KSFR reporter Mary Lou Cooper turned to Lynn Payne, local plant nursery owner, for tips about spring planting in Santa Fe. Here’s a summary of Payne’s advice:
· Although in the past May 15 was the target date for spring planting, as Santa Fe gets warmer the date has moved up to May 10 or even the first weekend in May, depending on temperatures. Some plants like geraniums and tomatoes can’t survive frosts, while others like lettuce, petunias, pansies, broccoli, cabbage and kale can.
· The key ingredient to successful gardening in our area is soil. When planting in pots, use good quality potting soil. When planting in the ground, since Santa Fe soil is devoid of organic matter, gardeners need to add organic matter like peat moss or decomposed wood chips in a ratio of 50-50 or 25-75 to local soil.
· When it comes to which best flowering plants are most successful, Payne said for annual blossoms, almost anything goes. Popular annuals here are geraniums, marigolds, zinnias and pansies. Successful perennials are lilac and rose bushes. Roses are perfect for Santa Fe because they’re drought tolerant and survive in winter.
· Tips for making plants thrive here include: fertilizing potted flowers once a week with water soluble fertilizer and watering potted plants twice a week. Watering plants in the ground once a week is suggested and maybe more when the plant is getting established. When it comes to pests, Payne said his nursery has lots of organic solutions but acknowledged that organic pesticides don’t work as well as conventional ones and that neither is really safe.
· The biggest mistake both amateur and experienced gardeners make is not paying enough attention to water.
· Payne’s final advice is to quit worrying about color coordinating your plants, because Mother Nature likes all colors. Try mixing vegetables and flowers in pots and in the ground. Enjoy your garden!
