PHOENIX — Due to COVID-19, many people are working from home and picking up new hobbies, including gardening.
However, the Valley’s record-setting heat and little rainfall has made planting a struggle, even for those with green thumbs.
The experts at Berridge Nurseries in Phoenix tell ABC15 that, even during the brutally hot and dry stretch, there are some key tips to keeping gardens green.
“It really is a lot about education. You have to ask questions,” says Christine Fortman, co-owner of the nursery. “Call your local nurseries and e-mails photos in.”
Another important factor: water. Nine times out of ten, the issue is water.
Mark Pfeil, a nurseryman at Berridge Nurseries, tells us that it is important to water deep, long, and slow this time of year.
“Water weekly, three days a week, sometimes daily depending on if they’re flowers or recently planted shrubs,” he says.
Most desert-acclimated plants can endure the hot stretches, but the drought is taking a toll.
“Due to the recent circumstances with the lack of rainfall, you’re going to see them stress. They’ll start to weep and drop their foliage. Watering them would be beneficial,” Pfeil says.
Both Fortman and Pfeil tell ABC15 to not throw in the towel just yet on your gardens if they’re looking browner than you’d like.
“Protect them. Water them. Don’t do a lot of pruning or trimming at this point,” they say.
If you’d like more information about caring for your garden or plants, reach out to Berridge Nurseries here.
