DECEMBER
PLANT SPOTLIGHT
BOUGAINVILLEA
Bougainvillea is very popular across the landscapes of our communities. Drought tolerant with bright, paper-thin flowers in pinks, orange, white, or fuchsia, the bougainvillea can be put to use in just about any landscape.
A classic bougainvillea shrub provides bright pops of color to fill empty or monotonous stretches. The compact blooms of the torch glow arms gives height without overcrowding. Blank walls or ugly posts can be transformed with bougainvillea filling a trellis.
Whatever variety suits your landscape needs, all Bougainvilleas loves sun! And with our warm sunny, climate, they will bloom all year-round.
FUN FACT! The bougainvillea was named for admiral Bougainvillea, the first Frenchman to circumnavigate the globe.
HOLIDAYS
AVERAGE TEMPS
CHRISTMAS
NEW YEAR'S EVE
HIGH 68
LOW 45
PLANTS
December is a great time time spruce up your Desert Spoons! Each arm of the desert spoon has rows of tiny, sharp spikes so be sure to wear gloves and long sleeves! Use loppers or hand pruners to trim off the bottom layer of Desert Spoon. Trim the arms that are parallel to the ground. They look best when the arms are not touching the ground but are not too high up, like a pineapple.
OVERWATERING
In the southwest, it seems impossible to ever overwater. Our instinct is to assume any plant that is stressed or struggling must be lacking water because this is the desert, after all!
A quick and easy way to diagnose overwatering is to feel the soil. With any symptoms of overwatering you may be seeing, this will be your first indication if there is a problem. First check just the top layer. See if it is visibly wet and/or wet at the surface level. Next, poke into the soil gently with your finger. You’ll want to find a spot near the plant or tree’s base. If the soil is still wet, you may have an issue with overwatering. If it is dry, there may be a separate issue with the health of your plant or tree. If you are ever unsure if your plants are struggling and why, it is always a good idea to ask your friendly landscape professional!
Edema is an easy symptom to spot. If your plant or tree is absorbing more water than it requires, the plant’s cells will expand to the point of bursting. Look for swelling and/or blisters and legions on the leaves.
A common and more obvious sign your trees or shrubs are getting too much water is wilting. Look for wet soil along with green, curly or droopy leaves.
Yellowing leaves are another indication of overwatering. This is usually accompanied by new growth dropping as well.
IRRIGATION
It is important not to overwater plants and shrubs in the winter months. Excess watering will promote new growth. However, this new tissue growth is fragile and exposing it to cold winter temperatures can result in frost damage.
CHEMICAL
During the winter months, weeds start popping up everywhere and we are working diligently to keep them under control. We use selective herbicides to properly target weeds in turf areas. Selective herbicides will only kill certain types of weeds or plants. Using these types of herbicides allows us to eliminate the broadleaf weeds in turf areas, without damaging or killing the beautiful winter rye grass.
PROJECTS
The fall and winter months are a great time to get going on landscape projects you may have been putting off during the hot summer months. Growth on existing plants is slow and minimal right now. New planting should also wait until Spring. So your time and effort can be better spent replenishing rock or updating an aging irrigation system.
SAGE CUTBACKS
Beginning in December, select plants are revitalized and rejuvenated with seasonal cutbacks. We will be focusing on the most cold-tolerant plants, like sage, chuparosa, and ornamental grasses. Once this selective pruning or cutback is completed, the plants will be left to grow and flower naturally throughout the spring and summer months.
These select shrubs should be cutback to a height of 12″. Loppers, handsaw or chainsaw can all be used, depending on the width of the branches being cutback. The shrubs will grow back quickly and look great for the first bloom in the spring!