How to grow the perfect onion in the AZ low Desert ( or so we hope!) I have had so many people ask me about how to grow onions successfully here in the Low Desert, that I thought I had better write a few destructions - oops sorry - instructions !! Anyway, here goes......... You can start onions here either from seed or onion starts. Onions are a cool season crop and actually pretty easy to grow here. They like relatively good soil, but don't seem to mind clay soil too much ( unlike carrots, which hate clay soil). Avoid using soil sulfur as a soil amendment: this affects the onion flavor, making them incredibly pungent. Trust me on this one, as someone who inadvertently did this once, my poor watering eyes suffered terribly when cooking with them, never to be repeated ! I digress..... You can start onions from seed in late September, either directly sowing the packet into the ground (making sure to keep the soil moist for good germination - not always that easy in Septem
Malabar Spinach - A heat tolerant Summer Green ( Basella alba) Yes... there is a summer green you can grow in the Low Desert !! Red Stemmed Malabar Spinach Malabar Spinach is a heat tolerant summer green. It is not really a spinach but actually a type of semi-succulent vine, but the good thing is it grows really well in our Arizona summer. There are 2 kinds - the more popular red stemmed, as well as a green stemmed variety. Red Stemmed Malabar Spinach - note how the stems are vining up the sunflower stalk. Cultivation: It is native to Asia, the plant having thick, succulent heart-shaped leaves and white flowers. The red stemmed cultivar "rubra" has thick reddish purple leaf veins and stems and thus is considered to be more ornamental. As the season progresses the flowers give way to purplish-black berry looking fruit. Once the temperatures reach above 90 degrees F, it really starts to ramp up its growing habit, often growing 10-12' tall. So
Spring Gardenng Classes I am teaching Hello fellow Gardeners and Happy New Year to you all ! Here are some gardening classes I am teaching in early 2018. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Hope to see some of you in the next couple of months. Happy Gardening ! Desert Botanical Gardens https://learn.dbg.org/mainstore.asp?cid=1265 Square Foot Gardening . Sunday January 28 th 2 - 4 p.m Square-foot gardening uses intensive planting methods to grow edible plants in a small area. Carol will guide you through this space-saving method of gardening, perfect for people short on room and time, or anyone new to vegetable gardening. She will discuss how to plan and lay out a square-foot garden, how much to plant and how to properly space your plants or seeds. Sensational Salvias. Sunday / Feb. 11 / 2 - 4 p.m. Salvias comprise the largest genus of the mint family and are a popular feature of Southwestern lan
Great video Carol - thank you! After you sieve your compost, do you return the large particles to the compost heap or do you toss them as spent?
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