Tea rose

For the Low Desert

WHAT TO PLANT

• Bare-root roses—By mid-February, finish planting modern bare-root roses, including floribunda, grandiflora, hybrid tea, miniature, polyantha, shrub roses and climbers. Container-grown hybrid and old garden (heritage) roses can be planted through April.

• Tomato transplants—Tomatoes must be transplanted early enough to develop roots, flower and set fruit before hot weather arrives. That is because when temperatures rise above 90 degrees, tomato pollen is no longer viable and fruit set stops. Place transplants outside at mid-month to jump-start the season, but be prepared to protect them from potential frost. The last frost date in the Phoenix area usually is mid-March but can vary considerably depending upon elevation and microclimates.

• Cool-season veggies—Continue sowing beets, bok choy, green onions, carrots, collards, leaf lettuces, peas, radishes, spinach and turnips for a late crop.

• Basil—Start basil seeds indoors for transplanting in March. ‘Genovese’ or ‘Italian’ are familiar green basils that are tasty in pesto and tomato sauces. Other basil flavors include cinnamon, lime, and lemon, such as ‘Mrs. Burns Famous Lemon Basil’. ‘Siam Queen’ Thai basil has purple flowers and stems and bright-green leaves. Its strong anise flavor is used extensively in Thai and other Southeast Asian cooking. Purple basils, too, offer an intense color contrast in the herb bed. Try ‘Purple Ruffles’, ‘Dark Opal’ or ‘African Blue.’


GARDEN MAINTENANCE

• Prepare garden beds—Pull spent cool-season plants and weeds. Layer 4 to 6 inches of compost on top of the soil, and dig in before replanting for the warm-season garden.

• Fertilize non-native plants—Feed plants just as they begin active growth. Follow package instructions, and do not over-apply, which can “burn” roots, cause salt buildup in the soil, and wash away excess nitrogen into groundwater and surface water sources. Feed roses every six weeks to prepare for their big spring bloom, which starts in April. Feed citrus (if you did not do so in January) with one-third of the tree’s total annual nitrogen requirement. Apply nitrogen
to deciduous fruit trees when they begin to leaf out. Feed winter ryegrass lawns once monthly, if needed. Wait to fertilize tender tropicals, such as hibiscus, until danger of frost is over. Native landscape plants generally do not need fertilizer.

• Harvest citrus—Navel, sweet, Valencia and pigmented (blood) oranges, grapefruit, kumquats, lemons, limes, mandarins and tangelos are all ripe this month. Taste test for sweetness, and allow fruit to remain on the tree until needed.

• Monitor tender plant growth for aphids—These tiny soft-bodied insects feed on tender new shoots. Aphids may be green, brown, grayish-black or bright yellow. Spray with blasts of water from the hose, or pinch off heavily infested leaves. Do not spray pesticides because beneficial insects such as lady beetles and birds will help consume aphids for you.