Year after year, tomatoes are the most popular home garden crop and it’s not hard to understand why. They are delicious, relatively easy to grow, and amazingly versatile. Whether you use them for sauces or soups, add them to a summer sandwich or just snack on one straight off the vine, tomatoes are amazing.

But tomatoes don’t just taste good; they’re also good for you.

Tomatoes are chock-full of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. It’s an organic pigment that gives tomatoes their bright red color and protects them from the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Similarly, they can help protect your cells from damage. Tomatoes also have potassium, vitamins B and E, and other nutrients.

Because of that, tomatoes promote health by boosting your immune system, lowering levels of LDL cholesterol (that’s the bad type), and are good for your heart. They can even help shield you from sun damage from inside your body – but you still need to slather on the SPF 30 to avoid a sunburn.

Despite northern Arizona’s short growing season, it is possible to have lush tomato plants gracing your garden with their beautiful lycopene-filled red bulbs. Scientific selection has helped make tomatoes hardier, but you’ll need to get them planted soon to reap the benefits.

A few of our favorites at Warner’s Nursery include Better Boy, which could also be called “Big Boy,” as it often produces plump, juicy fruits that weigh more than one pound; Celebrity, which is known for its taste as well as its resistance to disease; Early Girl, which provides nice 4-to-6-ounce fruits extra early in the season; and Siberian, which can withstand cool conditions and germinates at slightly lower temperatures.

When you are considering your tomato plant accessories this year – like cages or stakes – please also think about getting season extenders. These tubes of water will surround and protect your tomatoes by absorbing the heat of the sun during the day to keep your plant warm at night. Remember, the days are lovely right now, but evenings can still be frosty!

During Memorial Day weekend, Warner’s Nursery will hold its traditional Tomatopalooza, our annual celebration of all things tomato. Stop on by to pick up some plants or ask our experts about cultivating these amazing – and very healthy – edibles.

Happy Gardening,
Misti

Raised bed gardens are very popular and it’s easy to see why.

They make gardens of flowers or food easy to maintain; they can give your yard an orderly look and if your property’s soil is very poor, they are a terrific alternative.

Another reason raised garden beds are so popular is that they are ecologically sound. In a time when we are seeking to reduce, reuse and keep items out of our local landfills, raised garden beds can be created pretty easily with shipping pallets, which are plentiful.

After that, it’s a matter of cutting the pallets into wall sections, fastening them together with screws, lining them with weed fabric (which we can cut to order at Warner’s Nursery) and getting the soils and plants in.

Good soil is the single most important ingredient for a good garden. Raised beds give you an immediate advantage over a regular garden, because when you fill your raised bed, you can fill it with a blend of soil that’s superior to the native soil in your yard. Soil that’s loose and rich with nutrients and organic matter will allow the roots of your plants to grow freely, and ensure that they have access to the water and nutrients that they need.

You’ll want to prepare the area where you plan to place your raised garden bed by removing any grass or perennial weeds from the area (in fact, give the yard a good mowing before placing your raised garden bed structure there). 

Next, use a garden fork or shovel to loosen the native soil to a depth of six to ten inches; it will improve drainage and moisture retention in the beds. It also means that even if your raised bed is only about 5 inches high, you’re plants will really be growing in a space 12 – 18 inches deep, which is plenty of room for carrot, potatoes and full-size tomato plants. 

We recommend a mix of elements for your soil in a raised garden bed. Our “recipe” is: 

• 50% mulch or topsoil
• 40% compost (a mix of chicken manure, steer manure and a “green compost” like Warner’s Supreme or Black Gold’s Garden Compost)
• 10% potting soil, preferably with peat most, perlite or vermiculite, which help with drainage and moisture retention.

In order to purchase the right amount of total soil, a little bit of math is involved:

• Measure the length, width and depth of your planter (we calculate the depth as from the bottom to about two inches from the top)
• Multiply these numbers together to get the volume. So if your bed is five feet long by 4 feet wide and 2 feet deep, that’s 5 x 4 x 2 or 40 cubic feet of soil. 

We’re always available to answer any questions you might have about constructing your own raised bed, what soil to put in it and, of course, what plants you should populate it with!

Happy gardening,

Misti

I moved to Flagstaff in 1993, promptly tried my hand at gardening, and quickly learned that I wasn’t in Pennsylvania anymore. We have many challenges here in the high country that make gardening so much more interesting than in Pennsylvania. I’ve learned that one of the biggest challenges is working with our soil.

Soils in Flagstaff and surrounding communities may be perfect for native plants but can make growing vegetables, herbs, non-native annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs difficult.

People living on the west side of Flagstaff find that their soil often has only a few inches of topsoil and the layer underneath is almost impossible to dig into as it has so much clay. Other folks find that their property sits on top of a limestone shelf. The southeastern part of town has soil with lots of rocks. Further east, soils are cindery and easy to dig into but so well-draining that watering becomes a problem. Lucky are the folks that live in the neighborhoods near Sunnyside; they actually have topsoil and even more than a foot of it.

The clayey soils on the west side of town make watering hard as water moves too slowly into the ground. In sandy or cindery soils, water moves thru the soil so quickly you can almost wonder if you even watered.

Another trial is that most soils in the Flagstaff area are slightly alkaline, particularly east of town, and when you move further east, the pH can be as high as 8. Alkalinity makes it harder for certain nutrients to be taken up by the plants. Many vegetables prefer a pH closer to 6.5.

And if that’s not enough, much of the soil structure can be compacted. Heavy equipment required for building a house can completely ruin structure. And regardless of where you live, almost all of our soils lack sufficient organic matter needed by many vegetables and non-native plants for their best growth.

Fortunately, there’s a solution to these different soil conditions; add organic matter.

Organic matter, especially compost, is the key to building healthy soil. Organic matter helps water move into clayey soils more readily, and it helps slow the movement in sandy soils. Organic matter helps to lower soil pH slightly as microbes break down the material. Organic matter can help restore soil structure and prevent it from becoming compacted again.

This does require lots of digging to incorporate the organic matter. (When soils are so dense or rocky that it’s impossible to dig, creating a raised bed may be the best solution.)

There are many options for adding organic matter to the soil: buying bagged material, collecting dried leaves, and getting manure from a neighbor. Many gardeners have a favorite. I think the absolute best is compost. Compost does everything that other organic materials do such as building better soil structure, reducing compaction, modifying pH, and aiding water retention and movement in the soil. Compost also provides microorganisms, essential for a healthy soil, and many nutrients.

Regardless of what material you choose, by adding organic matter, you can build a healthy garden soil and have a successful garden – even if it’s not in Pennsylvania.

Hattie Braun is the County Director of the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension in Coconino County, and coordinator of the Master Gardener Program. She recently taught an “Intro to Soils” class as part of Warner’s Root Camp and will be back on May 21 to teach a class on Deer- and Javelina-Resistant Gardening.

I am always singing the praises of gardening.

Typically, I tend to talk about gardening as a way to beautify your home, spend time with your family and grow fabulous things – be they trees or flower beds or tasty tomatoes or veggies.

Today, however, I want to take a look at the many health benefits of gardening.

Are you looking for a fitness program that will help you with endurance, flexibility, and strength? Keep you outside in the fresh air instead of inside at a gym? Give you calmness and relaxation even as it provides a moderate aerobic workout? Gardening can do all those things!

Don’t take my word for it; the National Institutes of Health published a “meta-analysis” on gardening reviewing 22 case studies worldwide about how gardening affected people both physically and emotionally. Here’s what they found:

Studies reported a wide range of health outcomes, such as reductions in depression, anxiety, and body mass index, as well as increases in life satisfaction, quality of life, and sense of community….This study has provided robust evidence for the positive effects of gardening on health. A regular dose of gardening can improve public health.

And gardening is exercise with a purpose. Once you are done raking, weeding, turning compost, pruning shrubs, planting trees, digging holes and hauling bags of soil and fertilizer, you’ve not only given yourself a workout (to the tune of burning 200 to 300 calories an hour), you’ve also created something lovely.

But like all exercise routines, there are some things to keep in mind when you are gardening:

• Stretch. You wouldn’t run a 5K or start lifting weights without a warmup and the same is true for gardening.
• Alternate “exercises.” Try not to go more than 20 or 30 minutes doing one specific task. It ensures that you don’t overstress one muscle group.
• Take plenty of breaks. It’s easy to overdo it in any physical activity and gardening is no exception.
• Keep hydrated. Between our high altitude and the workout gardening can give you, you’ll need to drink plenty of water.
• Make sure you are enjoying your workout. Gardening shouldn’t be seen as a punishment or annoying chore but as a chance to play in the dirt. Yep, it’s hard work, but it can also be joyful and fun.

I hope you are getting to enjoy all of the benefits of gardening this year from the workout you’ll get to the flowers and veggies you’ll enjoy all season long.

Happy gardening,
Misti

Bare root plants might look a little like a bunch of half-dead stems, but today I’m going to share with you how to get the most out of these plants that are truly a great bang for your buck.

You will usually see rhubarb, raspberries, grapes and asparagus plants in bare root.

The first step is to figure out where you want your small fruits to grow. You need a location that gets 6 or more hours of sunlight per day, because fruit-bearing crops require full sun in order to produce.

Then you need to amend your soil to make it a happy home for your bare root plants. You will need fertile, loamy soil. We recommend doing a half and half of Warner’s Supreme Planting mix with your existing soil. 

After you prepare the soil, you need to prep your plants. Place the roots in a container of lukewarm water with Ferti-Lome’s root stimulator. You need about 3 tablespoons of root stimulator per each gallon of water. Arrange the plants so only the roots are in the water and leave them soaking overnight.

Now you are ready to plant. Dig a hole for each plant, just a little deeper than the roots extend. Build a small mound of soil inside the hole for each plant. Then place the plant’s crown on top of the mound and fan the roots around it. Pat your amended soil over the roots to just cover them and then fill in the rest of the hole around the mounds with your amended soil. There will be a little settling, and you want to make sure the crown of the plant is underground. 

Water the plant well and continue to water as needed to keep the soil moist but well drained. Once a week, water with some root stimulator mixed in. Again you’ll be using 3 tablespoons of the stimulator per gallon of water. It will help the plants get established. Continue for about 4-6 weeks.

And there you have it! Your bare root plants will have what they need to grow strong and healthy and provide you with plenty of yummy fruit. 

Happy Gardening!
Misti

We are getting back into the swing of things for the upcoming gardening season. On March 12, we’ll start our annual Root Camp classes and the very first one will be about spring pruning. If you aren’t able to attend that class, here are some basic tips.

Pruning helps maintain the health of your tree or shrub when you remove diseased or dead branches, or ones that are growing into one another. It can also help increase the yield of flowers or fruit by taking energy away from unneeded foliage. Last but not least, pruning is a safety precaution by removing branches that are cracked or threatening to fall.

Late winter and early spring are the perfect time for pruning because the plants are dormant, meaning that wounds will heal faster. For deciduous plants, there’s the added benefit that it’s easier to see what you are doing because the trees are bare. However, if you have a spring blooming tree or shrub, you should ideally prune them before they bud. Otherwise, wait until after blooming has finished.”

One important rule of all types of pruning is this: never prune more than one third of the plant. Prune more than that and you run the risk of damaging the plant or at least stunting its growth. 

Types of Pruning Cuts for Deciduous Plants

Because many kinds of pruning cuts are made near a growth bud, you have to know how your plants grow in order to determine where to cut. There are three types: (1) a terminal bud grows at the tip of a shoot; (2) a lateral bud grows alongside the shoot; and (3) a latent bud lies dormant beneath the bark. If a branch breaks or is cut off near it, it may develop into a new shoot.

Once you determine the type, you can choose one of these four pruning cuts to keep it healthy.

• Thinning – This is when you remove an entire branch or stem, taking it back to its point of origin or to a juncture with another branch. These cuts eliminate competing or old stems, reduce overall size, and open up a plant’s structure.
• Heading – Heading cuts remove just part of a stem or branch – not the whole thing. Such cuts can be made back to a bud or to a twig and it stimulates the growth of lateral buds just below the cut. 
• Shearing – Clipping a plant’s outer foliage to create an even surface (like with hedges or a topiary). It’s kind of an indiscriminate form of heading, because it doesn’t involve precise cutting just above a growing point.
• Pinching – This is the simplest of pruning cuts. Using your thumb and forefinger or a pair of hand shears, you nip off the tips of new growth, removing the terminal bud. This stops the shoot from growing longer and stimulates branching. Pinching is used primarily on annuals and perennials to make them bushy and encourage the production of more flowers.

What to Do with Conifers

Part of the allure of evergreens is that they are usually low-maintenance plants. A little periodic pruning, however, can keep your conifers healthy and looking their best. When thinking about pruning conifers – or any plant for that matter – it’s good to remember the old adage, “measure twice and cut once.” In the case of conifers, it’s “think twice and prune once.” 

Here’s the really important thing to remember: there is no place for “recreational pruning” of conifers because they don’t replace growth like other trees and shrubs; pruning is always done for a particular purpose, like keeping a particular look, removing dead or diseased branches, or controlling the size if they are threatening to grow into other plants or buildings.

If you have more questions about pruning, please consider attending our class at 10 am on Saturday, March 12, or you can always contact us at the nursery – we are always happy to help!

Happy Gardening!
Misti

Spring is coming.

We can feel it in the nursery. It’s more than the fact that we’ve stocked up on seeds and soil and everything gardeners need to get ready for a new season. It’s a feeling of excitement. The days are getting longer, they’ll get warmer (eventually), and before you know it, we’ll be outdoors planting, cultivating and enjoying the fruits of our labors.

I know that some of you might be reading this who don’t feel confident about your gardening abilities. Maybe you tried gardening in the past and it didn’t work out. Because for all the rewards of gardening – and there are many – it sometimes can be a challenge, particularly in northern Arizona.

Poor soil. Persistent drought. A short growing season. Javelinas, for goodness sakes! 

But don’t worry; we’ve got you covered.

While many of us enjoy gardening as a solo activity, we at Warner’s like to think of it more as a team sport, particularly when you are new at it. We believe you’ll get the most out of your time cultivating the earth if you have coaches and fellow gardeners cheering you on and sharing their wisdom and experience.

Beginning next month, we’ll be offering that team spirit through Warner’s Root Camp, a Gardening 101 series of classes to help you build up your skills in the garden. These 15 free sessions will be offered on Saturdays at 10 am from March to July. There are classes on understanding your soil, how to plant from seed, container gardening, installing a drip irrigation system, building the perfect garden to attract pollinators, hydroponics and much more.

You can see the full list of classes here. 

We are very pleased that almost all of our 2022 Root Camp classes will be led by certified Master Gardeners, people who have undergone extensive education and training through the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension program.

These Root Camp experts will give you invaluable tips and tools you need for gardening success. And they aren’t the only members of your gardening “squad.” Our Warner’s employees are also on hand every day to answer your questions and provide guidance; just give us a call or visit us down at the nursery.

Working together, we think we can provide you with a winning gardening season this year. 

Go team!

Happy Gardening,
Misti