Tag: Arizona

How to Grow Nasturtiums
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The nasturtiums planted in the cement blocks of my garden border are a familiar and much loved part of my winter garden. Learn how to grow nasturtiums, and add bright pops of color to your garden (and spice to your salad) with this easy-to-grow edible flower.

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.

7 Tips For How To Grow Nasturtiums

Follow these 7 tips to learn how to grow nasturtiums, and keep reading to learn how to grow nasturtiums in Arizona.

1. Plant nasturtiums at the right time

Start nasturtium seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost, and wait to plant outside until all danger of frost is past.

Alternatively, large nasturtium seeds are simple to plant, and it’s easy to direct sow nasturtiums in the garden.

Sow seeds in the garden 2 weeks before the last frost. Plant seeds ½ to 1 inch deep and 5-6 inches apart.

For square foot gardening, plant 1 per square.

In the low desert of Arizona, plant nasturtiums from October through January.

2. Choose the right location to plant nasturtiums

Grow nasturtiums in moist well-drained soil. Water well until plant is established and then provide regular water.

Nasturtiums prefer cooler weather, so in warm climates grow plants in partial shade (4-6 hours of sun) to prolong their growing season. In cool climates, plant nasturtiums in full sun.

This adaptable plant grows well in shady areas, poor soil, dry conditions, and areas where other plants may not grow.

Nasturtiums are frost-sensitive; you may need to cover them during a frost event.

3. Choose the best type for your location

Nasturtiums come in a range of colors and varieties including trailing, vining, and bush.

Trailing varieties make an excellent ground cover in shady spots and areas with poor soil. Trailing types can also be trained along a fence, cascade down from a container, or fill in a border.

Dwarf varieties grow low to the ground and are more mounded. Grow them where space is limited or in containers.

4. Encourage blooms

If you want an abundance of flowers, do not fertilize nasturtiums. Nutrient-rich soil grows plenty of green leaves, but not as many blooms.

Removing faded blooms also encourages more flowers. Trim back container-grown nasturtiums to keep the plant tidy and producing flowers.

The two photos above are of the same area of my yard in different years, but in the second image the seeds were planted in rich compost. We had an abundance of leaves that year, but not a lot of blooms.

5. Grow nasturtiums as a companion plant

Nasturtiums are a great way to prevent pests organically. For instance, nasturtiums help repel squash bugs, whiteflies, and borers.

Tomatoes, radishes, squash, and fruit trees benefit from nasturtiums planted nearby. Nasturtiums are a ‘trap crop’ (insects feed on and lay their eggs in trap crops, instead of in other areas of the garden).

6. Don’t forget, nasturtiums are edible!

The flowers, leaves, and stems of nasturtiums are all edible. They have a fresh peppery taste and can be quite spicy! To harvest blooms and leaves for eating, pick early in the day (but after the dew dries).

To keep flowers fresh longer, immerse in cold water for about 10 minutes immediately after picking. Use flowers and leaves immediately, or store them in the refrigerator in a damp paper towel. The unripe seed pods can be pickled for a tasty caper substitution.

7. Save seeds to share and plant

Each flower sets several seeds, and nasturtiums will self-seed easily year after year. At the end of each season, collect extra seeds from the ground to save and share, or plant in other areas.

The large seeds are easy to collect. I often enlist my kids and their friends to collect the seeds for me (the going rate in my garden is 1 cent per seed). For more information, read this post about saving seeds.

Bonus Tip: How to grow nasturtiums in Arizona
- Plant nasturtiums directly in the garden from October through January in the low-desert of Arizona.
- You can expect blooms from about February through May.
- Nasturtiums planted in shaded areas will last a little longer (into May) than those planted in full sun.
- Nasturtiums thrive in cool winters. If we get a frost event for a day or two, cover them with frost cloth and they may survive.
Want to add more color to your garden with flowers?

Flowers to Plant Outside & Seeds to Start Indoors Each Month in the Low Desert of Arizona.
• PLANTING GUIDE: Each month lists annual flowers and bulbs to plant outside & seeds to start indoors.
• BLOOMING GUIDE: Photos show what may be in bloom that month.

If this post about how to grow nasturtiums was helpful, please share it:

How to Grow Nasturtiums: Nasturtium Growing Guide

How to Grow Nasturtiums: Nasturtium Growing Guide

How to Grow Nasturtiums: Nasturtium Growing Guide
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Angela Judd

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February 8, 2024
How to Grow Nasturtiums
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The nasturtiums planted in the cement blocks of my garden border are a familiar and much loved part of my winter garden. Learn how to grow nasturtiums, and add bright pops of color to your garden (and spice to your salad) with this easy-to-grow edible flower.

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.

7 Tips For How To Grow Nasturtiums

Follow these 7 tips to learn how to grow nasturtiums, and keep reading to learn how to grow nasturtiums in Arizona.

1. Plant nasturtiums at the right time

Start nasturtium seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost, and wait to plant outside until all danger of frost is past.

Alternatively, large nasturtium seeds are simple to plant, and it’s easy to direct sow nasturtiums in the garden.

Sow seeds in the garden 2 weeks before the last frost. Plant seeds ½ to 1 inch deep and 5-6 inches apart.

For square foot gardening, plant 1 per square.

In the low desert of Arizona, plant nasturtiums from October through January.

2. Choose the right location to plant nasturtiums

Grow nasturtiums in moist well-drained soil. Water well until plant is established and then provide regular water.

Nasturtiums prefer cooler weather, so in warm climates grow plants in partial shade (4-6 hours of sun) to prolong their growing season. In cool climates, plant nasturtiums in full sun.

This adaptable plant grows well in shady areas, poor soil, dry conditions, and areas where other plants may not grow.

Nasturtiums are frost-sensitive; you may need to cover them during a frost event.

3. Choose the best type for your location

Nasturtiums come in a range of colors and varieties including trailing, vining, and bush.

Trailing varieties make an excellent ground cover in shady spots and areas with poor soil. Trailing types can also be trained along a fence, cascade down from a container, or fill in a border.

Dwarf varieties grow low to the ground and are more mounded. Grow them where space is limited or in containers.

4. Encourage blooms

If you want an abundance of flowers, do not fertilize nasturtiums. Nutrient-rich soil grows plenty of green leaves, but not as many blooms.

Removing faded blooms also encourages more flowers. Trim back container-grown nasturtiums to keep the plant tidy and producing flowers.

The two photos above are of the same area of my yard in different years, but in the second image the seeds were planted in rich compost. We had an abundance of leaves that year, but not a lot of blooms.

5. Grow nasturtiums as a companion plant

Nasturtiums are a great way to prevent pests organically. For instance, nasturtiums help repel squash bugs, whiteflies, and borers.

Tomatoes, radishes, squash, and fruit trees benefit from nasturtiums planted nearby. Nasturtiums are a ‘trap crop’ (insects feed on and lay their eggs in trap crops, instead of in other areas of the garden).

6. Don’t forget, nasturtiums are edible!

The flowers, leaves, and stems of nasturtiums are all edible. They have a fresh peppery taste and can be quite spicy! To harvest blooms and leaves for eating, pick early in the day (but after the dew dries).

To keep flowers fresh longer, immerse in cold water for about 10 minutes immediately after picking. Use flowers and leaves immediately, or store them in the refrigerator in a damp paper towel. The unripe seed pods can be pickled for a tasty caper substitution.

7. Save seeds to share and plant

Each flower sets several seeds, and nasturtiums will self-seed easily year after year. At the end of each season, collect extra seeds from the ground to save and share, or plant in other areas.

The large seeds are easy to collect. I often enlist my kids and their friends to collect the seeds for me (the going rate in my garden is 1 cent per seed). For more information, read this post about saving seeds.

Bonus Tip: How to grow nasturtiums in Arizona
- Plant nasturtiums directly in the garden from October through January in the low-desert of Arizona.
- You can expect blooms from about February through May.
- Nasturtiums planted in shaded areas will last a little longer (into May) than those planted in full sun.
- Nasturtiums thrive in cool winters. If we get a frost event for a day or two, cover them with frost cloth and they may survive.
Want to add more color to your garden with flowers?

Flowers to Plant Outside & Seeds to Start Indoors Each Month in the Low Desert of Arizona.
• PLANTING GUIDE: Each month lists annual flowers and bulbs to plant outside & seeds to start indoors.
• BLOOMING GUIDE: Photos show what may be in bloom that month.

If this post about how to grow nasturtiums was helpful, please share it:

How to Grow Nasturtiums: Nasturtium Growing Guide

How to Grow Nasturtiums: Nasturtium Growing Guide

How to Grow Nasturtiums: Nasturtium Growing Guide
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Lauren

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February 8, 2024
How to Grow I’itoi Onions
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In 2015 when I took the Master Gardener classes, they gave each student a couple of withered, sad-looking I’itoi onion bulbs. I was disappointed and thought, “There’s no way these will grow.”

I was wrong. That couple of I’itoi onions has multiplied into thousands of bulbs that have since been eaten, planted, and shared with many others.

I’itoi onions tolerate and thrive in the Sonoran Desert’s difficult growing conditions. I’itoi onions (pronounced “EE-EE-toy”) have a long history in the Sonoran Desert. According to legend, I’itoi – the creator of the O’odham people – called his people together and presented them with onions to plant and share. Learn how to grow I’itoi onions with these tips.

9 Tips for How to Grow I’itoi Onions

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.

1. Find bulbs to plant I’itoi onions

Some years, it is hard to know where to buy I’itoi onions. They can be challenging to come by. In other years, it’s easy to find them at the farmer’s market or other local sellers. Check Native Seeds Search or Crooked Sky Farm, as they may have them available for purchase.

If you’re having a hard time finding I’itoi onion bulbs to plant, ask other gardeners – they may have some to share.

Occasionally, I have them available in my shop. You can check here to see if I have them in stock.

2. Understand how I’itoi onions grow

I’itoi onions are a multiplier onion (allium cepa var. Aggregatum). The planted onion multiplies and is propagated by the division of bulbs.

From just a single bulb, the magic of nature unfolds. Plant it once, and it multiplies into 8 or 10 (or even more) bulbs. Once harvested, each of those bulbs can be divided and planted, resulting in another extraordinary multiplication. Behold the astonishment as 1-2 onions, within a span of only a couple of seasons, transform into a bountiful harvest of hundreds.

3. Plant and care for I’itoi onions correctly

When to plant I’itoi onions

In cold winter areas, plant I’itoi onions in the spring.

In the low desert of Arizona, I’itoi onions are normally planted with the monsoon moisture in August; continue planting through November. However, this tough, easy-to-grow onion can probably be planted successfully most times of the year.

How to plant I’itoi onions

I keep the clump of bulbs together until I’m ready to plant, just like garlic. Once I’m prepared to plant, I carefully separate each bulb and plant them individually.

To ensure optimal growth, plant each bulb approximately 1 inch (2.54 cm) deep, spacing them 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) apart. For square-foot gardening, place four bulbs within each square.

Where to plant I’itoi onions

I’itoi onions will grow in native soil, requiring no additional feeding. Nevertheless, richer soil yields a more abundant harvest of larger bulbs and shoots. I grow my I’itoi onions in raised beds with the Raised Bed Mix from Arizona Worm Farm. The rich soil produces large bulbs and plentiful greens.

I’itoi onions grow well in containers and can be tucked in almost anywhere in your garden.

Choose an area with plenty of sunlight if possible. They tolerate shady conditions, but the bulbs will be smaller. I’itoi onions can be grown in full sun. They normally die back and are dormant if left in the ground during the hottest parts of summer.

How to care for I’itoi onions

I’itoi onions tolerate dry conditions and will respond to monsoons and other rains with growth. Just as with amendments to the soil, regular watering produces larger bulbs and shoots.

Once these onions are planted, they thrive effortlessly and require minimal care. Pest and disease problems are uncommon, allowing for a worry-free growing experience.

Occasionally, I’itoi onions will bolt and flower. The bolted onions will not store as well and should be used right away. While I’itoi onions are typically cultivated from bulbs, if seeds are allowed to develop on the flowers, they can be used for planting. My experience with growing I’itoi onions from seeds has yielded varying degrees of success.

4. Plant I’itoi onions as companion plants

Because I’itoi onions are easy to grow, it is simple to plant them throughout the garden. Onions are excellent companion plants for brassicas, beets, strawberries, and tomatoes.

I’itoi onions planted as companion plants with strawberries

By planting a single bulb in close proximity to the plant, the I’itoi onions will flourish, multiply, and offer valuable companion planting advantages. For more information on preventing pests organically, read this post.

I’itoi onions planted as companion plants with cabbage

5. Use all parts of the I’itoi onion as needed throughout the season

As green shoots develop, harvest as needed by trimming them off the onion. The greens have a mild flavor and work well in most recipes that call for chives or green onions. The onion will regrow new shoots.

Harvest individual bulbs as needed throughout the growing season. To harvest individual bulbs off of the clump, carefully dig down until you see the base of the onion. Pull off as many onions as needed, and then push the soil back around the remaining onions.

To use the bulb, wash and peel. The bulbs have a mild, peppery flavor similar to shallots. They are delicious sautéed and in recipes that call for shallots or onions.

6. Harvest I’itoi onions at the right time

The best time to harvest I’itoi onions depends on what you are using them for.

For fresh eating, harvest the greens or bulbs anytime throughout the growing season.

For the largest bulbs, allow the greens to die back and then harvest. The bulbs develop a papery skin. In the low desert of Arizona, I’itoi onions are usually ready for harvest between May and July.

Onions that are harvested when the stalks are still green can still be cured, but it takes longer, and the bulbs will be smaller.

If desired, you can leave the bulbs in the ground after the greens die back. They will go somewhat dormant over the summer and then begin growing again in early fall.

Pull up clumps of onions and allow them to cure for the most extended storage life. Onions may rot and mold if not cured and stored correctly.

Although you can leave them in the ground, I prefer to harvest, cure, divide, and replant the onions with the monsoon moisture. The onions will multiply much more if harvested and replanted separately rather than staying in one large clump.

I’itoi onions re-sprouting after the tops die back.

7. Cure I’itoi onions before storing

How to cure I’itoi onions:
- Choose a shady location around 75-80°F (24-27°C). Provide a slight breeze with a fan if possible if it is indoors.
- Lay the onions out on a rack or floor.
- Cure until the onion stems wither and the papery skins tighten around the onions. The dried stems will slip easily from the onion when they are done curing.
I cure my I’itoi onions in racks inside this repurposed dresser-turned-potting table.

8. Store cured I’itoi onions correctly

Store cured I’itoi onions in a dry, cool place. A great way to store onions is in mesh net bags (I use these mesh bags from Amazon) hung up in a cool closet. The onions must have good airflow, or they will get moldy.

Check stored onions regularly, and discard (or plant right away) soft or moldy onions.

9. Enjoy, save, and share I’itoi onions

Whenever you harvest I’itoi onions, make sure to enjoy a portion, set aside some for planting, and generously share the rest with fellow onion enthusiasts. Let the goodness grow and spread!

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Angela Judd

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January 29, 2024
Arizona Garden in February
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Keep reading for garden inspiration, a February garden checklist, and a list of vegetables, herbs, and flowers to plant in your low desert Arizona garden in February.

Low desert includes elevations below 3500 ft in the Southwest, such as the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas.

“The February sunshine steeps your boughs and tints the buds and swells the leaves within.” — William C. Bryant

Vegetables growing in the low desert Arizona garden in February

After the last frost date in February is the ideal time to plant tomatoes and peppers in your low desert Arizona garden. Getting them planted as early as possible is important because the summer heat shortens their growing season.

Planting as early as possible after the danger of frost has passed gives the greatest chance for a successful season.

Harvests from fall planting continue throughout February, even as you are planting your spring garden and making plans for your summer garden.
When the cauliflower head is about 6 inches across, and the buds are tight and unopened, it is time to harvest. Cut off below the head with a sharp knife.

Unlike broccoli, cauliflower doesn’t produce side stems after the main head is harvested, so remove the remaining plant from the bed. Cauliflower will store for several weeks in the refrigerator.
Harvest cabbage when heads are about the size of a softball and firm. Give cabbages plenty of room to spread out. Keep plants evenly moist. Feed cabbages with compost tea or compost throughout the season.

Warmer temperatures mean many brassicas will bolt and flower. Allow them to flower to attract pollinators, or remove to make room for spring planting.
- February in the Arizona garden is all about tomatoes. If we had a mild winter, tomatoes planted back in July are ripening and doing well this month.
- If there was a hard freeze and the tomatoes suffered damage, wait until after the last frost date to see if new growth appears. Cut the plant back just above the new growth, and it may continue growing. If the plant is severely damaged, consider removing it.
- February is also the best time to plant tomatoes in your Arizona garden. If temperatures are unseasonably cold, wait a bit or cover new plants.
- Plant seedlings deeply and choose early-season varieties.
- Look for varieties that mature in 60-90 days from the date of transplant. For more tips, read my blog post, “10 Tips for Growing Tomatoes. ”
For the best flavor, water celery well the day before picking. Use a knife to harvest a single stalk from the outside of the plant when it reaches the desired height. Harvest stalks continuously as needed.
Garlic should be growing well during February

Tips for growing flowers in the low desert Arizona garden in February
- Aphids and other pests may appear this month. They like the cooler temperatures and new growth that happens in February.
- Genista caterpillars often appear on Texas Mountain Laurel (pictured here) this month. The caterpillars form loose webbing on the foliage and feed on leaves. Normally there is no significant damage done to the plant. Still, if control is needed, Bt (or Bacillus thuringiensis), available on Amazon, can be used when caterpillars are small and feed on leaves.
Fertilize annual flowers this month—water well before and after fertilizing plants.

Decide where you are going to plant warm-season annuals. Begin planting seeds outdoors this month.
Cool-season annual flowers planted from September through December, such as stock (pictured here) will bloom through March. As temperatures climb into the 80’s, water annuals more often.

Keep a garden journal of what flowers (in your yard or around the neighborhood) did well this season.
Sweet Peas

Monach Magnet Milkweed

Desert Milkweed

Lavender

Guara

Ranunculus

Nasturtiums

Flowers to Plant Outside & Seeds to Start Indoors Each Month in the Low Desert of Arizona.
• PLANTING GUIDE: Each month lists annual flowers and bulbs to plant outside & seeds to start indoors.
• BLOOMING GUIDE: Photos show what may be in bloom that month.

Fruit trees in the low desert Arizona garden in February

If deciduous fruit trees have been slow to lose leaves, remove leaves from tree to help usher in dormancy. Spray with a horticultural oil (I use this one from Amazon) this month.
Prune deciduous fruit trees this month before bud break and blossoms appear, if possible. Once blooming finishes, fertilize and water well.
Many different varieties of citrus are ripening this month. Best way to test for sweetness? Pick one and try it! Water established citrus once every 2-3 weeks in February.
Herbs in the low desert Arizona garden in February

Cilantro is a cool-weather-loving herb. It grows quickly and should be harvested often to keep it from going to seed. Once it does seed and flower, the seed is called coriander. Learn more about how to grow cilantro here.

Harvest and preserve cool-season herbs (I use my freeze-dryer). I also love adding chopped herbs and olive oil to herb freezer trays.

Dill grows as an annual in our cool winters but will begin to bolt and flower as the weather warms. Harvest as needed. Dill is also a great trap crop for tomato hornworms and a host plant for caterpillars. Let it flower to attract pollinators.

Learn more about how to grow dill in this blog post.
Rosemary is blooming this month. Harvest as needed. Let it flower to attract pollinators. This article shares more information about how to grow rosemary.
Low Desert Arizona Garden February To-Do List
- Amend garden beds with compost.
- Check your watering system. Note how long it takes to water your beds to a depth of 12 inches. Look for leaks, replace batteries in timers and clogged emitters.
- Begin spring planting. As long the forecast shows warming weather, plant tomatoes and peppers around the 15th of the month. (See list of other vegetables to plant below)
- Look at your garden and make a plan for your summer garden. Research different varieties to see which do well in Arizona. A good rule of thumb is to look for short-season crops. Be sure to rotate where you plant each year.
- If you didn’t do it in January, start slips for planting sweet potatoes.
- February is a good time to propagate succulents.
- Plant spring flowering annuals this month. (See list below)
- Plant trees, bushes, and perennials, and protect new plants from freezing temperatures.
- Bare-root roses are in-stock at local nurseries – it’s a great time to plant roses.
- Plant bare-root fruit trees and berries this month. Look for trees that have low chill hours (less than 400), mature early, and self-pollinate. Learn how to plant fruit trees in this blog post. For more information about choosing fruit trees, see my Fruit Planting Guide.
- Wait until mid-to-late February to plant frost-sensitive plants such as lantana and hibiscus.
- Plant grapes and blackberries this month or next.
Plant tomatoes after Feb. 15th in your Arizona vegetable garden
- Trees and shrubs may not need supplemental watering if we get heavy rain. If not, water shrubs and trees no more than once every 14-28 days. Wateruseitwisely.com is a helpful resource for landscape watering guidelines.
- As temperatures climb into the 80’s, water annuals more often.
- Check containers with a moisture meter or ensure the top inch or so of soil has dried out before watering.
- Water established citrus trees once every 2-3 weeks.
- Water established fruit trees once every 10-14 days.
Pruning:
- Prune frost-tender plants such as hibiscus and lantana late in the month. When pruning frost-damaged plants, wait and prune after new growth begins.
- If you didn’t prune roses in January, prune established roses this month. Clean up all fallen leaves and debris from around roses to discourage disease and insects.
- Prune dead branches out of trees and shrubs at the end of the month.
- Pruning citrus isn’t necessary, but after the danger of frost is past is the time to shape citrus trees a little (if you want to). Try to let the citrus foliage grow to about knee-high. Fruit production is best on the lower two-thirds of the tree, so it’s best not to “skirt” citrus trees. Lower branches also protect the trunk from sun damage. Clean out dead wood. Remove any suckers growing from below the graft.
- Prune grape vines.
- If you didn’t prune deciduous fruit trees in January, prune them this month. Prune dead, diseased, broken, and crossing branches and water sprouts (branches shooting straight up from limbs of trees).
Fertilizing:

Learn more about how to fertilize fruit trees in this blog post.

Protect from freezing temperatures (below 32°F.):

Snow in Mesa, Arizona on February 21, 2013

Arizona sunset in February with Fantex Ash tree
- Have burlap or frost cloth on hand to protect newly planted citrus, small lemon and lime trees, and other frost-sensitive plants from frost. Our last frost date is normally February 14th, but keep an eye on the weather just in case.
- Be aware that container plantings are more susceptible to freezing temperatures than those in the ground.
- Read this article or watch this video for more information on protecting plants during freezing temperatures.
Yard clean-up:

Broccoli left to flower

Bolting arugula
- Lettuce and other cool-season crops will bolt and flower as the weather heats up. Remove them by cutting off at the roots and add them to compost or allow them to flower to attract pollinators.
- As winter vegetables end their life cycle, keep an eye out for garden pests like aphids.
- If you overwintered tomatoes and peppers, as new growth begins to appear, trim the plant back and fertilize to encourage growth. If plants do not appear to return as temperatures warm, replace them with new plants in a different garden area.
What to plant in the low desert Arizona garden in February:

Before planting:
- Prepare beds for spring planting – Add compost and other organic matter to the soil.
- It’s important to have your soil tested at least once a year. A soil test can determine the health of your soil.
- Add a balanced organic fertilizer if needed.
Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit to plant in the low desert in February

(Click the link to read “How to Grow” articles on my website.)
Lavender (T)

Lemon Balm (T)

Lemon Grass (T)

Lemon Verbena (T)

Lentil (S)

Marjoram (T)

Mint (T)

Mustard (T)

Onion (Green) (S)

Oregano (T)
After February 15th (or after the last spring frost)

SEED, TRANSPLANT, OR BOTH? S = Seed T= Transplant

Vegetable, Herb, and Fruit Planting Guide for the Low Desert of Arizona

The ultimate resource for gardeners in arid regions with hot summers and mild winters—designed specifically for the low desert of Arizona.
It features information on how and when to start seeds indoors and when to transplant them outside for nearly 100 different fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Vegetable, herb, and fruit seeds to start indoors during February

(Click the link for seed sources.)
PLANTING GUIDE: Each month lists vegetables, fruit & herbs to plant outside & seeds to start indoors.

HARVEST GUIDE: Photos show what may be ready to harvest that month.

Planting dates are for the low desert of Arizona (zone 9b).
Flowers to plant in the low desert in February

(Click the link to read “How to Grow” articles on my website.)

SEED, TRANSPLANT, OR BOTH? S = Seed T= Transplant

Flower seeds to start indoors in the low desert in February

(Click the link for seed sources.)

Flowers to Plant Outside & Seeds to Start Indoors Each Month in the Low Desert of Arizona.
• PLANTING GUIDE: Each month lists annual flowers and bulbs to plant outside & seeds to start indoors.
• BLOOMING GUIDE: Photos show what may be in bloom that month.

Visual planting guides for vegetables, herbs, fruits, flowers & vines.

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Angela Judd

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January 29, 2024
Arizona Republicans Relentlessly Boo Kari Lake On Home Turf Following Scandal

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Arizona Republicans let Kari Lake have it this weekend as they hurled boos and jeers her way at a state GOP meeting following a scandal involving her and the now-former head of the state’s party.

The brutal reaction arrived following the resignation of Arizona GOP chairman Jeff DeWit after leaked audio appeared to show him pressing Lake, a Trump-endorsed election denier running for a U.S. Senate seat, to stay out of office.

DeWit claimed that the conversation was “selectively edited” and denied that he asked her to not run for office after she lost in the state’s gubernatorial race back in 2022.

Lake, who has been rumored as a vice presidential pick for former President Donald Trump, spoke at the Arizona Republican Party meeting where she nominated the Trump-backed Gina Swoboda to replace DeWit before she got hit with a sea of boos on Saturday.

“We don’t agree on everything but one thing we do agree on is the elections in Arizona are a corrupt mess. Can we agree that our elections are a mess in Arizona?” Lake told the crowd.

“You did it,” one audience member yelled in response.

You can watch more of the clip, shared by the Washington Post’s Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, below.

Related…

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January 29, 2024
25 Governors Issue Joint Statement In Solidarity With Texas In Their Fight To Secure The Border

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Opinion

Screenshot: KCENNews YouTube Video

In a display of solidarity, 25 Republican governors have issued a joint statement in support of Texas in its ongoing fight with the federal government to secure the border.

It is difficult to get 25 politicians to concur on much in today’s charged political environment, but the Biden administration’s lawless behavior has them banding together with a clear message: The time for inaction is over.

“President Biden and his Administration have left Americans and our country completely vulnerable to unprecedented illegal immigration pouring across the Southern border,” the statement reads.

The governors argue that rather than upholding the rule of law and securing the border, the White House has refused to “protect American citizens from historic levels of illegal immigrants, deadly drugs like fentanyl, and terrorists entering our country.”

“We stand in solidarity with our fellow Governor, Greg Abbott, and the State of Texas in utilizing every tool and strategy, including razor wire fences, to secure the border,” they add.

RELATED: Trump’s Border Battle Cry: Calls On All Willing States to Deploy National Guard To Help Texas In Border Fight Against The Feds

Governors Joint Statement In Defense Of Texas Concurs – Biden Is ‘Lawless’

The joint statement by the governors in support of Texas goes on to echo Governor Greg Abbott’s own declaration of a “right of self-defense.”

Abbott asserts that declaring an invasion at the border in the way that he has allows Texas to invoke “constitutional authority to defend and protect itself.”

“The authors of the U.S. Constitution made clear that in times like this, states have a right of self-defense, under Article 4, Section 4 and Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution,” the governors assert.

“Because the Biden Administration has abdicated its constitutional compact duties to the states, Texas has every legal justification to protect the sovereignty of our states and our nation,” they continue.

The only two Republican governors whose names are not on the joint statement in support of Texas are Abbott (since it supports his actions) and Vermont Governor Phil Scott.

RELATED: RFK Jr. Backs Texas In State’s Battle With Biden Over Border

The Cavalry Is Coming

President Biden has not simply decided to avoid doing anything to control the situation at the border: he has actively pursued efforts to keep it open.

When Arizona tried to create a makeshift border wall out of shipping containers, he sued to have them removed. Likewise, when Texas began setting up razor wire, he had border agents go in and cut openings, then enlisted the Supreme Court to allow him permission to keep doing so.

Biden is actively aiding the invasion.

This joint letter in support for Texas from nearly every Republican governor in the country isn’t the only sign that the cavalry is getting ready to help defend the Lone Star State.

Former President Donald Trump took to social media to post a call for all willing state governors to deploy their National Guards to the state of Texas to prevent the entry of “illegals” and ship them back across the border.

BREAKING: Trump calls for all willing state governors to deploy their national guards to Texas and to remove the illegals back across the border pic.twitter.com/uM4RJ0z5Ug

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 25, 2024

Even Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Democrat who launched an Independent bid for the presidency, has sided with Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

“Biden’s failure to secure the border leaves states no choice but to take matters into their own hands,” Kennedy wrote on social media later adding, “A country without borders is not a country at all.”

Texas is right. Biden’s failure to secure the border leaves states no choice but to take matters into their own hands. As President, I will end this humanitarian crisis once and for all. I will secure the border and destroy the business model of the drug cartels. A country… https://t.co/TbuHx9ghUE

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) January 25, 2024

The need for defined borders was something Democrats used to agree on. That is, until they realized they could simply import new voters to help gain or maintain power.

Abbott and the Texas National Guard said that they will continue to “hold the line” against the federal government despite the recent Supreme Court ruling.

Now they have Trump, a Kennedy, and 25 governors standing right beside them.

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January 26, 2024
How to Grow Sweet Potatoes
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Learning how to grow sweet potatoes is surprisingly easy – just a few plants provide a plentiful harvest. Sweet potatoes need a long warm growing season, are heat-tolerant and drought-resistant, and have very few pests or diseases. All of this makes them perfect for growing in the low desert of Arizona (yay!) Here are eight tips for how to plant, grow, and harvest sweet potatoes.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.

8 Tips for Growing Sweet Potatoes

1. Plant sweet potatoes at the correct time

Plant sweet potatoes 2-3 weeks after the last spring frost, when the soil temperature is at least 65℉.

In the low desert of Arizona:

2. Prepare soil correctly before planting sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes need well-draining slightly-acidic soil. Amend clay soils heavily with compost. Soil should be worked to a depth of at least 8-10 inches. Sweet potatoes can also be grown in raised beds or large containers. Plant in an area with full sun and/or afternoon shade in the low desert.

3. Plant sweet potato slips

Sweet potatoes aren’t grown from seed like many other vegetables. Rather, they are started from slips – rooted sweet potato shoots grown from a mature sweet potato. Grow your slips from sweet potatoes or purchase slips.

‘Soil method’ for starting sweet potato slips

‘Water method’ for starting sweet potato slips

Root slips before planting

Looking for more information about how to grow sweet potato slips? This article about how to grow sweet potato slips will help.

Most varieties of sweet potatoes do well in the long growing season of the low desert. In higher elevations or places with shorter growing seasons, choose from quickly-maturing varieties such as ‘Beauregard’ and ‘O’Henry’.

Plant rooted slips deeply, burying slips up to top leaves. Space sweet potato plants 12-18 inches apart. Water well and feed with a starter solution high in phosphorus (if your soil lacks phosphorus) to ensure the plants root well.

4. Allow vines to grow for larger sweet potatoes

Occasional small harvests of greens to eat is fine, but do not prune back vigorous vines for the best-sized harvests. The size of the sweet potatoes is determined by the amount of sunlight the leaves receive. More sunlight and leaf surface area that receives sun means larger sweet potatoes.

If space is an issue, consider growing vines vertically up a trellis to allow sunlight to reach the leaves and produce larger sweet potatoes.

Check longer vines occasionally and lift them up to keep them from rooting in the soil along the vines. Additional rooting will take energy away from the main tubers and instead create many undersized tubers.

5. Water deeply, less often

Deep watering is crucial for sweet potatoes during hot dry periods. However, it is important to let soil dry out somewhat between waterings. Sweet potatoes tolerate dry conditions better than soggy ones.

6. Harvest sweet potatoes at the right time

Here are a few things to look for before harvesting sweet potatoes:
- The longer a crop is left in the ground, the higher the yield.
- Sweet potatoes may be ready to harvest between 90-120 days after planting.
- Harvest when tubers are at least 3 inches in diameter.
- Harvest sweet potatoes before the first fall frost.
- When the leaves and vines begin turning yellow, production is slowing down. Leave them in the ground a little longer for the largest tubers.
- Once the top growth has died down, remove foliage and harvest.
7. Harvest sweet potatoes correctly

Once you have decided to harvest the sweet potatoes, cut back vines and loosen soil around the plant with a spade fork. Carefully find the primary crown of each plant, and use your hands to dig up the tubers. Shake off any excess dirt, and handle tubers carefully to prevent bruising. Keep harvested sweet potatoes out of direct sunlight. Do not wash sweet potatoes until ready to use for longest storage life.

8. Cure and store sweet potatoes correctly for the longest storage life

To cure sweet potatoes, set potatoes in a single layer (not touching) in a warm (about 80℉) humid area for 10-14 days. Curing allows cuts and bruises to heal and helps the starches inside the sweet potatoes convert to sugars.

HOT CLIMATE SWEET POTATO CURING TIP:

Put the sweet potatoes in a single layer in a plastic grocery sack (cut a couple of holes in the bag for ventilation) to trap moisture in a warm spot INSIDE your house. Outside temperatures may not be the right temperature for sweet potatoes to cure properly.

The curing process is complete if the skin remains intact when the sweet potatoes are rubbed together. Sprouting will occur if potatoes are cured too long. After curing, throw out or immediately use any bruised potatoes.

Store cured sweet potatoes in a cool (about 55-65℉ if possible) dry area for the longest storage.

HOT CLIMATE SWEET POTATO STORAGE TIP:

If stored above 70°F, the storage life of sweet potatoes is shortened considerably. When outside temperatures are cool, store sweet potatoes in the garage in a box with individual potatoes wrapped in newspaper. Once temperatures heat up, bring the box inside to your coolest room. Check potatoes often and use any right away that show signs of sprouting or rotting.

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Dawn Schroeder

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January 20, 2024
How to Grow Sweet Potatoes
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Learning how to grow sweet potatoes is surprisingly easy – just a few plants provide a plentiful harvest. Sweet potatoes need a long warm growing season, are heat-tolerant and drought-resistant, and have very few pests or diseases. All of this makes them perfect for growing in the low desert of Arizona (yay!) Here are eight tips for how to plant, grow, and harvest sweet potatoes.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.

8 Tips for Growing Sweet Potatoes

1. Plant sweet potatoes at the correct time

Plant sweet potatoes 2-3 weeks after the last spring frost, when the soil temperature is at least 65℉.

In the low desert of Arizona:

2. Prepare soil correctly before planting sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes need well-draining slightly-acidic soil. Amend clay soils heavily with compost. Soil should be worked to a depth of at least 8-10 inches. Sweet potatoes can also be grown in raised beds or large containers. Plant in an area with full sun and/or afternoon shade in the low desert.

3. Plant sweet potato slips

Sweet potatoes aren’t grown from seed like many other vegetables. Rather, they are started from slips – rooted sweet potato shoots grown from a mature sweet potato. Grow your slips from sweet potatoes or purchase slips.

‘Soil method’ for starting sweet potato slips

‘Water method’ for starting sweet potato slips

Root slips before planting

Looking for more information about how to grow sweet potato slips? This article about how to grow sweet potato slips will help.

Most varieties of sweet potatoes do well in the long growing season of the low desert. In higher elevations or places with shorter growing seasons, choose from quickly-maturing varieties such as ‘Beauregard’ and ‘O’Henry’.

Plant rooted slips deeply, burying slips up to top leaves. Space sweet potato plants 12-18 inches apart. Water well and feed with a starter solution high in phosphorus (if your soil lacks phosphorus) to ensure the plants root well.

4. Allow vines to grow for larger sweet potatoes

Occasional small harvests of greens to eat is fine, but do not prune back vigorous vines for the best-sized harvests. The size of the sweet potatoes is determined by the amount of sunlight the leaves receive. More sunlight and leaf surface area that receives sun means larger sweet potatoes.

If space is an issue, consider growing vines vertically up a trellis to allow sunlight to reach the leaves and produce larger sweet potatoes.

Check longer vines occasionally and lift them up to keep them from rooting in the soil along the vines. Additional rooting will take energy away from the main tubers and instead create many undersized tubers.

5. Water deeply, less often

Deep watering is crucial for sweet potatoes during hot dry periods. However, it is important to let soil dry out somewhat between waterings. Sweet potatoes tolerate dry conditions better than soggy ones.

6. Harvest sweet potatoes at the right time

Here are a few things to look for before harvesting sweet potatoes:
- The longer a crop is left in the ground, the higher the yield.
- Sweet potatoes may be ready to harvest between 90-120 days after planting.
- Harvest when tubers are at least 3 inches in diameter.
- Harvest sweet potatoes before the first fall frost.
- When the leaves and vines begin turning yellow, production is slowing down. Leave them in the ground a little longer for the largest tubers.
- Once the top growth has died down, remove foliage and harvest.
7. Harvest sweet potatoes correctly

Once you have decided to harvest the sweet potatoes, cut back vines and loosen soil around the plant with a spade fork. Carefully find the primary crown of each plant, and use your hands to dig up the tubers. Shake off any excess dirt, and handle tubers carefully to prevent bruising. Keep harvested sweet potatoes out of direct sunlight. Do not wash sweet potatoes until ready to use for longest storage life.

8. Cure and store sweet potatoes correctly for the longest storage life

To cure sweet potatoes, set potatoes in a single layer (not touching) in a warm (about 80℉) humid area for 10-14 days. Curing allows cuts and bruises to heal and helps the starches inside the sweet potatoes convert to sugars.

HOT CLIMATE SWEET POTATO CURING TIP:

Put the sweet potatoes in a single layer in a plastic grocery sack (cut a couple of holes in the bag for ventilation) to trap moisture in a warm spot INSIDE your house. Outside temperatures may not be the right temperature for sweet potatoes to cure properly.

The curing process is complete if the skin remains intact when the sweet potatoes are rubbed together. Sprouting will occur if potatoes are cured too long. After curing, throw out or immediately use any bruised potatoes.

Store cured sweet potatoes in a cool (about 55-65℉ if possible) dry area for the longest storage.

HOT CLIMATE SWEET POTATO STORAGE TIP:

If stored above 70°F, the storage life of sweet potatoes is shortened considerably. When outside temperatures are cool, store sweet potatoes in the garage in a box with individual potatoes wrapped in newspaper. Once temperatures heat up, bring the box inside to your coolest room. Check potatoes often and use any right away that show signs of sprouting or rotting.

If you enjoyed this post about how to grow sweet potatoes, please share it:
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Dawn Schroeder

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January 19, 2024
PolitiFact – Trump’s new ‘evidence’ that Biden lost in 2020 is ridiculously wrong (and dusty). We went through it

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More than three years after the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump is claiming, again, to have definitive proof the election was stolen. But this new “evidence,” an anonymous 32-page document, is built on many of the same flimsy claims he’s endorsed since he lost to Joe Biden.

“It has often been repeated there is ‘no evidence’ of fraud in the 2020 Election,” the document says. “In actuality, there is no evidence Joe Biden won. Ongoing investigations in the Swing States reveal hundreds of thousands of votes were altered and/or not lawfully cast in the Presidential Election. Joe Biden needed them.”

The proof from swing states, it says, is enough to change the outcome.

Trump shared the unsigned document on Truth Social, declaring it “fully verified.”

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: It’s not.

Trump lawyers cited Trump’s post in a federal court document arguing Trump has immunity from prosecution in the federal election interference case. The report details dozens of claims about the 2020 election from Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Some allegations overlap with falsehoods previously debunked by PolitiFact or other fact-checkers. The report misleads about how election officials count ballots and arrive at final results.

“Nowhere is there a smoking gun, conclusive evidence that there was fraud or illegal ballots cast for Joe Biden,” said Justin Grimmer, a Stanford University political science professor who researches elections. “Instead, the report relies upon innuendo, implication and poor data analysis to reach a conclusion about fraudulent votes being cast when the evidence supposedly supporting that conclusion simply cannot justify that conclusion.”

PolitiFact has documented some examples of voter fraud in 2020, such as people casting votes on behalf of dead relatives. But these instances were not enough to change the race’s outcome, and some crimes were committed by Republicans. Examples cited in the report do not prove that fraudulent ballots were cast for Biden.

The 2020 election’s outcome was verified in many ways. States certified the results. Congress accepted the results. Trump and his allies lost more than 60 lawsuits. A group of conservatives, including former federal judges, examined every fraud and miscount claim by Trump and concluded that they “failed to present evidence of fraud or inaccurate results significant enough to invalidate the results.”

On the same day Trump shared this report, USA Today published an op-ed by Ken Block headlined: “Trump paid me to find voter fraud. Then he lied after I found 2020 election wasn’t stolen.” Block, a former Rhode Island gubernatorial candidate who founded Simpatico Software Systems, was hired by the Trump campaign to try to back up Trump’s allegations after the election. His work is now in the hands of prosecutors who have charged Trump with crimes for actions leading to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

“What these claims don’t take into account is that voter fraud is detectable, quantifiable and verifiable,” Block wrote in USA Today. “I have yet to see anyone offer up ‘evidence’ of voter fraud from the 2020 election that provides these three things.”

We fact-checked a sample of the allegations in the report Trump shared. Trump campaign spokespeople and his lawyers didn’t answer our emails asking to identify the report’s author.

This May 6, 2021, photo shows contractors for Florida-based Cyber Ninjas examining and recounting Maricopa County, Arizona’s 2020 general election ballots at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. (AP)

Arizona

The allegations about Arizona largely focus on Maricopa County, the jurisdiction with more than half of the state’s voters. State Senate Republicans ordered a review of the ballots and found that Biden beat Trump by about 45,000 votes — virtually the same as the county’s official canvass.

The report Trump shared repeats some debunked claims. For example, it said that Maricopa County accepted 18,000 mail ballots the day after the 2020 election from the U.S. Postal Service. The Associated Press concluded that the claim was wrong. The number referred to a form showing when early ballots received before the deadline were handed to a private vendor for scanning, a Maricopa County Elections Department spokesperson told the AP.

“In our legal system, there comes a time when questions are finally settled,” Paul Bender, an Arizona State University law professor, told PolitiFact “That time has come with regard to the validity of Biden’s election.”

In this Oct. 19, 2020 file photo, a voter submits a ballot in an official drop box during early voting in Athens, Ga. (AP)

Georgia

The report said “countless irregularities emerged” and cited “water main breaks” in reference to Georgia.

State Farm Arena in Atlanta reported that one room being used for ballot counting had a 6 a.m. water leak. There was a brief delay in tabulating absentee ballots during the two hours required to repair the leak, which resulted from an overflowing urinal. No ballots were damaged, the arena said.

In June 2023, the State Election Board dismissed a case about alleged malfeasance at the arena concluding “there was no evidence of any type of fraud as alleged.”

The Trump document cites questionable sources, including True the Vote about ballot drop boxes — the focus of the “2,000 Mules” documentary by Dinesh D’Souza. The 2022 film alleged massive voter fraud involving ballot drop boxes and cellphone location data, based on several hundred phones passing by drop boxes.

“These assertions are part of a dancing fountain of lies that have been disproven by the count, the recount, and the audit of the 2020 vote in Georgia, and for which not one single shred of evidence has been offered,” said Mike Hassinger, a Georgia Secretary of State spokesperson. “Sixteen individual lawsuits were brought to challenge the validity of Georgia’s 2020 election results, of which 12 were dismissed by the courts, and four withdrawn by former President Trump’s own lawyers.”

Voters wait in line Nov. 2, 2020, to fill out a ballot on the last day of early absentee voting before tomorrow’s general election at the Northwest Activities Center in Detroit. (AP)

Michigan

One of the report’s allegations about Michigan centered around suspected voter irregularities in Muskegon, a city of about 38,000 people. The report claimed police documented “a fraudulent voter registration scheme,” but this was kept “hidden” for almost three years.

The report’s source is The Gateway Pundit, and in August we rated the underlying claim False.

Here’s what happened: The Muskegon city clerk alerted police after noticing irregularities on some of the 8,000 to 10,000 voter registration forms dropped off by a canvasser. Local and state police referred the case to the FBI, because the canvasser’s employer, GBI Strategies, was operating in multiple states.

Danny Wimmer, press secretary for Michigan’s attorney general, told PolitiFact that officials hadn’t ruled out the possibility that a crime may have been committed, but none of the agencies involved in the investigation found any evidence of successful fraudulent voter registrations.

Philadelphia election workers scan ballots for the general election Nov. 3, 2020, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. (AP)

Pennsylvania

The report repeated a false claim Trump and his supporters pushed about ballot counting in Philadelphia in the days following the election. It alleged that in Pennsylvania’s largest city, “hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots were unlawfully counted in secret,” and Republican poll watchers were barred from observing the vote count.

Election observers representing the Trump campaign and the Republican Party were allowed to observe the ballot-counting process, alongside Democrats. In Philadelphia, a judge allowed observers from both parties to view the process from 6 feet away.

“Nothing was done in secret or against a court order,” said Nick Custodio, a Philadelphia City Commissioners office spokesperson.

A ballot drop box sits outside City Hall in Milwaukee ahead of the 2020 election. (Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Wisconsin

After losing Wisconsin to Biden, Trump allies filed lawsuits seeking to invalidate votes cast by drop box. The report cites the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in one of the lawsuits, which prohibited the use of drop boxes, except inside election offices.

This ruling was announced one month before the state’s primary election for the 2022 midterms and applies to future elections; it does not retroactively apply to the 2020 election.

An AP analysis found that the state’s expanded use of drop boxes in the 2020 election did not trigger widespread fraud. The Wisconsin Elections Commission saw no instances in which ballot drop boxes were damaged or used to submit fraudulent ballots.

Our ruling

If there was definitive evidence that Biden’s 2020 victory was secured on fraud, we would have it by now. The document shared by Trump is a lot of smoke — so much that we rate its central claim Pants on Fire!

RELATED: Fact-check: Trump’s bogus claim on Fox News that ballots in 2020 were ‘fake’

RELATED: In attack on Bill Barr, Trump repeats falsehood about 2020 election

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January 5, 2024
10 Perennial Herbs For Hot Summer Climates

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If you live in a hot summer climate, plant these ten perennial herbs once, and you’ll enjoy harvests for years!

A perennial is a species that completes its life cycle over three or more years, with the ability to survive both winter and summer and can be harvested without killing the plant. Each one of these herbs has survived for several years in my low desert Arizona garden.

Perennial herbs are a simple way to increase production and yield in the garden. Once you plant them, you can harvest them for years to come!

10 Perennial Herbs Every Gardener in Hot Summer Climate Should Grow

1. Bay Laurel

Bay Laurel is a slow grower and can take up to 2 years to establish, but once it does, it can survive for many years.

2. Lemon Grass

Lemon grass is easy to grow and requires very little maintenance. It grows well in partial sun or full sun and well-drained soil.

Learn more about how to grow lemongrass in this blog post.

3. Sage

I like to grow sage in the corner of a raised bed. It prefers well-drained soil with full sunlight. Give this perennial herb a trim in early spring and again at the end of summer to keep it looking it’s best.

Learn more about how to grow sage in this blog post.

4. Lavender

Lavender prefers dry, well-drained soil and plenty of sunlight. It grows well in native soil and thrives on neglect.

10 Perennial Herbs Every Gardener in Hot Summer Climate Should Grow (cont.)

5. Rosemary

Rosemary prefers a well-drained soil and full sunlight. This tough shrub makes an excellent landscape plant and does well in native soil.

Learn more about how to grow rosemary in this blog post.

6. Lemon Balm

Lemon balm prefers partial to full sunlight and well-drained soil. It can be invasive. Grow this perennial herb in a container to prevent spread.

7. Lemon Verbena

Lemon verbena is a fragrant herb with a warm citrus flavor. Provide shade during the hottest months of the year.

Learn more about how to grow lemon verbena in this blog post.

8. Oregano

When choosing a transplant, rub a leaf to smell the aroma. Choose plants with the most potent aroma for the best flavor. Planting oregano in pots or containers is a great option to prevent spreading.

Learn more about how to grow oregano in this blog post.

9. Thyme

Thyme is my favorite perennial herb for cooking. I usually grow thyme in several locations throughout my garden. It does best with afternoon shade during the summer.

Learn more about how to grow thyme in this blog post.

10. Mint

Mint can spread, so grow in containers. This tough plant often dies back during the hottest months of the year but usually returns with abundant growth in the fall.

Learn more about how to grow mint in this blog post.

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Bob

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January 4, 2024
How to Grow Tomatoes in Arizona – 10 Tips for Growing Tomatoes
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Learning how to grow tomatoes may feel overwhelming. Entire books have been written about growing tomatoes, but these 10 tips will fast-track you to tomato-growing success.

The taste of homegrown tomatoes is the reason many people begin a garden. In the United States, it is said that more gardeners grow tomatoes than any other vegetable.

Wondering about how to grow tomatoes in Arizona, the low desert, and other hot climates? Keep reading; there is plenty of information for you too!

Low desert includes elevations below 3500 ft in the Southwest, such as the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links See my disclosure policy for more information.

10 Tips for How to Grow Tomatoes

Tip #1 for Growing Tomatoes: Choose a tomato variety suited for your tastebuds and climate

Decide which type of tomato you want to eat. Different types of tomatoes are suited for eating fresh, canning, making salsa, or cooking.

Choose a type of tomato suited to your climate for the best chance of success. Because of the heat of Arizona summers, we have a short growing season. Look for plants with short (60-90) days to maturity. These are often types with small to medium fruit or Roma or paste varieties.

Varieties highly recommended for desert climates like Arizona include: Punta Banda, Celebrity, Pearson, Speckled Roman*, Black Krim*, Atomic Grape*, Sungold, Sweet 100, Yellow Pear, Canestrino*, and Cherokee Purple.

(* Local Master Gardener Carol Stuttard recommended varieties.)

Florida gardeners battle high heat and humidity. The Everglades tomato does well in those conditions.

Different climates have other considerations and growing conditions. Ask a local grower for varieties that do well in your area.

Tip #2 for How to Grow Tomatoes: Plant tomatoes at the correct time

To give tomato plants the best chance for success, plant tomatoes right after the last spring frost date. This is usually around February 15th – March for the low desert of Arizona. For this planting, start seeds indoors from December – January.

Once planted, if necessary, protect plants from cold nighttime temperatures. Plant tomatoes in the morning, so tomatoes have the day to settle in before cooler nighttime temperatures.

There is a second (monsoon) planting window for planting tomatoes in Arizona’s low desert from July through September. For this planting, start seeds indoors from May – July.

Once planted, protect plants from high daytime temperatures with a shade cloth. Plant tomatoes in the evening so tomatoes have a cooler evening to settle in before hot daytime temperatures.

Tomatoes grow best in temperatures of 70℉ to 90℉, with nighttime temperatures consistently above 55℉. In Arizona, you want tomatoes to flower and set fruit before it gets too hot. Once temperatures reach 90℉, tomato pollen is not viable. Fruit that has set will continue to mature, but new fruit will not set if pollen is not viable.

Tip #3 for Growing Tomatoes: Plant tomatoes in the right location
- The most important requirement for productive tomatoes is plenty of sunshine.
- Give tomatoes full sun for the entire plant with adequate growing space around each plant for air circulation.
- Allow 2 feet between each plant for healthy and productive plants.
- Do not plant tomatoes in the same location year after year. Rotate the location to prevent the build-up of disease in the soil.
Tip #4 for How to Grow Tomatoes: Prepare soil correctly

Tomatoes need soil rich in organic matter; make a habit of amending your soil with compost. Good drainage is important as an area with standing or puddling water invites disease. Prepare your soil correctly, and your plants will thank you. If you are growing tomatoes in raised beds, this article talks about the best soil for raised beds.

Tip #5 for Growing Tomatoes: Plant tomato seedlings deeply

Planting deeply encourages a more extensive root system and a healthier plant.
- Remove the bottom 2/3 of the leaves on the tomato transplant.
- Dig a shallow trench or deep hole (depending on the depth of the planting bed) and plant transplant so that only the top leaves are above the ground.
- Roots will grow along the entire stem of the plant.
- Bear in mind that plants may appear to do nothing for a bit after planting the tomato- but they are growing roots.
Tip #6 for How to Grow Tomatoes: Mulch tomato plants well

Use compost, straw, leaves, or pine needles to reduce evaporation and insulate the soil from extreme hot and cold temperatures; soil will stay at a more even temperature.

Mulching helps control weeds, and plants will not have to compete with weeds for water and nutrients. Most mulch ultimately becomes fertilizer as it decomposes into the soil around the plant. Learn more about how to mulch in this post.

Tip #7 for Growing Tomatoes: Water tomato plants correctly
- Water early in the day to prevent excessive evaporation.
- It’s best to water at the soil level, so leaves do not get wet. Wet leaves encourage disease.
- Water to a depth of at least 12 inches to encourage roots to grow deep in the soil to find nutrients and moisture.
- Water slowly and deeply.
- Deep, extensive roots help plants withstand dry spells.
- Water regularly as needed, but do not allow plants to become soggy as plant roots need oxygen. How often you water depends on your soil and the weather conditions. Water deeply each time you water and then let the top few inches dry out before watering again. During the hottest months of the summer, that might mean every day. During the winter, that often means every 7-10 days.
Tip #8 for How to Grow Tomatoes: Feed tomato plants

When planting, if your soil is low in phosphorus it’s important to provide a source of phosphorus (bone meal or rock phosphorus) and again as plants begin to bloom and produce fruit. A soil test can determine if your soil is low is phosphorus. Without proper fertilization, plants do not produce well and are prone to weeds (which invite pests and other diseases).

Once tomatoes set fruit feed them about once a month. Tomatoes do best with regular feeding from organic sources of fertilizer. I feed mine with a diluted fish emulsion/seaweed fertilizer.

Tip #9 for Growing Tomatoes: Provide support for growing tomato plants

It’s important to encourage tomatoes to grow vertically.
- Growing tomatoes vertically keeps the plant upright, and prevents the stems from breaking from heavy fruit or wind.
- Trellising tomatoes also keeps the leaves off the ground which helps reduce diseases.
- Fruit is easier to harvest when it is off the ground as well.
Tip #10 for Growing Tomatoes: Provide shade for tomato plants in extreme climates like Arizona

Provide shade for tomatoes in extreme heat

Your plants may need a little help to get through a long, hot summer in the low desert of Arizona.
- Shade can reduce the air temperature for tomatoes by several degrees, and it also extends the growing season.
- Providing shade in desert climates helps reduce stress on tomato plants, and can prevent sunscald on ripening tomatoes.
- Shaded tomato plants are more likely to survive the extreme heat of the desert, and may perform better when cooler temperatures return in the fall.
Sunscald on tomatoes

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Angela Judd

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January 1, 2024
Identifying and Dealing with Citrus Suckers & Sprouts
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If you grow citrus, you may be familiar with citrus suckers. Suckers can wreak havoc on tree growth and production if left unchecked. Citrus sprouts can cause problems as well. Learn how to identify both citrus suckers and sprouts, why they are harmful to citrus trees, and what to do when you find them.

What are citrus suckers?

Suckers are shoots that grow from the trunk below the bud or graft union. They are often mistaken for new growth from the desired citrus variety, but suckers are a different plant altogether.

Look for the graft union on the trunk, which will appear as a visible seam or bump. If the growth is coming out below the graft union, it’s likely a sucker.

Suckers will grow straight up and typically resemble a thin, spindly stem with few leaves. The leaves often have a trifoliate leaf shape (characterized by a leaf divided into three leaflets). Shoots may also grow up through the soil around the tree; these should also be removed.

Bud or graft union: Place where the bud of the citrus variety was grafted onto the rootstock. Look for an area where the bark changes texture or the diameter of the trunk changes.

Rootstock: Another citrus variety that the citrus is grafted onto. Rootstocks are chosen to improve disease resistance, growth, or fruit quality. Standard rootstocks in Arizona are Flying Dragon, Trifoliate Orange, Sour Orange, Smooth Flat Seville, C-35, and Carrizo Citrange.¹

What are citrus sprouts?

These quick-growing shoots are also called “water sprouts” or “suckers” and can be found below and above the bud union. They are green and without bark (herbaceous). Sprouts growing above the bud union are the same variety as the desired tree (not the rootstock).

Citrus sprouts grow straight up either from the trunk or large limbs. They develop excessive thorns and little, if any, fruit. Their leaf shape may also differ from the grafted variety. ²

Lemon trees especially often have vigorous, thorny sprouts that grow quite tall.

Do you have to remove citrus suckers and sprouts?

Suckers take vital resources away from the desired citrus variety and can ultimately result in stunted tree growth and reduced fruit production. Fruit formed on suckers will be the rootstock variety – usually a bitter or sour orange. If left unattended, citrus suckers will continue to sprout and can even take over the entire tree.

Sprouts left unchecked can make harvesting the desired fruit difficult. Also, If left to grow, sprouts and suckers can out-compete the grafted tree’s canopy. If sprouts form fruit, they will be unpalatable. A water sprout often cannot support the weight of fruit and may break.

You may decide to leave sprouts that emerge above the graft line in place to fill in the canopy, but typically they are removed.

How do you remove sprouts and suckers?

If you do find citrus suckers on your tree, it’s essential to remove them promptly. The best way to remove suckers is by removing them by hand when they are young. Grasp the sucker firmly, and pull down. The sucker should break off near the trunk.

If they are too large to remove by hand, cut off with clean pruners as close to the rootstock as possible.

When to remove citrus sprouts and suckers

Remove small sprouts and suckers by hand at any time throughout the year.

Remove larger sprouts and suckers during the early spring. This gives the tree time to grow new foliage to shade newly exposed wood to damage from the summer sun. Removing larger limbs from May – October may open up the trunk or inside of the tree to sun damage. Any exposed wood should be protected from sunlight with white paint.²

Citrus suckers and sprouts can be a nuisance for citrus tree growers, but with proper identification and removal, you can keep your trees healthy and productive.

Sources:
1. https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1850-2020.pdf
2. https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1455.pdf
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Angela Judd

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December 30, 2023
How to Create Shade in the Garden
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If you’re in a climate with intense summer sun, you may want to provide shade during the hottest months. This is similar to applying “sunscreen” on your plants. If you’re wondering how to create shade in your garden, this blog post gives ideas for some practical ways to create shade in your garden.

Adding shade to a hot summer garden can help your garden survive and thrive. This article also covers which vegetables need shade and which can grow in full sun. Finally, we will cover what type of shade cloth is best and other ways to add shade to your garden. So let’s get to it – all about adding shade to the garden.

If you’re looking for the link to the shade cloth I use, here it is 50% White Shade Cloth.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.

Why is it important to add shade in hot summer climates?

1. Adding shade protects plants from the scorching sun.

Sunscald on a pepper

The morning sun provides plenty of energy through photosynthesis without the excessive heat stress of prolonged all-day sun exposure.

Sunscald on a tomato

In sweltering heat, direct sunlight can cause wilting, sunburn, and even death in some plants. Most vegetables are stressed when temperatures are above 90℉ (32.2°C). Shade keeps the direct sun off foliage; the shaded area can be about 10℉ (6°C) cooler than areas without shade.

Winter squash wilted from loss of moisture during the afternoon heat

2. Adding shade conserves water.

A shaded garden helps retain moisture in the soil, reducing the need for frequent watering. Providing shade for plants can lower the amount of moisture loss through transpiration (evaporation of water from plant leaves).

Wilted summer squash from loss of moisture during the afternoon heat

3. Adding shade creates a comfortable outdoor space.

A well-shaded garden benefits plants and makes spending time in the garden more enjoyable. Spending time in your garden daily is essential, and the shade benefits the gardener and the garden.

When should you add shade to your summer garden?

The best time to set up your shade cloth is when temperatures consistently climb above 90°F (32.2°C), and keep it on until temperatures get below that. At this point, most plants tend to enter a dormancy-like state to conserve water and protect themselves from heat stress.

For me, in the low desert of Arizona, this usually means using shade cloth from mid-May to early October.

A tip to remember: Although summer gardens in hot climates need shade in the hottest months of the year, abundant sunshine is an advantage during cooler months. Because most fall and winter gardens need full sun, it’s best to add temporary (not permanent) shade to the garden for the hottest months of the year.

Which vegetables grow best with afternoon shade?

When planning your vegetable garden, it’s important to take into account each plant’s sunlight preferences to ensure a thriving and productive garden. While all vegetables can benefit from some afternoon shade in hot summer climates, certain plants are particularly sensitive to the sun’s intense rays and should be given extra shade if you live in a hot climate.

Light-sensitive crops include ginger, turmeric, strawberries, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, summer squash, garlic, blackberries, artichokes, and chard.

Extend the season for some crops with shade

Many vegetables do not like the extreme heat of an Arizona (or other hot climate) summer. Provide shade for the listed crops as temperatures begin to heat up to extend the harvest. Adding shade can extend the growing season for certain crops allowing them to produce for a longer period, even when temperatures begin to climb.

Some crops that benefit from season-extending shade include kale, radishes, potatoes, cilantro, carrots, cucumbers, beets, peas, lettuce, spinach, and beans.

Which vegetables do not need shade?

Fortunately, certain vegetables can withstand and flourish in the summer heat without the need for extra shade. These vegetables thrive in full sunlight. However, it is important to note that during the hottest times of the day, all plants can benefit from shade in extremely hot summer weather.

Here are some vegetables that do well in full sun roselle, luffa, corn, peanuts, yardlong beans, melons, black-eyed peas, sunflowers, grapes, okra, Armenian cucumbers, basil, amaranth, sesame, and sweet potatoes.

How to create shade in the garden

Gardening in a hot climate means learning to work with sunlight effectively. “Full-sun” directions for other locations may not apply in Arizona’s low desert or other hot climates. Providing shade for your sun-sensitive veggies is essential, and there are many creative ways to do that. Here are a few of my favorite methods:

1. Create shade in the garden with a thoughtful garden design

Notice which areas in your yard receive morning sun and afternoon shade naturally. These spots are prime real estate for any plants, but especially a summer garden. Use these areas in your garden for vegetables that need shade. South or west-facing parts of your yard will probably need added shade.

2. Create shade in the garden with shade cloth

If your garden area is in full sun, consider adding shade cloth. Don’t think of completely encasing the garden, but providing some relief when the sun is at its highest. The area should receive some sun during the day. The variety of colors and percentages in shade cloth allows you to customize the light that reaches your garden.

Using a shade cloth is a game-changer for me. It’s an easy, adjustable solution to protect my delicate veggies from scorching sunrays while allowing enough sunlight to grow.

Which color shade cloth should I use?

When choosing a shade cloth for your garden, consider the temperature differences between night and day as well as the average temperature in your area to determine which color is best suited for your needs.

White shade cloth reflects light & heat and cools better. Allows for flowering plants to produce. This is the type I use in my low desert Arizona garden.

Aluminet shade cloth reflects light. Increases full spectrum light. It can act as a thermal blanket, protecting plants from wide temperature variances from day to night.

If you’re looking for the link to the shade cloth I use, here it is 50% White Shade Cloth.

Source: Bootstrap Farmer’s Guide to Shadecloth

Which percentage shade cloth should I use?

Shade cloth percentages indicate how much light is blocked, typically ranging from 30-70%. Here’s a guideline for choosing the right percentage:

Source: Bootstrap Farmer’s Guide to Shadecloth

How far away should the shade cloth be from plants?

Do not allow the shade cloth to touch the plants; 2-3 feet clearance is best to allow air to circulate around plants.

What is the best way to attach shade cloth?

Attach shade cloth to existing trellises with zip ties or carabiner clips. At the end of the season, removing the clips, rolling up the shade cloth, and storing it away is simple. When the summer heat comes again, re-attach the shade cloth.

3. Create shade in the garden with sunflowers

Add sunflowers around your garden to provide shade. Sunflowers are one of the easiest plants to grow from seed. Sunflowers grow quickly and, depending on the variety can offer shade to surrounding plants.

The Sundancer Sunflower from Renee’s Garden Seeds is my favorite sunflower for adding shade. It is a branching sunflower with endless blooms and a large plant that blooms all summer.

Plant sunflowers on the west or south side of the garden for shade. Once grown in a garden, they often reseed and pop up year after year. Unwanted volunteers are easy to pull out.

At the end of the season, cut off the stem at the base of the dirt rather than pulling out the entire root system. The remaining root will decompose and add organic matter to the area. Sunflowers can be planted in the low desert of Arizona from February through July.

4. Create shade in the garden with umbrellas

Outdoor umbrellas offer good temporary shade. They can be moved and angled to provide afternoon shade where it is needed most. However, umbrellas often block 100% of sunlight; be sure to tilt it so plants receive some morning sun. As with any shade structure, be aware of strong winds and take down the umbrella before it tips over and damages surrounding plants.

5. Create shade in the garden with plants

Consider purposely planting sun-loving vining vegetables (Armenian cucumbers, Malabar spinach, hyacinth beans, etc.) to provide shade for other plants that don’t tolerate full sun. Notice where in your garden you could utilize plants as shade.

Heat-loving crops that may provide shade for other plants include roselle, luffa, amaranth, black-eyed peas, Armenian cucumbers, sunflowers, okra, hyacinth beans, and sesame.

Vining vegetables can be grown over artichoke crowns that go dormant during hot summers to protect them from the intense heat that might damage the crowns. Grow heat-loving plants on the south or west-facing trellises that shade other plants.

Other ideas for adding shade:

Here are some pictures I took from my previous gardens or other gardens that have added shade. You may get some ideas or inspiration to implement in your own garden.

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Angela Judd

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December 26, 2023
Eerie Xmas town where tourists ate Chicken à la North Pole left to rot

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IN the heart of the Arizona desert lies a town called Santa Claus, left abandoned for almost 30 years.

A Californian real estate agent bought the town in 1937 with her husband in the hopes of creating a place where Christmas would fall on every day of the year.

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Santa Claus, Arizona, was a once popular Christmas-themed town in the 1940s

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Guests visiting the town could stay in the Christmas Tree Inn, visit Santa in his grotto and children could even use a special post office to send him letters

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One of the few remaining early buildings still in the town in the early 2000s after it was left abandonedCredit: Alamy

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A vandalised gas station in Santa Claus, 2003Credit: Getty

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The eerie remains of the one fun-filled town stood in the desert for decades after it was left behindCredit: wikimedia

Under its new owner Nina Talbot, the storybook town had become an incredibly popular tourist spot by 1942.

And despite the blistering heat of the Arizona sun, not far from Las Vegas – the Christmas-themed resort town did flourish for many years.

For those visiting overnight, a guest house in the town was renamed the Santa Claus Inn.

It served dishes like Chicken à la North Pole and Rum Pie à la Kris Kringle and a photo of Santa hung above the fireplace.

Talbot also added a North Pole, constructing the Santa-themed buildings around it.

The local post office was used by children who wanted to send letters to Santa ahead of the big day.

And parents could even return their children’s letters from there with a postmark from the man himself.

There was also a Santa’s workshop and a Christmas Tree Inn.

And of course, it wouldn’t be Santa Claus land without the grotto where children could visit Father Christmas all year round.

While Santa Claus did well for several years, Talbot sold her shares in the town in 1949.

She had wanted to expand it into a full blown resort town, but the only people living there were those with jobs in its festive attractions.

Eventually in the mid 1970s the festive town attraction closed down.

It was removed from the official Arizona state map and in 1983 it’s remaining owner listed the entire town for sale.

Tony Wilcox received an offer which he turned down, and appeared to stay in the town for years later waiting to sell it.

By 1995, all remaining businesses in the town had closed.

An American writer, Mark Winegardner, visited the town in 1988 and painted a sad picture of it’s almost abandoned state.

He described “burned-out Christmas lights and faded plastic likenesses of Old Saint Nick” scattered in the abandoned village.

“Two of the three buildings were padlocked; through their windows, encrusted with layers of sand and decade-old aerosol snow… I saw dusty, overturned fiberglass statuettes of elves and reindeer.

“The gift shop stocked no seasonal items. Its shelves were littered with flea-market knickknacks at antique-shop prices. Battered paperbacks cost a buck.

“On a stool behind the counter top cash register, a haggard, fiftyish man looked up from his circle-the-word puzzle and asked if we needed anything.”

By 2003, only ten people lived in Santa Claus.

And in 2004, people were struggling to even find it in the desert.

Over the following years the town became more and more sparse until 2022 when most of the buildings were removed entirely.

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It was up for sale for years – but no one snapped it upCredit: wikimedia

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By 2003 – only ten people were left living full-time in the townCredit: wikimedia

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A vandalised building left behind in Santa ClausCredit: Ben Churchill/Flickr

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The town used to have attractions like Santa’s workshop and a Christmas-themed restaurantCredit: wikimedia

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The festive town was oddly located in Arizona – off Route 66Credit: Getty

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The restaurant served dishes like Chicken à la North Pole and Rum Pie à la Kris KringleCredit: ABC15

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Ellie Doughty

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December 25, 2023
Arizona's 225 Million-Year-Old Petrified Tree Trunk

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225-million-year-old petrified tree trunk in Arizona 😳Arizona’s 225 Million-Year-Old Petrified…

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December 21, 2023
PolitiFact – No, the U.S. government is not giving people who crossed the border illegally $5,000 gift cards

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Mark Lamb, sheriff of Arizona’s Pinal County, has campaigned for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination on the promise to “secure the border.” He’s posted short videos on X about what he calls “truth bombs,” mostly about immigration.

When migrants cross the U.S. border illegally, “They’re being given a cellphone, a plane ticket to wherever they wanna go in this country … and a $5,000 visa card,” Lamb said in a Dec. 5 video. “We have our government giving people who came into this country illegally $5,000 gift cards. That’s the truth, folks.”

Lamb tweaked his message when he repeated the claim during a Dec. 7 interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters.

“The way that they’re keeping this away from the American people is they are giving money to nongovernmental organizations who swoop in as soon as they’re processed, and they’re sending them off on an airplane to wherever they wanna go, giving them a phone and giving them Visa cards up to $5,000,” Lamb said. He added later that the migrants “go directly to the ATMs after that and start pulling money out.”

We’ve previously fact-checked claims about immigrants getting cellphones and free flights. We’ve also checked claims about migrants getting debit cards or monthly checks from the government.

We asked Lamb for his evidence that migrants are getting $5,000 gift cards from the government or nonprofit organizations, but he did not respond.

On Fox News, Lamb said his information “comes from very solid sources, from multiple sources.”

When Watters asked Lamb to name these sources, Lamb said, “I get this information from sources that are right inside of there. Including guys that work with Border Patrol who are fed up with what their government is doing.”

Both the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection told PolitiFact they do not financially assist people who cross the border illegally. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which gives money to nonprofit organizations that support immigrants, said that money cannot be used to purchase gift cards or prepaid debit cards.

We reached out to nonprofit organizations aiding immigrants that have received government funding, and representatives from five of them said the organizations do not provide $5,000 gift cards to migrants.

Two FEMA programs provide federal funding to nonprofit organizations supporting immigrants: the Emergency Food and Shelter Program – Humanitarian Relief, and the Shelter and Services Program. Funding also goes to local governments.

In fiscal year 2019, Congress authorized funding from the Emergency Food and Shelter Program for nonprofit organizations supporting migrants encountered by the Department of Homeland Security. A national board, which awards funding to organizations, gave around $400 million in fiscal year 2023.

The Shelter and Services Program began in fiscal year 2023 and awarded around $380 million in funding.

Both programs list allowable expenses for which nonprofits can receive funding or reimbursement. Beds, linens, food and first-aid supplies are listed; gift cards and prepaid debit cards are not.

“Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston does not provide Visa gift cards in this amount to immigrants,” said Betsy Ballard, the organization’s communications director.

Ballard said the organization sometimes provides $25 gift cards to clients, including migrants, to cover “immediate needs often related to a crisis situation, such as gas or food,” but private donations fund those cards.

Kate Clark, senior director of immigration services for Jewish Family Service of San Diego, which manages the San Diego Rapid Response Network Fund, said asylum seekers might get “travel cash assistance through private funders,” but not from government funding. And the cash assistance is neither $5,000 nor delivered as a gift card. How much people get depends on how long they’ve traveled and how big their families are, Clark said. One person might get $10 for an eight-hour travel day; a four-person family might get $100.

Our ruling

Lamb said, “We have our government giving people who came into this country illegally $5,000 gift cards.”

Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection said they do not financially assist people who illegally cross the U.S. border.

Lamb also said the gift cards come from government-funded nonprofit organizations. FEMA, which directs the two federal funding programs for nonprofits that assist migrants, said grant funding cannot be spent on gift cards or prepaid debit cards. And five migrant-aiding nonprofit organizations said they do not provide $5,000 gift cards.

At PolitiFact, the burden of proof is on the person making the claim. Lamb didn’t provide evidence to back up his statement, either when questioned publicly or when asked by PolitiFact.

We rate the claim False.

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December 19, 2023
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, first woman to sit on the Supreme Court, lies in repose

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The late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court and an unwavering voice of moderate conservatism for more than two decades, lay in repose in the court’s Great Hall on Monday.

O’Connor, an Arizona native, died Dec. 1 at age 93.

Her casket was carried up the steps in front of the court, which was lined by her former clerks, and passed under the iconic words engraved on the pediment, “Equal Justice Under Law,” before being placed in the court’s Great Hall. A private ceremony was held before the hall opened to the public, allowing people to pay their respects afterward, from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. All nine members of the current court and retired Justice Anthony Kennedy attended the private remembrance.

Supreme Court justices stand as the flag-draped casket of retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor arrives at the Supreme Court on Dec. 18, 2023.

JACQUELYN MARTIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

“The heavens shed a tear this morning,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in remarks at the ceremony, calling O’Connor “my life role model.”

Sotomayor, who serves on the governing board of iCivics, which O’Connor founded to promote civics education, praised the late justice for the mark she left on the court and the nation, calling her a “living example that women could take on any challenge, hold her own in spaces dominated by men and could do so with grace.”

“She was devoted to making a better world, and that’s what she did,” she said.

Among those who paid their respects to O’Connor at the Supreme Court were Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff, as well as several members of the Senate.

The last justice who lay in repose at the court was Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second female justice. After her death in 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, mourners passed by her casket outside the building, on the portico at the top of the steps.

Funeral services for O’Connor are set for Tuesday at Washington National Cathedral, where President Biden and Chief Justice John Roberts are scheduled to speak.

O’Connor was nominated in 1981 by President Ronald Reagan and subsequently confirmed by the Senate in a unanimous vote, ending 191 years of male exclusivity on the high court. A rancher’s daughter who was largely unknown on the national scene until her appointment, she received more letters than any one member in the court’s history in her first year and would come to be referred to as the nation’s most powerful woman.

Sandra Day O’Connor raises her right hand to be sworn in before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 9, 1981.

AP

She wielded considerable sway on the nine-member court, generally favoring states in disputes with the federal government and often siding with police when they faced claims of violating people’s rights. Her influence could perhaps best be seen, though, on the court’s rulings on abortion. She twice joined the majority in decisions that upheld and reaffirmed Roe v. Wade, the decision that said women have a constitutional right to abortion.

Thirty years after that decision, a more conservative court overturned Roe, and the opinion was written by the man who took her place, Justice Samuel Alito.

O’Connor also authored the majority opinion in the 2003 case Grutter v. Bollinger, in which the 5-4 court held that the Constitution allows the narrowly tailored use of race in admissions decisions. Twenty years later, in June, the current court’s expanded conservative majority ended affirmative action in higher education.

O’Connor grew up riding horses, rounding up cattle and driving trucks and tractors on the family’s sprawling Arizona ranch and developed a tenacious, independent spirit.

She was a top-ranked graduate of Stanford’s law school in 1952, but quickly discovered that most large law firms at the time did not hire women. One Los Angeles firm offered her a job as a secretary.

The flag-draped casket of retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor arrives at the Supreme Court in Washington, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023.

Mark Schiefelbein / AP

She built a career that included service as a member of the Arizona Legislature and state judge before her appointment to the Supreme Court at age 51. When she first arrived, she didn’t even have a place anywhere near the courtroom to go to the bathroom. That was soon rectified, but she remained the court’s only woman until 1993.

She retired at age 75, citing her husband’s struggle with Alzheimer’s disease as her primary reason for leaving the court. John O’Connor died three years later, in 2009.

After her retirement, O’Connor remained active, sitting as a judge on several federal appeals courts, advocating for judicial independence and serving on the Iraq Study Group. President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

She expressed regret that a woman had not been chosen to replace her, but lived to see a record four women now serving at the same time on the Supreme Court.

She died in Phoenix, of complications related to advanced dementia and a respiratory illness. Her survivors include her three sons, Scott, Brian and Jay, six grandchildren and a brother.

The family has asked that donations be made to iCivics.

The U.S. Supreme Court

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December 18, 2023
Roseanne Barr Is 'All In' For Trump – 'If We Don't Stop These Horrible Communists…'

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Opinion

Source: Screenshots YouTube, Roseanne Barr, Forbes Breaking News

The legendary comedian Roseanne Barr confirmed that she is “all in” for Donald Trump heading into 2024 while speaking at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest event in Phoenix, Arizona over the weekend.

Barr Is ‘All In’ On Trump

“‘I’m just all in [with Trump] because I know if I ain’t all in, they’re going to put my a** in a gulag… And I don’t wanna go to a re-education camp and have to give all my money to a bunch of losers that never know how [to] get a job,” Barr, 71, told the crowd, according to Daily Mail.

“If we don’t stop these horrible communists, Stalinists, with a huge helping of Nazi-fascist thrown in,” she continued. “Plus one caliphate to replace every Christian democracy on Earth now! Occupy! Do you know that?”

“We don’t care which party is wrong, we know they’re both nothing but crap!” Barr added. “They’re both on the take! They’re both stealing us blind! We just want the truth about everything we fought and died and suffered to protect!”

Barr later took to social media to explain that she had improvised most of this speech.

“I cannot believe I accidentally deleted my speech when making my last edit just before walking out,” she wrote. “I had to wing it last night, it was so scary. But I’m glad you guys liked it!”

Related: Roseanne Barr Eviscerates ‘Corrupt’ Joe Biden – Refuses To Vote For Him

Barr’s Previous Support Of Trump

Barr has long been one of the only celebrities in the entertainment world who has unapologetically supported Trump publicly. While talking to Donald Trump Jr. on his “Triggered” podcast back in October, she gushed over the former president while also revealing why she thinks liberals are so against him.

“What I love about your dad is he is one funny guy!” Barr said of the former president. “He is so hilarious, and I think that is part of why they hate him. They hate humor. They don’t have any sense of humor about themselves — right there that is what a fascist is.”

“Someone in power who has no ability to laugh at themselves, has no self-reflection; they look in the mirror and there is nothing there,” she continued. “If you can’t laugh at yourself, you don’t have a soul. Your dad laughs at himself and everyone else and he makes everyone laugh. He has the heart of the comedian, which is why we all love him because he’s so funny!”

Related: Roseanne Barr Reveals Why Trump Is Like A ‘Mother Bear’ – ‘The Only One With Balls’

Calls For Barr To Be Trump’s VP

Earlier this year, the former Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake called for Barr to be Trump’s running mate.

“I know that if President Trump needs a female Vice President, I’m starting to think right now as I’m sitting here: Trump—Barr,” Lake said while interviewing the former “Roseanne” star back in September, according to Newsweek.

“Well, you know, wherever I could be useful fellow and sister citizens,” Barr replied with a laugh. “I have the time and I think I’m smart and I’m definitely committed to the survival of this representational government of, by and for the people and I think that we can’t let it disappear from the Earth because it won’t ever come back.”

What do you think about Barr’s latest comments about Trump? Let us know in the comments section.

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James Conrad

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December 18, 2023
Democrat Narrative That Border Is 'Not A War Zone' Blown Up After 10 IEDs Found

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Opinion

Screenshot: Fox Business Video

Democrat claims that the border is “not a war zone” took a significant hit after Mexican authorities seized 10 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in an area just south of Tucson, Arizona.

FOX Business Network is reporting that a drug cartel gunfight witnessed by the Tucson border patrol resulted in the Mexican military seizing the devices.

Now, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is warning their agents to be vigilant.

An internal memo obtained by the network is warning agents to “exercise extreme caution” and “report any possible armed subjects approaching the border with possible explosive devices.”

U.S. officials are now warning Border Patrol agents to watch out for IEDs — improvised explosive devices — according to an internal memo.

“Agents should exercise extreme caution.” pic.twitter.com/hJENAZsptI

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) December 15, 2023

RELATED: Stunning Footage Shows Tens of Thousands of Illegal Immigrants Desperately Trying to Catch a Train and Cross The U.S. Border

IEDs Found, Man Arrested With AK-47 On US Side

In addition to the 10 IEDs located at the border, reports indicate an armed individual on the American side was arrested with a loaded AK-47 rifle, two loaded magazines, loose rounds, and a handgun.

Fox Business reporter Hillary Vaughn stated the individual arrested alerted authorities to 11 other armed suspects nearby.

The Mexican military, Vaughn revealed, found the 10 IEDs “filled with black powder and shrapnel.”

The border crisis isn’t driven by huddled masses seeking asylum bc they’re persecuted by their governments. It’s a for-profit operation being conducted by cartels in cooperation w corrupt elements of the Mexican state. You want to end the crisis, go after the cartels. https://t.co/iE8N0Jf3xd

— John Daniel Davidson (@johnddavidson) December 15, 2023

A law enforcement source told Vaughn that the ranch where the cartel firefight took place “has a gap in the border fence that is typically used in the past to funnel drugs through, but now it’s a magnet for the cartel to push people through.”

The Fox Business reporter said the source explained that the gap “was just a spot in the border wall that was never completed.”

President Biden halted construction of the border wall immediately upon taking office, saying that the border crisis was far less “important” than other matters.

“There will not be another foot of wall constructed on my administration, number 1,” Biden said in an interview with NPR before the 2020 presidential election.

He would follow through, issuing an executive order on his first day in office terminating any construction of that wall.

The life-threatening situation Biden and Mayorkas have caused for our Border Patrol agents is getting much, much worse. May God bless and protect them. https://t.co/vCAHvS5QOd

— Beth Van Duyne (@Bethvanduyne) December 15, 2023

RELATED: ‘I Will Await His Apology’: Trump Taunts Biden After White House Waves Dozens Of Laws To Build His Border Wall

Democrats INSISTED The Border Was Not A War Zone

Authorities discovering 10 IEDs at the site of a “gang war,” as Vaughn describes it, along with multiple firearms, seems to indicate the presence of a combat zone of sorts.

And yet there have been a plethora of examples of Democrats declaring over the years that Republicans are overstating the situation and that the border is not a “war zone.”

Cesar Blanco, a Democrat member of the Texas Senate said as a state representative that the debate over border security is “purely politics.”

“It’s bad for business,” he complained of the debate. “We on the border are trying to get away from the idea that the border is a war zone.”

Juanita Martinez, a retired schoolteacher and the current Democratic Party chair for Maverick County, just this past July said, “No, sir. I do not see a war zone.”

One wonders if she sees it now.

Isidrio Leal, a member of “Veterans For Peace,” called former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about security at the border “hate speech.”

“Unfortunately, it’s hate speech — what [Trump] says about immigrants, what he says about needing the wall, that the U.S.-Mexico border is a war zone,” Leal said as he protested a visit by Trump in 2019. “It’s not actually — Iraq was.”

Well, now they both have IEDs in common. And at least Trump visited the war zone.

In 2021, former Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela whose wife currently serves as Director of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, echoed the sentiments.

“Let’s make one thing clear: the narrative of a violent and insecure border region is blatantly false,” said Vela in a statement regarding another Trump visit. “The border is not a war zone, and the wall Abbott and Trump are trying to get Texans to pay for is not only a waste of their hard-earned money but also an un-American symbol of hatred.”

The fact is, the border is a war zone. An active one at that.

More than 8.2 million illegal immigrants have crossed the border since Biden took office, including more than 1.7 million gotaways that have evaded Border Patrol.

The Biden administration has overseen the arrests of 172 individuals on the terror watchlist at ports of entry so far this fiscal year.

Now CBP can start tallying up IEDs along with them.

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Rusty Weiss

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December 15, 2023
Arizona Garden in January
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What grows in low desert Arizona gardens in January? I’ll show you. All of these pictures come from my garden in Mesa, Arizona.

Low desert includes elevations below 3500 ft in the Southwest, such as the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas.

We garden in many parts of Arizona year-round, but we can’t grow everything all year. Take a look at what’s growing this month, and let me know what’s growing in your garden in the comments.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.

“Anyone who thinks gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year. For gardening begins in January with the dream.”

– Josephine Nuese

Low Desert Arizona Garden in January

January is often the coldest time in the low desert Arizona garden. Although colder, it doesn’t mean you should stay inside this month. There are important garden tasks that need to be done this month, such as pruning roses and fruit trees (see a list of garden tasks for January below). Harvests from fall plantings continue throughout the month as you plan for your spring and summer garden.

Keep reading for garden inspiration, a January garden checklist, and a list of vegetables, herbs, and flowers to plant in your Arizona garden in January.

Vegetables growing in the low desert Arizona garden in January

Kale is a superstar in the Arizona garden in January. Keep harvesting for a continuous supply. Frosty nights will sweeten the taste of kale. Grow several varieties of kale in your garden.

Broccoli harvests begin in earnest this month. Hopefully, you succession planted to have a continuous harvest all month. Plant transplants through the end of January.

Carrots planted in September and October are ready to harvest. Plant carrots through the end of March. Be sure to thin carrots for large, delicious carrots.

If you aren’t growing asparagus, consider dedicating a 4-foot by 4-foot raised bed. January is a great time to plant asparagus.

If you are growing asparagus, January is the time to cut back the dormant fronds and amend the bed with a 5-inch layer of compost.

Tips for growing flowers in the low desert Arizona garden in January

Cool-season annual flowers and wildflowers planted from September through December are beginning to bloom this month and should continue blooming through March. Thin seedlings if they emerge in clumps. Water cool-season annuals 4 to 6 inches deep about once a week.

Want better blooms on your seed-grown annuals? Thin them to where each plant’s leaves are touching one another when the plant is 3-4 inches tall.

Read this article to learn how to grow alyssum.

Most annuals will do well in our cooler winter and spring seasons when chosen carefully. As temperatures heat up, these cool season annuals will die. Keep a garden journal of what worked in the past and what didn’t.

Flowers to Plant Outside & Seeds to Start Indoors Each Month in the Low Desert of Arizona.
• PLANTING GUIDE: Each month lists annual flowers and bulbs to plant outside & seeds to start indoors.
• BLOOMING GUIDE: Photos show what may be in bloom that month.

Fruit trees in the low desert Arizona garden in January
- Plant bare-root fruit trees this month. Look for trees that have low chill hours (less than 400), mature early, and self-pollinate.
- Deciduous fruit trees should be pruned before bud break this month.
Blood oranges and grapefruit citrus are ripening this month. Best way to test for sweetness? Pick one and try it! Water established citrus once every 3-4 weeks in January.

Trying to decide which variety to plant next month? This article will help you decide.

Herbs in the low desert Arizona garden in January

Garlic chives are a reliable perennial herb in Arizona. Consider finding a spot to tuck them in and around your garden this month. If you have garlic chives in your garden, January is a good time to cut back and divide the overgrown clumps.

Read this article for more information about how to grow garlic chives.

How to Start Seeds Indoors: 10 Steps for Success

Low desert Arizona garden in January to-do list:
- If you didn’t start seeds indoors for tomatoes, eggplant, melons and peppers in December, get them started this month. The seedlings will be ready to be planted by February or March.
- Continue planning for February and March plantings. This is seed catalog season; get ideas you would like to try and order seeds. My favorite seed companies with great catalogs are Baker Creek Seeds, Botanical Interests, and Seed Saver Exchange. Look at your garden and plan where you will plant everything. Research different varieties to see which do well in Arizona. A good rule of thumb is to look for short-season crops. Be sure to rotate where you plant each year.
- Are you going to grow sweet potatoes this year? Start your own sweet potato slips so they will be ready to plant in March. This article explains how to start sweet potato slips.
- Buy organic turmeric and ginger for planting out in March. Learn how to pre-sprout ginger and turmeric in this blog post.
- Plant spring flowering annuals this month. (See list below)
- Plant pre-chilled (at least 6 weeks in fridge) tulip and hyacinth bulbs this month.
- Plant cold-tolerant trees, bushes, and perennials and protect new plants from freezing temperatures.
- January in Arizona is a good time to plant deciduous fruit trees. Look for varieties that require less than 400 chill hours, have early maturing fruit, and are self-pollinating.
- Bare-root roses are in-stock at local nurseries – it’s a great time to plant roses.
- This is the last month to plant strawberries. Space strawberries 12 inches apart. Plant strawberries with crown of plant above soil line. Mulch and water strawberries well.
- January in the low desert of Arizona is a good month to propagate succulents so they establish roots before summer heat.
- Wait until mid-to-late February to plant frost-sensitive plants such as lantana and hibiscus.
- Begin planting blackberries at the end of the month.
Watering:
- If we get heavy rain, trees and shrubs may not need supplemental watering. If not, water shrubs and trees no more than once every 14-28 days. Wateruseitwisely.com is a helpful resource for landscape watering guidelines.
- Do not over-water annual plants this month. Water to a depth of about 6 inches, and allow the top of the soil to dry out before watering again.
- Check containers with a moisture meter or make sure the top inch or so of soil has dried out before watering.
- Water established citrus trees once every 3-4 weeks.
- Water established fruit trees once every 10-14 days.
Pruning:
- Frost-tender plants such as hibiscus and lantana should not be pruned this month.
- Prune established roses this month. Clean up all fallen leaves and debris around roses to discourage disease and insects.
- Prune dead branches out of cold-hardy trees and shrubs.
- If deciduous fruit trees have been slow to drop leaves, remove any remaining leaves to encourage dormancy.
- Deciduous fruit trees should be pruned before bud break this month. Prune dead, diseased, broken and crossing branches and water sprouts (branches shooting straight up from limbs of trees). Consider treating fruit trees with horticultural oil before bud break as well.
- Do not prune citrus trees in January.
Fertilizing:
- Fertilize deciduous fruit trees at the end of this month. Water well before and after fertilizing.
- Fertilize established fig trees in January. Aged manure is a wonderful way to feed figs.
Protect from freezing temperatures (below 32° F):
- Have burlap or frost cloth on hand to protect newly planted citrus, small lemon and lime trees, and other frost-sensitive plants from frost.
- Plants in containers are more susceptible to freezing temperatures than ground ones.
- If freezing temperatures are expected, water citrus trees deeply to help protect them from frost.
Yard clean-up:
- Clean-up around fruit trees. Decayed fruit is inviting for pests.
- Consider leaving the leaves in place. If you do rake up the leaves, then save them. Bag leaves and let them decompose; then spread them on plants as leaf mulch in spring. If you compost, they are a great addition to the compost pile.
What to plant in the Arizona garden in January:

Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit to plant in the low desert in January

(Click the link to read “How to Grow” articles on my website.)

SEED, TRANSPLANT, OR BOTH? S = Seed T= Transplant
PLANTING GUIDE: Each month lists vegetables, fruit & herbs to plant outside & seeds to start indoors.

HARVEST GUIDE: Photos show what may be ready to harvest that month.

Planting dates are for the low desert of Arizona (zone 9b).
Vegetable, herb, and fruit seeds to start indoors during January

(Click the link for seed sources.)

Flowers to plant in the low desert in January

(Click the link to read “How to Grow” articles on my website.)
Alyssum (ST)

Carnation (T)

Chamomile (T)

Dianthus (T)

English Daisy (T)

Feverfew (T)

Gaillardia (ST)

Geranium (T)

Gladiolus (corm)

Hyacinth (bulb)

Hybrid Tulip (bulb)

Larkspur (S)

Lisianthus (T)
Flower seeds to start indoors in the low desert in January

(Click the link for seed sources.)

Vegetable, Herb, and Fruit Planting Guide for the Low Desert of Arizona

The ultimate resource for gardeners in arid regions with hot summers and mild winters—designed specifically for the low desert of Arizona (Zone 9b/10a).
It features information on how and when to start seeds indoors and when to transplant them outside for nearly 100 different fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

If you found this post about Arizona gardening in January helpful, please share it:
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Angela Judd

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December 12, 2023