Springtime in Arizona means perfect outdoor weather, patio lunches and park dates. It also means preparing or planting your garden for the season. I’m not a natural gardener by any means. Many a plant have succumbed to an ill fated death on my watch and I’m not proud of it. In Minnesota, where I grew up, the soil was very rich and hydrated all year round. In Arizona, however, the soil is DRY and lacks essential nutrients for optimal growing potential. Did you know that the soil in Arizona is particularly nutrient deficient in nitrogen and phosphorus? Me neither, which is why it pays to befriend a good gardener.
When we first moved into our house we were so excited to have an orange and grapefruit tree. Essentially this meant fresh juice for mimosas and old fashioneds (which are my favorite). Yes, I’m a whiskey gal. Much to our chagrin, the trees did not supply any fruit the first year. In fact, the trees had been so neglected from the Arizona heat and the previous owners, they were on the verge of death. We were not sure what to do. Enter, the avid gardener friend.
Years ago, my work colleague Dustin, an avid gardener, taught me about the importance of fertilizer and best times to plant a garden. He taught me how to ‘stake the trees’ to ensure enough nutrients to the soil. He also taught me the best ways in which to water trees seasonally to ‘deep water’ the roots. I use Miracle Grow fruit tree stakes 3 times a year for fantastic fruit.
I’m not saying we couldn’t have received the same advice from a trusted arborist, but they are very costly. And I trusted Dustin’s advice because he would often show me pictures of his at home garden which was pretty robust. Within about a year, we not only rehabilitated those poor trees, but we also received our first crop of oranges and grapefruits. They were delicious!
5 years later, we have an additional 3 grapevines, a dwarf lemon tree, and a spring garden that continues to grow lush produce. This year in our garden, we planted 2 varieties of mint, thyme, tomatoes, poblanos, chives, and chard. John also built the raised bed and watering lattice to ensure even distribution of h2o. We use fresh soil each year in the garden and have also sprinkled used coffee grounds or fish guts into the mix.
Gardening pro tip, you can use your own coffee grounds or go to Starbucks and ask for a bag of used grounds for your garden. They are free and have an unlimited supply. You can also ask your neighborhood fish market or grocery for extra fish guts which are also free. Just remember that you should mix these well with the soil as they will rot and may smell unpleasant. There’s some people out there who have mastered the art of composting which is really cool, but for now, between the coffee grounds and fish guts, that’s as far as I wish to go.
If you are going to grow plants, I highly suggest the edible varieties. It’s much more rewarding and there are so many possibilities. Years later, I never imagined that there would be food growing in my yard but the journey has been totally worth it.
