess some do.

Today I jabbed my Texas cages in the ground and made more out of a roll of CRW. I planted two Rutgers. I'll plant the rest of the tomatoes tomorrow. The low last night here was 41 (thermo is 6' above ground on my porch). Good enough, I say. I'm at about 1150' elevation.

[Tracydr]

I had a three year old chard, finally died in last August's heat wave. I'm starting some more in a shadier spot without the heat from the house, to insure some summer greens. What a great plant and pretty, too!

[tuk50]

Tracy, we love those greens.. they are the only ones that we can eat all summer and like you say the colors look great in salads as well as steamed. I didn't know they would live for three years.... I usually plant some in march here and then replant in sept to have some going all the time.

[Tracydr]

I'm planting tomorrow. Low tonight of 38 and good sailing after that!