Hello Cool Season
We haven’t posted to this blog very much this year and now the year is almost over. We spend most of our energy posting on social media—but we realize some of you don’t use such things. We will try to keep our blog updated this coming year for y’all.
There is often a misconception that winter is not a good time to plant things. This comes from areas north of here where winter is very cold and most plant nurseries are not even open. But we live in a subtropical region. Our winters are not prohibitively cold. You can plant most plants during this season, keeping in mind that frost tender species will need more protection from cold nights and will be especially vulnerable. Most of the plants we deal with will be fine to plant this time of year. They may take more to get established this time of year, but you will have to water far less often.
If you have frost-tender plants you should cover them with some sort of cloth—even better if you suspend the cloth over the plant so the fabric isn’t touching the leaves.
This is also true for the vegetable and herb garden—in the winter, you can plant pretty much all the greens, root crops, cilantro, parsley, dill, chervil, and more. If you plant from seed, the seed may take a little more time to germinate, but it will germinate. Here are the vegetable and herb crops we have available now as plants. Or, if you are more interested in starting things from seed, here is a list of what vegetable and herb seed we have.
You can also be planting wildflowers right now, and successionally through the season into spring. Here’s a general guide to planting wildflowers.
By the way, we now sell 10 and 20# bags of worm castings from Inch By Inch.
Worm Castings are Worm Poop
As worms digest food, they leave their castings behind in the bedding or soil where they live. Worm castings (or vermicompost) are worm excrement. The castings are made up of live biological organisms, including fungi, actinomycetes, beneficial bacteria, pseudomonads, plant growth regulators, yeasts, molds, trace elements and Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (N-P-K). Castings actually contain a perfect mix of nutritional needs.
Worm castings are harmless to children, pets, and plants (in any dosage). Castings have no odor themselves. They are pathogen-free and play a significant role in cleaning up the soil they are placed in. There is no requirement for a license to spread castings, even if done by a professional company on your private land. You cannot overload plants, shrubs, grass or vegetables—even if you plant them in 100% castings. Castings need water to activate but failure to water immediately will not burn plants as fertilizers are known to do. Use in home environments for a safe, no-odor, easy-care soil enhancement that will reduce plant demand for water.
Here are some profiles of plants we have available now, while supplies last:
Desert Marigold
Baileya multiradiata
There are certain things that are as Tucson as summer rain and saguaros. Of all the flowering perennials out there, desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata) must be the OG tucson flower.
Just like many t-town plants, this species looks both tough, and pretty and won't take up too much space. Staying about a foot tall and wide, desert marigold blooms spring through fall and will reseed throughout the landscape. Volunteers of desert marigold area always wanted and find themselves coming up right where you would have planted one anyway.
Like many true desert plants, too much water will rot this plant. It finds itself happy mixed with other tough wildflowers and perennials like desert poppy and penstemons. They prefer full sun, low to moderate water, and well-drained soil is a must.
Native to desert flats in the SW United states and southward into Mexico, desert marigold is an important species to nectar-feeding insects, especially native bees and butterflies, and is a larval host to a few species of moths. Seeds are loved by seed eating birds.
We have plants and seeds of this species.
Gulf Hairyawn Muhly
Muhlenbergia sericea
Muhlenbergia sericea, (formerly known as Muhlenbergia filipes) or gulf hairawn muhly, is often confused with regal mist muhly. It differs mostly in being much larger, especially in height, reaching 5’ tall. Fall blooming with purplish plumes. These grasses are completely hardy for our region and evergreen. Great habitat plant. Grasses are important for wildlife. They also soften the landscape and add movement.
Fremont Wolfberry
Lycium fremontii
Wolfberries are delicious edible fruiting plants that are wonderful for wildlife. We currently have some really nice 5g plants of Fremont Wolfberry (Lycium fremontii). Large shrub, growing about 6x6’. Plants drop leaves in June, going dormant for a month or so, but greening up when monsoon comes. Grow in full to part sun, with moderate to low water, hardy to at least 20° F. Small purple flowers throughout the year, followed by red berries. Moth larval food plant for the Mexican agapema silkmoth (Agapema anona), various sphinx moths (family Sphingidae), prominent moths (family Notodontidae), and crambid snout moths (family Crambidae). Edible berries for people and birds and great, protective habitat and nesting plant.
Found in washes and flats, often in saline soils, below 4,500 ft. in Arizona, southeasterm California, and northwestern Mexico.