Gardening for Butterflies: The Importance of Monarch Waystations
Please join the Southeast Pinal County Master Gardeners on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 1 p.m. for the presentation “Gardening for Butterflies: The Importance of Monarch Waystations.” It will be held in the SaddleBrooke Ranch Sol Ballroom.
Known for its bright orange colors and its incredible annual migration, the monarch butterfly is now classified as “Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This is troubling news for an insect that represents nature at its most powerful. A tiny, delicate creature that travels nearly 3,000 miles to overwinter in Mexico. What plants will attract and support native butterflies for your garden? Did you know there is one specific kind of plant the monarch butterfly needs to survive? Do you know how to identify a male from a female? Come and join us and learn more fascinating facts about the butterfly and the importance of Monarch Waystations.
The event will be presented by Katie Rogerson, Tucson Botanical Gardens’ Director of Education and Public Engagement. Katie has over 20 years of nonprofit management experience in the arts, education, and environment. She will share her love of Lepidoptera (winged insects) and passion for flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert.
For more information or if you have questions, please email [email protected].
Become a Certified Master Gardener!
Join us at our Fall Open House on Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the SaddleBrooke Ranch Hacienda Club, La Vista Room.
Have you ever wanted to learn about gardening and our desert landscapes, meet new people, and make a difference in your community? Well, the Southeast Pinal County Master Gardener program may be just what you are looking for.
The University of Arizona Pinal County Cooperative Extension Program offers an online course for all Pinal County residents to become Master Gardener Volunteers. The Extension Office trains gardening enthusiasts who have a desire to help their fellow citizens grow better gardens and more sustainable landscapes.
Who Should Apply?
Anyone who has an interest in environmentally responsible landscaping and gardening in Pinal County and a desire to teach others those principles/skills using research-based materials.
What Is Taught?
Participants will learn the fundamentals of selecting, installing, and maintaining healthy, appropriate landscapes and gardens. Classes are taught by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Faculty, industry professionals, and other horticultural experts. Some of the courses available are Cacti and Succulents, Desert Adapted Plants/Natives, Pruning, Vegetables, Irrigation, Botany, Entomology, and many more.
When Is It Available?
These Master Gardener courses are now provided online all year using Desire 2 Learn (D2L), which is a cloud-based software suite used by the university for online and blended classroom learning. You can complete the course online anywhere with an internet connection, and usually at the convenience of your home.
If you live in the SaddleBrooke, SaddleBrooke Ranch, Oracle, or San Manuel and would like more information on how to become a South East Pinal County Master Gardener or are ready to sign up, come to our Open House or contact us at: [email protected].
Please visit our Southeast Pinal County Master Gardener website for more information at extension.arizona.edu/southeast-pinal-county-master-gardener and select How to Become an MG.
Your Master Gardeners hope to see you in September!
“Critters in the Brooke” Presentation
Your Southeast Pinal County Master Gardeners are pleased to invite you to attend our Community Education presentation on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 1 p.m. at SaddleBrooke Ranch Sol Ballroom, 31143 S. Amenity Dr., Oracle AZ 85623. Join us for this free presentation on “Critters in the Brooke.”
Living in Arizona provides an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. There is a lot of beauty and variety in nature. Have you noticed critters in your yard? Do you wonder, “What is that?” In this presentation we will learn about scorpions, snakes, lizards, and other critters as well as their habitat. You will learn what to do if you encounter them in your home and yard. We will also learn about the Catalina State Park Nature Programs and how to visit their facility.
Interested in seeing some of the critters in terrariums? Many will be available to view after the presentation.
Presented by Jerry Schudda, Director of the Catalina State Park Nature Program. He was born in Tucson and has been caring for desert animals for over 70 years. He enjoys photography so we will view many of his photos during the presentation.
For more information, please visit us at extension.arizona.edu/southeast-pinal-county-master-gardener.
The Desert Garden Buzz
The Southeast Pinal County Master Gardeners produce a free, quarterly newsletter for gardening enthusiasts. The following articles were extracted from the fall edition of The Desert Garden Buzz. Copies of the newsletter are available on their website: extension.arizona.edu/spcmg.
Fall Checklist
Irrigation:
* Check that drip emitters are still working
* Move drip emitters to plants’ current drip lines and add more emitters if needed
* Adjust timers
Weed, Feed, & Pest Control:
* Remove existing weeds and spread a pre-emergent to prevent new weeds
* Preventively treat for harmful pests, such as the agave snout weevil
* Fertilize lemon and lime trees
* Remove any fruit that drops to the ground to discourage pests
Planting:
* Replace summer annuals
* Replace or add new landscape plants
* Plant wildflowers and cool season vegetables
* Prune damaged branches from cold-hardy trees and shrubs
* Deadhead summer flowering shrubs
Do not fertilize or prune frost sensitive plants, as that encourages new growth, which makes them more susceptible to frost damage.
References:
Landscaping with Style, Maintenance: amwua.org/landscaping-with-style/maintain
Citrus Fertilization Chart for Arizona: extension.arizona.edu/pubs/citrus-fertilization-chart-arizona
Ten Steps to a Successful Vegetable Garden: extension.arizona.edu/pubs/ten-steps-successful-vegetable-garden
Plant of the Quarter: Cascalote
(Tara cacalaco, synonym Caesalpinia cacalaco)
Cascalote is a small evergreen tree with beautiful yellow blooms that will brighten your yard in the winter. A Mexican native, it does well in our area, but can become frost damaged when temperatures fall into the low 20s. Although it normally has rose-like thorns, a “Smoothie” variety is available.
Height: 11-15 feet
Width: 11-15 feet
Growth rate: Moderate
Flowers: Yellow blooms in the winter
Sun: Full sun
Cold: Hardy to 20 F
Water: Every 2-3 weeks in summer; 3-4 weeks in winter