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Leaf yellowing or leaf drop occurs naturally this time of year to plants such as palo verdes, native mesquites, desert willows (seen in photo), elms, ash, and Texas sage. Leaf-litter provides beneficial mulch for your plants or can be added to your compost pile.
Don't forget, Mesa offers our residents a $5 compost bin made from a repurposed trash container.
If you want to be prepared for a cold snap, learn how to protect your plants from frost in a University of Arizona publication.
Recommendations below are for plants that are established in the landscape (in the ground about two years).
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- Desert Adapted - once every 35 days
- High Water Use - once every 18 days
- Desert Adapted - once every 45 days
- High Water Use - once every 21 days
- Desert Adapted - once every 30 days
- High Water Use - once every 14 days
Cacti and succulent watering
Annuals & vegetable watering
- Once every 7-10 days (or more if you are starting seeds)
Wildflower watering
- Once every once every 12-15 days if no rain
Note: These recommendations are a general guideline only and may need to be modified for your specific site conditions.
Landscape Watering by the Numbers: Don’t forget our online, interactive watering guide. If you input some simple information about your landscape irrigation system, it will tell you how long to water to give your plants just the right amount with these frequencies.
There's Still Time to Tree-cycle
Christmas tree recycling drop-off sites will be open through January 17th. Collected trees are taken to the Salt River Landfill and chipped into nutrient rich mulch and composting products. Get the details!
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Desert Institute on Gardening (DIG) by Maricopa County Master Gardeners
Sun., Jan. 24, 2-4:45 p.m. Ready, Set, Grow with a Raised Bed. Get the most out of gardening in challenging spaces, from selecting the best locations to construction ideas. Get your questions answered by Master Gardener Don Sutton.
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Sun., Jan. 31, 2-4:45 p.m. Totally Tomatoes! Pam Perry will give you the secrets, a planting calendar, and some good horticultural practices so you can pick your own home-grown tomatoes! Mmmmmm! |
Virtual Citrus Clinic 2021
Whew - I wasn't sure if the Citrus Clinic would happen this year, but those creative Maricopa County Master Gardeners have gotten really good at virtual programs.
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Jan. 25-28, 6 p.m. each evening. The Citrus Clinic features the foremost state citrus experts, including University of Arizona faculty and noted local professionals. The speakers will present eight sessions over four nights on topics to assist backyard citrus growers with selection and care as well as deciduous fruit tree selection for the home grower. Each night will feature two different topics and will include a 15 minute Q&A session. Registration closes Jan 22. Don't miss this excellent opportunity.
Water Adjustments and the Pizza Principle
 As your landscape plants grow, water needs will change. The larger the plant, the
larger its root system, meaning more water should be applied. Terry Mikel, former Extension Horticulturist, used to explain his “Pizza Principle” this way...always purchase the largest pizza for the best buy.
The rational is that a 2” increase in diameter (going from a 10” to a 12” pizza) translates
to a 43% increase in area. Wow, that’s a lot! Similar increases in water needs can occur
as your plants grow. That’s why about once a year, it is recommended to reevaluate your landscape to determine if water placement should be changed and if more water should be applied. You can increase your water applied by:
- adding more emitters
- increasing emitter flow rate size, i.e. from a 1-gallon per hour to a 2-gallon per hour
- increasing run times, or
- any combination of the first three.
Also be sure to check for leaks by looking for soggy ground or eroded soil. Replace broken sprinkler heads and check that sprinkler spray is not blocked by grass or other obstructions. Fix or replace clogged or missing emitters and move emitters out to the dripline as trees grow. Learn more in our Watering Adjustments as Plants Grow guidelines.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Find our City of Mesa facility closures and changes to programs/services, general information, face covering requirements, and resources during the COVID-19 emergency.
Mesa CARES. The City launched a Mesa CARES initiative in an effort to connect individuals, families, and businesses who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to available resources.
**Reduce your landscape water use 30 to 50 percent by adjusting your irrigation each season.** Landscape Watering by the Numbers: A Guide for the Arizona Desert will help you determine how much water to apply and how long to run your system. Visit the interactive website or request a free copy of the booklet.
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