Category Archives: Growing Tips

Gardening in the Desert – The key is managing evaporation!

Growing Tips, Tips & Ideas September 4, 2018 scmgadmin

By John Zarola, with Dudley Vines Evaporation occurs due to intense sunshine, high winds, low humidity, and high temperatures—all of which we have in abundance. Methods we can employ to minimize evaporation include Amending the soil with compost to improve water retention; Avoiding bare soil by mulching, shading, and cover cropping Putting the right plant in the right place Incorporating efficient irrigation options AMENDING THE SOIL Compost is decomposed organic material. Amending soil with compost improves water infiltration and retention. Because compost decomposes (adding nutrients…

Cold Frames for a Longer Season

Growing Tips, Tips & Ideas March 22, 2018 scmgadmin

Roy Archibald, SCMG A cold frame is a valuable tool for getting an early start in the garden and extending the season in the fall. We can begin planting at least a month earlier using one. In the fall adding a hoop cover can extend harvest for another month. The use of these adds an additional 60 days to our short gardening season. An easily constructed cold frame will provide protection from frost, temperature extremes, and drying winds. A cold frame in its simplest form…

Winter Tree Care

Growing Tips, Tips & Ideas March 22, 2018 scmgadmin

By Dave Pojmann As we close one of the driest years on record, it’s time to think about the trees and bushes in our landscapes. Although the leaves have fallen, the roots of the trees are still active, and they need water to stay healthy. Young trees are especially vulnerable to winter damage if they don’t have enough water. A heavy soaking every three or four weeks is preferable to more frequent light watering. The water should be applied around the drip line of the…

The Garden Sleeps

Experiences, Growing Tips, Tips & Ideas February 3, 2018 Eileen Welch

By Jan Koehler, SCMG There comes a time each year when even the most engaged gardener appreciates the declining day length and cooler temperatures which signal that the end of arduous toil, however be-loved, is winding down for the year. The amount of time spent watering pots or plots, denuding an area of unwanted plant growth, commonly known as weeds, and deadheading flowers to encourage yet one more flush of lively color or harvesting those tasty morsels of homegrown vegetables is finally coming to a…

Winter Gardening – Planning for Spring Season by Loren Meinz Master Gardener

Growing Tips, Tips & Ideas January 18, 2018 scmgadmin

So, rather than winter boredom watching TV all day, there are some things we gardeners can and should be doing to get ready for spring season. First, if you have fruit trees, January/February is the time for pruning. After several years of my pruning efforts, my two trees are somewhat “odd” shaped, so this year I am hiring an arborist to give them a professional crew cut. After pruning, consider applying dormant oil spray to rid the tree of left over pest bug eggs that…

Growing Neomexicanus Wild Hop

Growing Tips September 9, 2017 Eileen Welch

CAUTION: — Growing Neomexicanus Wild Hop Can be addictive — and it is just about as practical as a mid-engine sports car. I have learned enough to know better over the past eight months, but I am more motivated now than ever to grow more next year. Not so much for my successes, but because of my experiences nurturing this amazing, fast-growing vertical giant that lights up the morning with bright fragrant cones that pack a delightful pungent bouquet. It was last October that I…

Watering Seeds and Seedlings

Experiences, Growing Tips, Projects July 2, 2017 Jannetta

Have you ever washed out the seeds you were trying to get to germinate by applying too much water? Have you ever used a mister to avoid washing out seedlings, only to discover that they dried up due to lack of soil moisture? That has happened to me on too many occasions, so I decided to look for a way to apply the right amount of water on my seeds and seedlings and discovered a very economical way to do it. I drilled holes of…

Puncture vine (a.k.a. Goathead) Tribulus terrestris

Growing Tips, Weeds July 1, 2017 Jannetta

If you are new to gardening in New Mexico, you may not be familiar with the puncture vine, but once you step on one, you will become acquainted with this invasive weed very quickly. They are built to survive in an arid climate, and the seeds may last upward of twenty years, just waiting for the right climate in which to sprout. They are called goat heads because the fruit resembles the head of a goat or a bull. The fruits break up into several…

Vegetables for Decoration?

Growing Tips May 1, 2017 Jannetta

If your garden is space challenged, and you can’t decide to use the available area for vegetables or flowers, you might consider using vegetables within the flower garden. For example, lettuce makes an attractive border in a flower garden. Nasturtiums are edible flowers. Other salad ingredients, such as spinach and arugula can also be integrated with flowers. I let a patch of arugula go to seed, and last fall, found arugula growing along the garden path. By late winter, it had grown to almost two…

Observe the “Micro Environments” in your Yard