b'The December GardenBy Bridgette CrosbyD ecember is finally here! Aresoil, and this is the most important part of gardening and is you ready for cold weather?the building block for life in your garden. Will Santa bring us any cool days and chilly, crispy mornings?Just remember my acronym SPNK:Or will Santa bring us more rain?S - Sea kelp provides nutrients and food forWe can only hope! growing seeds and plantsP - Phosphorous promotes root developmentCooler temperatures this month will help your garden plantsN - Nitrogen promotes plant growth tremendously and they will grow. They will enjoy the warmK - Potassium promotes other stem and root strengthsunny days and be able to recharge during the cooler nights.Always SPNK before you plant! :) I was born, This month is a great time to garden. If you planted your fallFor seeds, now is the time to start seeds indoors if you arenear the base of garden in October or November, now is the time to watchplanning to plant in spring. If you want to sow directly inMt. Elbert, the for the first freeze so that you can cover your tender veggiesyour garden, radish and other root crops are good choices.14,439 ft. beauty, and plants that need a little extra protection from the cold.Plant them directly in your bed and then gently cover themits the highest Remember, the time taken to cover your plants at night iswith several layers of sheet plastic to help them stay warmmountain in time well invested in your garden and you will be rewardedand germinate. A favorite trick of mine is to re-purposeColorado and come harvest time.large plastic soda bottles.I cut them in half and placesecond highest them over each seed. This creates a mini greenhouse andin the lower 48. You can also plant additional seeds and starts this monththe seeds and seedlings thrive in these conditions. RemoveThe snow that for a second harvest in January, February, or March. Mythe bottles when the plants are big enough and the leavesfalls here melts tomatoes are slowly recovering from the summer, but sinceare touching the top and sides of the bottles. Remember toand creates the they are frost-sensitive, I will have to watch them closelycover at night through the rest of the winter. Recycle thestreams and and cover them. If you have tomatoes in your garden, thebottles when done or keep them for next year.rivers that flow cooler temps will make the fruit take longer to ripen butdown through dont give up. It will be worth it when you are enjoying aThe second most important thing in gardening is water.the watersheds of the Continental Divide. These streams delicious, homegrown tomato in the middle of winter! NotWithout water, you cannot have life. Proper watering isand rivers are the very birthplace of mighty Colorado, the everyone can garden year-round like we do here in thejust as essential in winter as it is in summer. Be carefulArkansas, and many other rivers that run east, and west, desert. I encourage you to take advantage of it!not to overwater. Watering sessions here in the desert noproviding water for millions of thirsty people as well as matter the season should be deep and slow. Deep wateringwildlife, livestock, farms, businesses, and gardens. Last month, my garden was struggling from the heat, butmoves the salts and alkaline away from the roots of your my jalapeos and tomatoes made it through. I also plantedplants allowing them to expand and thrive. Be sure to useLess snowfall in the mountains means less water in the rivers. grapes and raspberries so I will continue to gently tenda slow drip emitter or slow drip on your hose if you dontA hotter climate means more evaporation, more droughts, them through winter. I am really excited about the coolerhave irrigation drip lines. Also, keep tabs on your wateringand more summers with hotter temps. Less rain means less weather as that means I can spend more time doing what Iand your plants to make sure you dont have any leaks.surface recharge in our lakes, rivers, and canals. Less water love in my own backyard.Overwatering is one of the most common mistakes inmeans more cutbacks, especially on the Colorado River. desert gardening.Right now, in Pinal County, our farmers have lost 100% of the For those of you who want to make an additional plantingColorado water allotments. Think about that for a moment. this month, carrots, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, BrusselsAnd speaking of December and water, 2023 has been aWhat would you do if you lost 100% of the water for your sprouts, kohlrabi, kale, and cabbage are all great choices. Ichallenging year for us here in Arizona and the West.family, yard, garden, or business with little to no advance suggest using plant starts to give yourself a head start, thatWe recently lived through the hottest summer on record,notice? What would you do? How would you survive? way you save time and the plants will be stronger through31 days over 110 degrees and little rainfall from our the cooler nights, resulting in a stronger harvest. Whateverbeloved monsoons. Like it or not, our climate is changing.So, to close out 2023, I urge you to think about what the method you choose, remember that the soil is the mostWeather patterns are becoming more unpredictable.New Year will bring for you, your family, and your garden. important part of gardening. A living soil will give you aScientists at the University of Arizona have over 20 yearsWill water be at the forefront of your mind? Or do you trust lush, thriving garden. You should always feed your soilof data that show Arizona summers are getting hotter andthat when you turn on the tapwater will always be there? before adding any new plants or seeds.winters are getting colder. 20 years of drought has taken itsI am not suggesting that water wont be available to you I toll. Rain is becoming more elusive and harder to predict,am only encouraging you to treasure it and put a higher You may want to investigate the best amendments beforewhile the swings from hot to cold are happening quicker,priority on what is important throughout the New Year. My purchasing. There are some great organic all-purposeand more often.pioneering grandparents on the Great Plains used to say, If garden soils available as well as fertilizers. Look up localyou dont eat it, dont water it. Obviously, that would be a farms and nurseries or garden centers. They sell compost,Being born in the Rocky Mountains, I have always had achallenge for us gardeners who love and enjoy the beauty of soil, and amendments and can also help suggest ideas fordeep appreciation for water. But it wasnt until I moved toflowers. However, maybe this is sage advice for all of us here your garden. I add these directly to my compost and mixArizona that that appreciation deepened and became frontin the desert. What do you think?them into my soil when available. Remember, we feed theof mind. I recently made a trip home to the very place If you are interested in learning more about gardening, please join the Desert Diggers Garden Club on Facebook. In addition, if you are willing to take a short survey about climate change, I would love to hear from you. Results from the survey will be shared with scientists at the University of Arizona.In closing, I send warm holiday greetings and wish you all the best for a bright, cheerful New Year!Happy Digging! For more information, contact Bridgette at Desert Diggers Garden Club, contact@desertdiggers.org For more information on what to plant in Arizona, please visit the U of A Planting Calendar for Maricopa County: extension.arizona.edu/pubs/vegetable-planting-calendar-maricopa-countyPhotos by Bridgette Crosby38 December 2023'