MONTHLY TO-DO LIST
Native Plants • Drought Tolerant Plants • Water Fountains • Unique Accessories
DESERT FOOTHILLS GARDENS NURSERY, INC | MONTHLY TO-DO LIST
Call us at (480) 488-9455 with any questions and for help buying and growing desert plants and designing desert landscapes.
January Gardening and Lawn Tips, AZ
- Fertilize winter lawns following the first mowing with a high-phosphate product. Be sure to follow the label instructions.
- January is a good month to prune roses and transplant bare root roses.
- Prune only deciduous non-native trees, fruit trees and grapes.
- January is a good month to plant bare root fruit trees.
- Continue to protect sensitive plants from frost. Desert Foothills Gardens Nursery, Inc. sells frost cloth and frost cups!
- Continue the decreased winter watering schedule. Call us at (480) 488-9455 for a watering schedule or for tips.
- Remember, never water turf at night in January and never mow turf when wet!
February Gardening and Lawn Tips, AZ
- Weed your garden at least twice a week.
- Continue protecting sensitive plants from frost.
- Harvest the citrus from your citrus trees before the end of the month and trim before blooming (except Valencia oranges and grapefruits which will last through May).
- Fertilize citrus trees around the middle of February.
- Prepare your garden beds by adding new compost and ammonium phosphate.
- Continue to plant bare root fruit trees and deciduous trees.
- February is a great time to plant non-native shrubs and vines.
- Plant annuals during February and they will last through May.
March Gardening and Lawn Tips, AZ
- Continue to weeding your garden often.
- Fertilize your roses every two weeks while they are in bloom.
- Once night time temperatures have been over 60 degrees for 5 consecutive nights, it is time to begin the transition from rye grass to Bermuda. Cut rye grass to ½ inch and continue this until your Bermuda has fully returned – usually in May.
- Prune apple trees, apricot trees, pear trees, and peach tree to allow approximately 6 inches between each fruit on the same branch.
- Heavy pruning of shrubs and ground covers should begin during.
- Continue planting all non-native trees. Contact us for information on our selection of trees for sale.
- Plant all tropical plants.
- Plant vegetable plants and herb plants, including artichokes, tomatoes, peppers, oregano, parsley, and sage.
April Gardening and Lawn Tips, AZ
- Continue to weeding often.
- Finish harvesting Valencia oranges and grapefruits.
- Continue trimming rye grass to ½ inch.
- Continue fertilizing roses.
- Trim desert trees and shrubs and fertilize, but DO NOT trim citrus.
- Plant new desert trees early in the month.
- Plant new citrus trees.
- Plant cacti and succulents, along with desert adapted shrubs and ground covers early in the month.
May Gardening and Lawn Tips, AZ
- Continue to weed often.
- Fertilize your (now sprouting) Bermuda lawn.
- If temperatures consistently reach 100 degrees and above, water your lawn every day early in the morning or at dusk.
- With the rising temperatures and continuing throughout the summer, water plants and shrubs slowly and deeply.
- Protect the trunk of newly planted trees from sunburn and stake them to protect them from monsoon winds. Contact us for tips and materials to help!
- Protect sun-sensitive plants, such as tomatoes, from direct sunlight using a shade cloth.
- Make sure your vegetable plants are being watered for at least one-foot of soil moisture.
June Gardening and Lawn Tips, AZ
- June and July are the driest months in the Phoenix valley and plants may need more watering. Be careful to not overwater! Contact us for more plant specific details on watering.
- Water flower beds every other day.
- Continue to protect young tree trunks from sunburn.
- Mulch around heat sensitive plants to keep the roots cooler and moister.
- Transplant desert trees, such as mesquites, palo verdes, and desert shrubs, along with palm trees.
- Before fertilizing, make sure soil is moist.
- Prune bougainvillea and lantana bushes.
July Gardening and Lawn Tips, AZ
- June and July are the driest months in the Phoenix valley and plants may need more watering. Be careful to not overwater! Contact us for more plant specific details on watering.
- Water flower beds every other day.
- Continue to protect young tree trunks from sunburn.
- Mulch around heat sensitive plants to keep the roots cooler and moister.
- Transplant desert trees, such as mesquites, palo verdes, and desert shrubs, along with palm trees.
- Before fertilizing, make sure soil is moist.
- Prune bougainvillea and lantana bushes.
August Gardening and Lawn Tips, AZ
- Allow Bermuda grass to grow to 2 ½ – 3 inches and water approximately 1-inch per week.
- Melons do well when planted during August.
- Keep mulch around the base of heat sensitive plants to protect them.
- Fertilize fall ripening fruit and citrus trees late in the month, including oranges and tangerines.
- Desert plants can still be planted during August, but they will need daily watering until the fall as they become established.
- If roses are showing yellow, supplement their soil with iron to return proper coloring.
- Prepare flower beds for fall plantings by irrigating and covering with clear plastic for 6 weeks.
- Begin planting seeds for fall vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, kale, green onions, and summer squash.
September Gardening and Lawn Tips, AZ
- Continue deep, slow summer watering.
- If you’re planning on over-seeding your Bermuda, stop fertilizing during September.
- Fertilize citrus with ammonium sulfate, if it was not done during August. When fertilizing, spread the fertilizer in the outer 2/3 of the root area for maximum benefit.
- Prepare your garden beds and flower beds by breaking up the soil, adding compost, ammonium phosphate, sulfur, and iron. Call us at (480) 488-9455 for more details.
- When temperatures are consistently below 100 degrees, often late in September, cool season crops can be planted.
October Gardening and Lawn Tips, AZ
- Plant leafy vegetables and root vegetables in October.
- As the weather cools, reduce watering by about one-third.
- Plant your winter lawn (if you choose to have one) around mid-month.
- Mow Bermuda lawns to ½ inch before planting perennial rye.
- October is the BEST month to plant trees and shrubs in Arizona, except for palm trees. Contact us for more information about planting a new tree this month.
- October is also a great time to plant flowers. Come check out our inventory at Desert Foothills Gardens Nursery, Inc.
- Don’t fertilize established trees and shrubs again until February.
November Gardening and Lawn Tips, AZ
- Do not water your lawn when it is dark!
- Your Bermuda grass will become dormant when temperatures begin to dip below 50 degrees, so continue watering with 2-3 inches of water per week.
- If your winter rye yellows, apply ammonium nitrate to restore green.
- Plant flowers in full or partial sun as appropriate. Contact us at Desert Foothills Gardens Nursery, Inc. to learn more about caring for your flower garden.
- Harvest leaves from your leafy vegetables rather than the entire head.
- Trim undesired sprouts from the interior of your citrus tree to make your next harvest easier and more productive.
December Gardening and Lawn Tips, AZ
- Annuals and perennials can still be planted during December.
- Watch your weather report from frost and protect your plants! Remember, we sell frost covers. Call us at (480) 488-9455 with any questions about the cold-tolerance of your plants.
- Continue avoiding watering at night and avoid over-watering as I could lead to fungus growth. Lawns may only need watered every 5 – 7 days.
- Some citrus will be ready to harvest – taste test! They will continue to sweeten on the tree.
- Fruit trees and nut trees can be planted in December, but be mindful to use trees adapted to the low desert.
- From December through May is the time to plant bareroot and container roses.
- Don’t do any major pruning during December
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to call us! (480) 488-9455 Happy Gardening!
*Not all products on the pages are in stock all of the time.
Please call ahead to verify (480) 488-9455 (just to be safe). Thank You!