Fall Planting in the Arizona Desert

by Donna DiFrancesco, Utilities Conservation Specialist, City of Mesa

The fall planting season has arrived! Temperatures are cooler, and it’s a great time to replace plants you may have lost during the hot summer.

Why is fall planting so good for plants? Soil temperatures are still warm, encouraging root growth and development and allowing plants to become better established before next summer’s heat sets in. Also, with cooler temperatures, plants need less water and it is a much more forgiving time of year to put new plants in the ground. Forget to water just one day in the summer, and your new plants can be toast. From the fall season through spring, water newly planted plants once every 3-4 days and gradually increase the number of days between watering as plants get established.

Always plan before you plant!
Whether you are planting a single plant or an entire landscape look at plant characteristics to make sure they will fit into the space you have available and to be sure it will perform the function you are looking for. Good planning is a worthwhile investment of time that will payoff with a more attractive, easy to maintain, and useful home landscape.

There are exceptions to fall planting. All bare root plants, including roses, pecan, and fruit trees are generally planted in late December or January when they are dormant. Palm trees and other tropical plants will do best if planted during the spring or summer. When you purchase plants for your home landscape, be sure to look for healthy, well-grown plants. Check with your local plant nursery for best results, but don’t forget local plant sales put on by botanical gardens or others. Here’s a list of upcoming fall plant sales:

• Desert Botanical Garden Fall Plant Sale – Oct. 17 (members only), Oct 18 & 19 open to everyone.
   
• Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert Plant Promotion – Oct. 1 to Oct. 14, participating valley nurseries are giving 20% off of any low-water-use plants listed in the Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert plant guide. Visit www.amwua.org for the online guide and the link to print off a coupon.
   
• Master Gardener Fall Plant Sale – Oct. 4 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Office, 4341 East Broadway Rd. in Phoenix. Contact them at (602) 470-8086.
   
• Boyce Thompson Arboretum Fall Plant Sale – Oct. 10 to 26, located at U.S. Highway 60 in Superior. Contact them at (520) 689-2723.

Don’t forget to plant seeds!
It’s also the time of year to plant seeds. Are you thinking of overseeding your bermuda grass? First, see my Top Ten Reasons Not to Overseed with Winter Rye at www.Mesaaz.gov/utilities/conservation. If you decide you still want to overseed, keep it as efficient as you can with the timing and watering and limiting the areas. Find helpful details on the University of Arizona's Cooperative Extension Web site.

Are you looking for carpets of golden poppies or spikes of violet lupines? Fall is the time to sow many of the wildflower seeds in your landscape. If possible try to sow shortly before one of our October or November rains. For good details on wildflower gardening, request our free booklet, “Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert” or you can find information at the Desert Botanical Garden Web Site at www.desertbotanical.org/index.php/gardening/growingguides/ground/wildflowers. Wild Seed, Inc., is one of our best local wildflower seed companies. Look for the seed at plant sales or your local nursery, or contact them at 602-276-3536.

Remember: Plants don't save water, people do.