MARCH
PLANT SPOTLIGHT
GOPHER PLANT
The southwest has no shortage of unique plant life. But even among this diverse palette, the gopher plant stands out! The stalks or arms of the gopher plant are a silver-blue color, with thick spiraling leaves that reach up and out from the center. The end of each arm blooms bright yellow in late winter through early spring.
Gopher plants are a great addition to any landscape because they are low maintenance, water-wise, and can be planted in pots, hills, xeriscapes - anywhere in need of a burst of desert color!
FUN FACT! The gopher plant, also known as “gopher spurge” or “mole plant” gets its name because it is thought to repel moles and/or gophers, as eating the gopher plant is toxic to these animals.
HOLIDAYS
AVERAGE TEMPS
ST. PATRICK'S DAY
FIRST DAY OF SPRING
HIGH 78
LOW 54
BLOOMING
Spring is finally here! This month, you should notice bright yellow blooms on the Cassia, fiery orange trumpets on the Honeysuckle, and colorful yellow bulbs on the Emu Outback Sunrise.
READY TO GROW
LandTech is currently accepting proposal requests for all-inclusive maintenance, irrigation projects, and property upgrades. If you or a colleague are interested, please contact our office at 480-249-3555 or info@landtechnetwork.com.
CLOVER
Four-leaf clovers are supposed to be lucky. But clover in grass is not such a welcome sight. Clover produces its own nitrogen, which means it is able to survive and thrive in soil that may not be suitable for
healthy green turf. The first step to preventing clover or eliminating it from your turf is to ensure the soil receives proper fertilization and nutrition. This allows the turf to grow thick enough that the clover doesn’t have any room to take hold and spread.
Another tactic is to allow the grass height to grow by raising the height at which the grass is mowed, or spacing out mow days. Taller grass blades will block the sunlight from the low-lying clover. Without sunlight, the clover will die out. Finally, targeting clover patches with turf-safe chemical applications is a quick way to control clover in turf. Clover can stay dormant in the soil before sprouting, so chemical applications will likely need to be repeated on a regular basis.
GOING GREEN
Four-leaf clovers, St. Patrick’s Day, and the first day of spring… March is known for being green. When it comes to landscaping, there is a common element that gives plants, grass, and trees their healthy green color - Nitrogen.
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Nitrogen is an essential element in plant structures, and vital growth and development of plant tissues.
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Chlorophyll, the substance in plants responsible for photosynthesis, is largely composed of nitrogen, which enhances the plant’s green features.
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Plants with proper nitrogen levels will experience high rates of growth and development.
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Lack of Nitrogen can cause yellowing of the leaves and stems, known as Chlorosis.
Chlorosis
SEASONAL CUTBACKS
Some of the most common plants in our desert landscapes are due for their annual cutbacks in early spring. So what are cutbacks? Cutbacks are also know as renovation pruning or hard pruning. Specific plants at specific times are pruned down to 12”-18” in size. The seasonal cutback promotes rich, healthy new growth, and improve the long-term aesthetics of the landscape, with a more natural flowering cycle throughout the year.
This type of pruning is usually performed in the winter and early spring to rejuvenate shrubs and ground covers, and to encourage growth after the dormant period. It can also help manage plants that have outgrown the space, are encroaching over sidewalks, or are obstructing lines of sight.
This time of year, depending on weather, you can expect to see seasonal cutback to varieties of Bougainvillea, Lantana, Yellow Bells, Oleander, Ruellia, and other common shrubs.
WHY?
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Promotes healthy plants by eliminating frequent pruning schedules
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Frequently pruned shrubs are in a continuous state of stress, requiring more water to recover
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Light and air are unable to penetrate shear-pruned plants, making them woody in the center
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Allows for natural seasonal flowering
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Plants that are not shear-pruned resist stress better than plants routinely and excessively pruned
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Increases aesthetic value of the landscape
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Allows landscapers to concentrate on more pressing issues such as checking irrigation