Gardening in Tucson (original) (raw)

The sad thing is that it's so so hot here, flowers have a hard time growing. They do well in the months of march-may because the weather is so mild. Your geraniums will bloom during those times. During the hot summer though, they may only grow leaves and not do much else.

If your hibiscus is growing out of control, prune it back as you need to. I think you can do that regardless of season. Hibiscus do like to grow in AZ though, and typically bloom in the early summer.

I get the parasites on my indoor plants too. I wipe the leaves off once a month with a solution of rubbing alcohol and water to just the effected leaves. I read up on these and I guess those are really hard to get rid of, so you just have to focus on keeping them under control. In addition to the alcohol, I also give everything a shower about every month also.

I have a lot of potted plants on my porch. I water those every day because the soil dries out so quickly. That keeps some of the heartier plants alive until spring when they can bloom again.

As for the super hot part where your brick wall stands...succulents might be the way to go. Succulents, while needing to be watered more than cactus does, hold up really well in hot weather. Since they grow so well here, nurseries typically have several different varieties. I'd suggest visiting a nursery and seeing what they have. Other plants will grow better on the south/north walls because they're not getting a ton of sunlight. That's to be expected.

As for vegetables and herbs, it's typically recommended that you start vegetables in january or even december. While our summers are hot and can hamper growth, the winters are pretty mild. You can start your vegetables and by april or may, you should have some kind of produce. Tomatoes and sugar-snap peas grow well here during those times as do certain kinds of peppers. Ask a nursery person for sure what will grow and thrive. I've not dabbled very much with growing vegetables. In your shady areas of your yard, strawberries can grow in the earlier summer months.

Basil loves hot weather and my basil plant has started growing out of control since summer started. However, that's the one I've had the best luck with. My lavender and sage grew great until the really hot heat started. I'd recommend keeping herbs (minus basil) indoors over the summer.

All that aside, theres lots of plants that grow all year. Jasmine is a fabulous option. It's evergreen and if you water it everyday it grows fast even during summer months. Not to mention the lovely smell of the flowers when they bloom every spring. In some area nurseries, you can purchase Mt Lemmon Columbines. They dry up over the summer, but will regrow in mild weather. They produce lovely, delicate yellow flowers. Gerbera daisies will last up until June or July and are available all over the city. There are also several different kinds of blooming succulents to consider too. Citrus trees produce flowers and fruit and thrive very well in our climate.

The secret is while there's a lot of really lovely plants that we do sell here, only a few will survive with moderate, non-professional care. Some of the more exotic plants or plants that typically would survive back east or in coastal areas take a lot of vigilant care and climate control. Something we don't really have outdoors here because it is SO hot and dry. I'd recommend sticking to stuff you know will grow in our crazy weather.

As for your fig tree, I don't know what to tell you. I always had bad luck with mine too...

Hope I helped!