This Month in Your Southwest Yard – January
January Garden Tasks Frost is likely on dry, windless, clear nights this month ~ Keep plants watered to prevent frost damage ~ Wrap irrigation valves and pipes to protect from freezing ~ Turn off irrigation timers if it rains ~ Apply mulch around plants to retain water and soil, and to feed nutrients into soil with each rain ~ Prune roses and summer-blooming deciduous fruit trees ~ Don’t prune frost-damaged plants until spring growth ~ Plant bare-root trees and […]
This Month in Your Southwest Yard – December
December Garden Tasks Winter begins and plant growth is on hold until February ~Prune to shape evergreens like arborvitae, juniper, pines, and cypress—and save trimmings for holiday decorations ~Prune dense trees to avoid wind damage; make sure young trees are well-staked ~For overnight protection when frost threatens, cover delicate plants with large cardboard boxes, old sheets, or tarps ~Consider setting irrigation timers to “off”, and manually water in response to our irregular winter weather, based on winds, rain, […]
