Mulch, dormant oils and debris

Posted by Robert Dailey Mar 2, 2006

March's legendary leonine entrance has been somewhat slowed in desert gardens by warmer that usual weather, and lower than usual rainfall in the West and Southwest.

Nevertheless, it's not too late to use dormant oil on fruit trees if you live in higher desert elevations. Dormant oil, or prophylactic oil, can be purchased from nurseries, garden and farm supply outlets, or by mail order. Spraying the oil on bark, branches and buds will coat any insects, eggs and/or larvae and suffocate them (thus the moniker prophylactic).

Now's also the time to clean up debris around your garden. Place the debris in your compost, if appropriate, or give it to a neighbor. As a last resort, place it in the trash.

Remove the old mulch you placed around plants in the fall. Take this mulch and place it in your compost too, remembering to turn it in.

Since mulch is an integral part of desert gardening, obtain new mulch and place it around your plants. New mulch will help the ground retain moisture in the face of those drying spring winds desert gardeners have become used to.

Also, the seeds you ordered in January and February should also be arriving. Follow the instructions on the seed packages.