VOL. 9, NO. 3 The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension iMARCH 1998

Cochise County Master Gardener

The University of Arizona and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooDeratina.

Garden Basics:

Spring!

Spring Equinox,the first day ofspring, arrives Friday, March20th. Spring in the high desert signals wildflowers, possible rains,always wind, and of course.Spring Plant Sales! Here are afew tips to make your shoppingforay enjoyable.

RESEARCH: Knowing vbatplants you are looking for beforeyou enter the nursery will enhancethe success of your trip. Browsethrough catalogs, books, andmagazines and make a Ust ofplants that interest you. Be sure toconsider heat and cold tolerance,height and width restrictions, whatyour soil structure is, firagrance orcolor, and what you want the plantto do-act as a windbreak, createshade, prevent soil erosion, wildlife value, etc. Match plants to thesite and conditions to avoid heart

aches later on.

BE PREPARED: I have found it

useless to go shopping, bring backa truckload of plants, and not be

prepared to plant them. If you already know where you want toplant something, begin digging thehole(s) now. It's also a good timeto inspect, repair, or install drip irrigation. In the v^etable gardenrake out all old mulch to removeoverwintering pests/diseases andlay down fiiesh mulch. And if youarm't currently using mulches inthe ornamental garden, spring isan excellent time to accomplishthis chore before the heat of sum

mer sets in and fiies not only youbut your plants.

BUY HEALTHY PLANTS: In

spect plants for any pests or diseases; check fee rootball, it shouldnot be rootboimd; and avoid plantsthat are lanky or leggy. Plantsshould generally have compact,green growth. Now all that said, Ineed to stress that some native

plants look really fimky in containers. It will be alive, sometimessmall, sparse, and have a smaUamount of new growth. Buy it!Plant it! Give it a year and it willbe beautiful! Look for annuals/

perennials in bud, not in fullbloom. Buy plants in bloom only ifyou are looking for a specificcolor.

When looking at trees check feecrotches, feey should be weU-spaced and balanced looking. Select for single or multitrunk anddon't be put off by a tree that hasbranches starting very low on feetrunk. This is good-studies showthat it helps stimulate growth. Itcan be thinned up slowly over aperiod ofpruning seasons.

THE PLANT SALES! Not onlywill you find plants, some nurseries hold seminars and demonstra

tions, have speakers and exhibits,and refi'eshments. Happy Spring!

Tohono Giul Park, Tucson,March 7 & 8, (520) 742-6455Boyce Thompson SW Arboretum, Superior, March 20 - April5, (520) 689-2723Tucson Botanical Gardens, Tucson, March 21 & 22, (520)326-9686

Desert Survivors, Tucson, March28 & 29, (520) 791-9309Diamond JK Nursery, Sonoita,April 4 & 5, (520)455-9262Zamp Country Nursery, Douglas, April 4 & 5, (520)364-3809

Cheri MeltonMaster Gardener/StaffWriter

Cochise County Cooperative Extension1140 N. Colombo, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635(520) 458-8278, Ext 141

450 HaskeU, WUlcox, AZ 85643(520) 384-3594

Cuttings'N'

Clippings^ Cochise County MasterGardoiers Association meets thefirst Wednesday of each month inthe Mona Bishop Rooti of theSierra Vista Library(notethis newlocation) at 5:00 pm. All certifiedMaster Gardmersn'rainees areinvited to attend.• Cochise County MasterGardeners Association hasvratering probes and t-shirtsavailable for sale at the SierraVista Cooperative Extensionoffice.• The Sierra Vista AreaGardener's Club meets the thirdThursday of each month at 2:00pm in the Mona Bishop Room ofthe Sierra Vista Library. TheMarch 19 speaker will be PeterGierlach of Spadefoot Nursery andon March 20 there will be a tour tothe Tucson Ccxnposters and theCommunity Gankn and StreetFair. For information call Wilma at378-1399 or Yvonne at 378-2833Everyone is welcome to attend.• Remember-Cado Daily offersfree water audits of your property.Call the WaterWise info line at458-8278, Ext. 141 with yourquestions or to make an^pointment.

Newsletter Staff:

CarolynGruenhagenCheri Melton

Virginia Westphal

Robert E. Call,Extension Agent, Horticulture

Page 2

HiftIt has happened again! The

dedicated volunteers of the CochiseCounty Master GardenersAssociation Conference Committeehadanother successfiil High DesertGardenii^ & Landscaping Conference! This year's conferencebrought 170 attendees andpresenters firom Arizona, Texas,New Mexico, Colorado, Or^on,and even a Master Gardener fromBoston, MA. From all reportseveryone had a great time andlearned a lot!

A very special thank you to ourwonderful speakers-all 25 ofthem!

I especially want to thank theCommittee Chairpersons andmembers who gave so much oftheir time, energy, and talents: RobCall, Extension Agent, v^froarranges the incredible programeach year, Jo Babbie, JenaBamett, Sponsorship, DutchCauwels, Alice Christ, Artist,Frank Christ, Cado Daily, Masterof Ceremonies, Elaine Gaar,Cynthia Garcia, Jan Groth, GaryGruenhagen, Registration, WilmaHinzman, Janet Jones, GretchenKent, Barbara Kuttner, Sponsorship, De Lewis, Treasurer andFacilities, Cheri Melton, Publicity, Dave Strichek, and alsoJoyce Williams, CooperativeExtension, Sierra Vista, Secretarywho does SO much for us!

Also, special thanks go to ourSponsors: Arizona LandscapeContractor's Association, Phoenix,Arizona State Land Department,Arizona Community Tree Council,and Bella Vista Water Company;Exhibitors: Chulo Canyon Se^Bisbee, Desert Trees Nursery,Tucson, Diamond JK Niusery,Sonoita, Funky Junque, Bisbee,Irrigation & Sprinkler Supply,

Tucson, Kazaam Nature Center,Patagonia, Mountain StatesWholesale Nursery, LitchfieldPark, Southwest Gardener,Phoenix and The University ofArizona Bookstore, Arizmia NativePlant Society, Arizona State LandDepartment, Arizona SonoraDesert Museum, Tucson, SierraVista Garden Club, and the U.S.Forest Service; Door PrizeDonors: Ace Plardwaie, SierraVista, AZ Native Plant Society,Bisbee Therapeutic MassageAssociates, Bisbee, BordiersNursery Inc., Irvine, CA, CottageGardens Nursery, Benson, DesertTrees Nursery, Tucstxi, DesertBotanical Gardens, Pho^iix,Diamond JK Nursery, Sonoita,Flowers by Taeko, Sierra Vista,High Desert Trading Co., Elfiida,Irrigation & Sprinkler Supply,Tucson, Kazaam Nature Center,Patagonia, Mountain StatesWholesale Nursery, LitchfieldPaik, San Pedro Valley AceHardware, Benson, San Pedro Feed& Hardware, Hereford, SewWhat?, Sierra Vista, SouthwestGardener, Phoenix, SpadefootNursery, Pearce, Sulphur SpringsValley Electric Cooperative, SierraVista, Talking Drum Gourds, St.David, Target Garden, SierraVista, WaterWise Audit, WesternOiganics Inc., Phoenix, WhetstonePottery, Whetstone and WillowCreekNursery, Chino, CA.

WOW!Because ofthe continued success,

it looks like plans for a SixthAnnual will soon be underway forFebruary 1999! Watch forinformation later this year in thisnewsletterand plan now to attend!

CarolynGruenhagen1998 Conference Coordinator

Grow aBumper Crop of

Tomatoes this Year!

This past summer I had a numberof people tell me of dieir Medt(»nato crop. I have been fortunateto have had a bumper cr<q) the lastthree years to which, I am sure, myfiiends and neighbors will attest. Ihave been told that I'm doingeverything wrong. 1 top-water myplants, and I don't pinch back thenew growth, but scmidiow theplants don't know it either.

I have tried a number of varietiesbut have had the best hick withHybrid Celebrity VFFNT andHybrid Viva Italia VFFT (Roma).I grow my own plants from seedthat I order by mail. The plants arespaced 5 feet apart and v^ienplanting I cut off the lower leavesand branches and set the plants6 to10 inches deep. To ward off cutworms I push a No. 10 can, bott(»nand top removed, a short way intothe ground around each plant.After planting, I give than a gooddrink of a fertilizer solution andplace newspaper tents over themfor a few days until they areacclimated. To water, I put in anirrigationline of 1/2 inchpoly-pipeand 2 2 gallons-per-hour drippersfor each plant and cover the entirearea with a mulch of straw.

I cage the celebrity tomatoes incages that I make frcHn 5 footccmcrete remesh. The rcmias seon

to do better on the ground rather in

cages. The cages are made bycutting a 6' sectitm of 5' ctmcrOeremesh and form a tube by joiningthe ends with wire. After puttingthe cages aroimd the plants, theyshould be securelyanchoredwith acouple of steel or wood stakes tokeep themfrom blowing over.

Last of all, I set up my topwatering system. I make mir^ outof 3/4 inch PVC electrical conduit(the grey stuff) because it is UVstabilized. If you do use tte vdiitePVC, paint it-any color will do.The risers are 39 inches tall (a 10*section of pipe will make 3 risers)with a fiill circle shrub sprayattached on top. These come inplastic and brass, but the brassseems to be more serviceable. Eachhead will cover a 15' circle at 40lbs. per-square-inch of waterpressure. On the end of the systemI place a female PVC garden hosead^ter so feat I can attach a shortlen^ of 5/8 inch garden hose tojoin fee sprinkler to an automaticsprinkler valve or a sill cock. Mytop water system has gone throu^a number of revisitms but I feel Ihave it almost perfected. I use it onmy leaf and root crops wife equalsuccess. Although building one isneither difficult or expensive, itdoes require a number of cuts,welds, and parts which wouldrequire more space to describe than1 have here. Should anyone like tobuild one, I would be glad toprovide plans, diagrams, andinstructions. Please call me at(520) 378-0426in the evening.

I irrigateearly in fee morning sonot to disturb fee pollinatinginsects. Other than checkingperiodically for homworms andside-dressing wifea goodv^etablefertilizer a couple of times, feetomato plants are pretty much ontheir own.

Both celebrity and rcxnas aredeterminate varieties, and they will

produce fruit for two to threemonths. I will have to admit to

having a few early fruit wifeblossom-oid rot, but <mce fee frnitstarts to ripen it is not unusual toget 2 to 3 gallcms of vine-ripe frnitper picking per plant. It is ^so notuncmnmon for tte plants to reach 6to 7 feet in height.

El Frugal GardenairGene Hasse, Guest Writer

Success withSchool Gardens

Nofeing accelerates learning likedoing, and few things are as wellworfedoingas gardening. Linda A.Guy, Gafey Cromell, and Lucy K.Bradley (a speaker at fee HighDesert Gardening & Landsc^ingCtmference), all gardoi educationspecialists, wrote Success withSchool Gardens: How to Create a

Learning Oasis in the Desert(Arizona Master Gardener Press,Phoenix, 1997). The book isdesigned to show how to set upgardening prc^rams in schools, andis also a great primer for anyonewho wants to grow vegetables,heibs, and flowers in Southwestdeserts.

An appendix lists planting timesfor almost every vegetable, flower,or herb you can grow in fee desert.

To obtain a copy, write toArizona Master Gardeners, Box200, Phoenix, Az 85040.

Q Do 1need a green feiunb togrow plants successfully?

A No. All you need is to providethe plants Ax^iat they need; the rightsoil and exposure, as well as feeright amount of water andfertilizer.

Page .1

TtiE Victual Gacucncc-

NitrogenOne of the many great speakers

we had at this year's High DesertGardening & Landsc^ing Cmi-fermce was Dr. Tom Thompstm ofthe Dq>artment of Soil, Water, andEnvirmunental Science at the

University of Arizona. Dr.Th(Hiq)son's lecture. Nitrogen inthe Environment: Where It Comes

From, Where It Goes, and Why,inspired me to do a little Websurfing on the topic. An Alta Vistasearch on the term "nitrogen ANDcycle" turned up hits <m over21,000 documrats. Of these, oneof the most informative and

interesting was a &ct sheet fromthe Ohio State UniversityExtension titled Nitrogen and theHydrologic Cycle. This documentprovided much of the content forthis article and can be downloaded

fiom: http://oliioluie.ag.oiiio-state.edu/i»x-fact/463.htiiil.

Nitrogen is one of the 16chemical elements required by allplants and even thou^ it is veryabundant in the environment—^the

atmosphere comprises 78 percentnitrogen gas—^nitrog^ is theelementthat most often limits plantgrowth. There are two reasons forthis. First, nitrogen is a basic andessential constituent of proteins,amino acids, and chlorophyll inplant tissues. Second, nitrogen gas(Nj) is not directly useable by mostpl^ts but must be changed intoother chemical forms that can be

takoi up by plant roots.Nitrogen in the environment goes

through a complex set of chemicalreacti(»is called the nitrogen cycle.Ammonium ions (NH/) and nitrateions (NOj"), the inorganic chemicalforms of nitrogen that can be

Page 4

directly used by plants, areproduced from atmosptericnitrc^oi gas naturallyby the actitmof bacteria and lightning andartificially by industry in processescalled nitrogen fixation. Oncenitrogen gas has been transformedinto ammonium and nitrate and

incorporated into plant tissues, it isunavailable to other plants until theplant containing it dies and itstissues are processed by otherbacteria back into ammonium and

nitrate in a process calledmineralization. As you can see,bacteria play an important role inchanging nitrc^en from (xiechemical form to another. A third

group ofbacteria in the soil convertammonium into nitrate in a processcalled nitrification, and a fourthgroup change nitrate back into theform we began with, nitrt^en gasas weU as another gas callednitrous oxide (NjO), in a processcalled denitrification. By now 1suppose you are wondering vdierethis is leading. All these loops andcycles are interesting, but what'sthe point?

One of the first things to^preciate is that the naturalprocesses of nitrogen fixation andmineralization produce relativelysmaU amounts of ammonium aiul

nitrate. Only around two percent ofthe nitrogen in the soil is in theinorganic form that can be directlytaken up by plants. The other 98percent is ti^ up in plant (andanimal) tissues and is unavailablefor direct uptake. This is slowlyreleased by the mineralizingbacteria. Since our desert soils are

very low in organic material, oursoils are chronically short of

nitrogen. This is why so manydesert plants are leguminous (i.e.,they host nhrogen-fixing bacteriathat provide them widi fiieir ownprivate supply of ammtxiium andnitrate). It is also why we have toartificially add sources of nitrogento our soils to get many plants togrow.

When adding sourcesofnitrogento the soil, we have a choice ofseveral different kinds of materials.

In order to mimic nature and

provide sources that slowly releasenitrogen over long periods of time,we can add organic materials.When doing this we want to choosematerials that have a fairly lowcarbon to nitrogen ratio such asconq)ost and manures wiiichpromote mineralization and avoidmaterials with higher carbon tonitrogen raticxis such as strawwhich do not. Alternatively, we canadd chemical fertilizers.

Next month I will discuss the use

of chemical fertilizers aixl some of

the environmental dangers associated with their incorrect use. In

the mean time, have fun surfing.

Gary Gruenhagen, Master Gardener(gruenha@sinosa. com)

X ^

Tohono Chui

Wildflower Tours

Tohono Chul Park, 7366 N.Paseo del Norte, just off InaRoad, in Tucstm, offersWildflower Tours on the park'sground every Monday,Wednesday, and Friday at 10:00am throu^ April 29. The docentled tours last 45 minutes to an

hour and take guests on aleisurely stroU of the park,pointing out many varieties ofwildflowers. These tours are ideal

primers for wildflower-huntingtrips outside of Tucstm at otherpopular wildflower sites.

Call's CommentsA Few Farming Facts

This month I would like to sharesome facts that hopefully willincrease your ^preciation for thegreat miracle of modem agriculture, and for thosewhoproducethe majority ofthe food we eat, theAmerican fiumer.

In 1850, it took 75 to 90 laborhours and IVtacres to produce 100bushels of com. Today, it takesabout 214 hours and one acre.Southeastem Arizona, howeveraverages over that amount, and hasthe highest com yields for anyr^on ofthe United States.

The sweet aroma of freshlyturned soil comes from the soil

bacteria geniusActinomycetes.Every cubic inch of topsoil may

contain over a billion creatures,mostly bacteria, microbes, andfungi. We need them because theymake nutrients available to plants.All soils are teaming with life,except after a nuclear bombexplosion!

How big is an acre? If it were asquare, it would be just over 208feet on each side. A football field

covers 1.03 acres. It is the amount

of land that a man could plow in aday with a yoke of oxen. Oxen arebovine (cows, steers, and bulls)trained as draft animals.

Americans spend about 11% oftheir disposable income on food.In France, and much of Europe,it's 26% or more, Mexico, 32%and in China, 48%. What wouldyou do ifyou, like a French person,had to spend 15% more of yourdisposable income on food.

Water traveling at 10 miles perhour can cany four times thesediment load than water going 5

mph. That's why filter strips,terraces, ctmtours, etc. are so

effective. They slowwaterdown.On average, one American

feimer produces enough food andfiber for 129 people: 95 in theUnited States and 34 abroad. In1900, each &rmer fed less than tenpeople.

Of all the earth's water, 97% issaltwater and 2% is firozen in polaricecaps. Only 1% is usable freshwater.

The atmosphere ar(xmd the earthcarries about a ten-day supply offresh water-about one inch of rain.

Water is the only substancenecessary to all life; manyorganisms can livewithout oxygen,but none can live without water.

The United States uses threetimes as much water a day, 1,300gallons per person, as the averageEuropean country. Americans liketo bath and shower quite a bit!

The average American uses 60gallons of water in the house eachday. In our house of seven thatwould be 420 gallons of water aday. We do not use that muchbecause we ctmserve, do you?Sources: Farming for CleanWater in South Carolina. Natural

and Environmental Resources

Report. American Farm BureauFnleration.

Robert E. CallExtension Agent, Horticulture

UpcomingSeminars

Brochures are available at The

University of Arizona CooperativeExtension offices in Sierra Vistaand Willcoxfi>r the following:> ControUed Environment

Crop Production-A short CoursePrimer for Greenhouse Pro

duction Systems, Thursday,March 19 at Maricopa CoimtyCooperative Extension, 4341 E.Bro^way, Phoenix, AZ.> 1998 Arizona Farmers Direct

Marketing and TourismConference, Monday, March 16 atMaricopa County Coq)erativeExtension, 4341 E. Broadway,Phoenix, AZ.

UpcomingTour

The University of NewMexico-Valencia Campus Development Fimd is sponsoring aself-guided tour-Rio Abajo Floraon Saturday, May 16. You will seespectacular cacti in one of theworld's largest collections of cactiand succulents, more varieties ofprickly pears than you thoughtexisted, a vast collection of rareand imusual oak trees at a privatearboretum, a desert walk through agarden of native plants designed toattract wildlife, and other gardensand nurseries where you can getideas for your own home landscape. Information and tickets canbe obtained from: Community Education Office, UNM-VdenciaCampus, 280 La Entrada, LosLimas, NM 87031 - there is asmaU donation charge.

i6d infbithCTance ofCooperative Extension wock, acts ofMay 8and June 30, 1914, incooperation widi the United States Department ofAgriculture, James A. Christenson,'̂ecttn'. Cooperative Exteustou, College ofA^culture, The University ofArizona and Arizona Counties cooperating. The Ihiiversity ofArizmia College ofAgricuhure isan

equal <^>portunity employer audiorized toprovide researdi, educational infonnation and other services only toindividuals and institutions that function without regard tosex,race, religion, color,national origin, age,Vietnam EraVeteran's status, ordisability.The information given herein issupplied with the understanding that no discrimination isintoided and no endorsement by Coopoative Exteisioo isimplied.Any products, services, ororganizations that are mentioned, shown, orindirectly implied inthis publication do not inqily endorsement bythe University ofArizona.

Page 5

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

TUCSON, ARIZONA 85721

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE $300

ROSEMARYRosmarinus officinalis

(a plant for all seasons, many seasonings, and erosion (xmtrol)

Rosemary, although known tomost people as an herb, does double duty as a very rugged, evergreen shrub. Especially suited todesert climates, this plant thrivesin hot sun and poor soil (with adequate drainage). Some watering,once established, may be necessary, even in the desert, in order tomaintain its narrow, daric green,strrmgly aromatic leaves on thetopside of the plant (the leaves

tend to be a grey-white on theunderside).

Rosemary's flowers are highlyattractive lavender-blue clusters,flowering in both spring and winter, perhaps in the flill, as well.Birds and bees are especiallydrawn to rosemary. Birds preferthe shelter and habitat which rose

mary affords them.Believe it or not, some individu

als prefer not to grow rosemary.They complain that the plant is toowoody, that it grows too wildly,etc. The culprit is not the plant itself but the flict that it is beinggiven excessive water; too muchwater causes rank growth. Tip-pinch young plants in order to

BULK RATE

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

USDA

PERMIT No. G268

control growth. It is recommendedthat older plants be pruned Ughtlyand thinned occasirm^y.

Remmiber that rosemary makesawesrxne ground/bank covers andhedges if managed properly. A little known &ct about this plant isthat it's great for erosion control.

Several species of rosemary areon the market, including dwarf (upto 2 ft. tall) and some tall ones (upto 6 ft. in height). Enjoy this plantand make full use of its many features by selecting the species ofrosemary best suited for your landscaping needs.

Peggy DierkingMaster Gardener