How to garden your way through a monsoon

Dry, hot June is behind us, and we can look forward to cooler, moister air with monsoon season — or so we hope.

A monsoon develops when the prevailing wind shifts from the west to the south, pulling up moisture from the tropical Pacific through Mexico into Arizona. In good years, this moisture starts to really crank up in the first week of July. So, how does that affect how we garden in the desert southwest?

Preparations for the monsoon should have been made before July. The canopies of fruit trees and any top-heavy desert trees like mesquites should be thinned to allow wind passage. Tall plants should be staked, and trees should be watered deeply in anticipation of the high winds and haboobs the monsoon brings. If these things were not done, it would be wise to do them quickly.

Many plants will thrive during the monsoon season. Summer flowers like vincas, zinnias, gazanias, rain lilies and even roses welcome the humidity that arrives with the monsoon. Hollyhocks, sunflowers and Mexican sunflowers may be planted from seed in July. And, surprisingly, a second crop of heat-loving vegetables can also be planted at this time of year. Amaranth, all types of beans, corn, squash, pumpkins and okra may be started from seed.

Outdoor planting is best done in the evening during monsoon season to allow the plants to settle in when it’s a bit cooler. New plants should be watered daily for the first two weeks and surrounded with a thick layer of mulch to hold in moisture and cool the soil. Young plants will need some daytime shade at this time of year.

Should we change how we water our plants during monsoon? The answer is yes and no. To reduce evaporation, it may be best to water at night or very early in the morning. At least once during the summer, plants should be watered for an extra-long time to flush the salts present in our soil, fertilizers and water down below the root zone. Leaves of trees and other plants will benefit from being sprayed down following a dust storm.

Should a scheduled irrigation be eliminated or delayed in significant rain? Probably not. An inch of rain will percolate only 3 or 4 inches down through the soil — too shallow to reach the lower root zone of most plants other than turf. Regular, even watering of fruit trees like pomegranates or citrus will prevent fruit splitting later.

So, with proper preparation and care, monsoon gardening can be successful in Maricopa.

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