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Early Summer 2020
 
Early Summer 2020It’s hard to believe that Memorial Day weekend is checked off the calendar. This beginning of summer is much different than anything we’ve seen in years past. Graduation plans have been altered, summer vacation trips postponed or cancelled, and we have a whole new perspective of what’s important and our priorities may have changed considerably since March. There seems to be a whole new resurgence of home improvement interest, especially in gardening/planting edibles and landscaping (particularly regarding the improvement and development of outdoor living and entertaining spaces). Our homes have become our retreats and safe spaces and we need to make them as enjoyable as possible these days. We at The Farms Choice hope you are staying safe and healthy and are taking part in this home cocooning phenomenon as best you can. Hopefully our natural and organic product will add to your feelings of comfort and safety as you continue to garden and enjoy your home retreat.
As for lawns -- well, our golf course customers call it “getting ugly.” The transition from cool season grasses (if you over-seeded) and warm season grass is in full swing. Large areas of browning are not uncommon and there is no need to panic. The faster we can get the winter grass to die, the quicker the underlying Bermuda grasses will begin to recover and come to life. Don’t increase watering, mow shorter, and even dethatching are great ways to speed up this process. Once you begin to see new Bermuda grass growth, start applying fertilizer regularly through the summer. If you can -- because the equipment is heavy and a bit cumbersome to get home -- rent a core aerifier and “punch” some holes. This will help water penetrate and it’s a great way to get nutrients and soil amendments down past the thatch of the grass and into the root zone. I recommend homeowners go in together and rent the machine for a couple of hours (especially if you have a neighbor with a pick-up). Summer ripening fruits like peaches, apricots, and plums have set and, in some cases depending on variety, are beginning to ripen if they’re not already ripe. It is not uncommon for trees to set way too much fruit. Unlike citrus, they won’t thin themselves. In order to insure you get some nice big fruit and to keep the tree branches from breaking down, you must thin them yourself. Simply take off all the fruit but one in about every 12 to 18 inches of tree branch. I know, it can be painful to do. Sometimes it helps to have a neighbor or friend do it for you so you don’t have to watch! The bottom line is, if you don’t, you’ll have a bunch of small fruit that is hard to use, especially if you’re like me and have to peel a peach to eat it! It’s also a bummer if a limb breaks off and you lose a bunch of fruit that is just a few days from ripening.
As the cool days disappear, we still have some nice nights and mornings for awhile. So, enjoy our beautiful weather. Good growin’! |
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‘Comfort Gardening’ During the Pandemic
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Customer Spotlight
Family-owned and operated Whitfill Nursery, with three Valley locations, has been serving customers locally for more than 60 years. A recent trip to a nearby location gave ample evidence of a run on seeds and bedding plants. Tomato plants and seeds were being frequently requested, followed closely by staples like cucumbers and zucchini. Fortunately, the staff is knowledgeable, and is happy to give encouragement to the first-time patio “farmer” and the brand-new gardener. Whitfill features an extensive inventory of locally-grown trees, including shade, palm, and citrus. Their plant nursery has more than 300 acres of growing grounds where the trees are produced, so they transplant with ease. From a packets of seeds to a large box tree, they have all your tree and gardening needs. For the location near you, or for more information, visit www.whitfillnursery.com.
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What to Plant in the
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Where to Find UsThe Hickman’s and The Farms Choice family of fertilizer would like to thank the following nursery and gardening outlets for carrying our products. These folks will also be able to provide you with great and timely gardening information, and the plants and other necessary products to make your garden and landscape a success! ARIZONAA&P Nursery Arcadia Color Garden Nursery Berridge Nurseries Black Mountain Nursery Desert Horizon Nursery Elgin Nursery Harlow Gardens Jackrabbit Plant Nursery Mortimer Nursery and Landscape Olsen’s Feed Plant Fair Nursery Preach Building Supply and Landscape Rillito Nursery & Garden Center Sam’s Nursery Shamus O’Leary Tropical Fruit Trees Sprinkler World Stock Shop Treeland Nursery Urban Farm U & The Urban Farm Warner’s Nursery and Landscape Whitfill Nursery North Phoenix/Scottsdale East Valley Yuma Nursery Supply CALIFORNIACalifornia-Arcadia Garden (formerly known as Perla Nursery) NEW MEXICOPlant & Soil Organics, LLC |
Spring gardens should be producing harvestable fruit like tomatoes, squash, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers, and the like. Keep applying light amounts of 
The 50th anniversary of Earth Day ironically coincided with the outbreak of COVID-19. The public was somewhat poised to pay tribute to gardens and gardening than usual – but then, stay at home orders and social distancing created a rush at everything from big box stores to small retailers and online seed companies. Longtime gardeners and garden clubs were fielding questions from newbie gardeners and rookie growers, and sports fans deprived of seeing their favorite teams in action started cheering on their cherry tomatoes and their lettuce. Remarked one expert, “It’s a great time for home gardening because people are staying home.”
But why the surge in interest in gardening and all things farming during a pandemic? Theories abound, but the two most prevalent are that people plant things in the soil either to distract themselves, or because they are trying to exert a bit of control over very uncertain times. One of the central appeals to gardening is that there are predictable patterns and outcomes. In a time of uncertainty, this is reason enough alone for many to put in a few garden rows. However, others eye the empty shelves in grocery stores and anxiety over food chains, and are determined to secure their own supply of vegetables and fruits.
Social media is filled with images of landscaping morphing into “edible landscaping” that incorporates plants and trees that serve dual roles as both decoration and dinner. People compare notes on watering, trimming and fertilizing. (
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