Gardening Hints

MAXON CIRCLE COMMON AREA GARDEN COMMITTEE
SEASONAL MAINTENANCE GUIDELINES

According to the U of A Pima County Cooperative Extension’s Master
Gardeners, there are six distinct gardening seasons in Green Valley,
each with their own planting and maintenance tasks. For example,
most Arizona trees can be trimmed throughout the year if correct
procedures are followed, but the best time to trim depends on the
species and the objective.

With their advice, we have adapted the Master Gardener planner to the
types of vegetation we have in our HOA. We expect this list will evolve
and adjust with experience. Ideally, we would schedule regular
pruning, cleanup and removal periods for each townhouse community.
A very rough draft follows:

Warming Winter Season: Mid January to Mid-March (60 Days)
a. Water only plants in containers, citrus, or new plantings
Warming to Summer Season: Mid-March to Mid-June (90 Days)
a. Set out heat loving plants that require warm soil to germinate
b. Late March to Mid-May, best time to plant groundcover and
small shrubs.
c. Prune spring flowering shrubs following blooming
d. Trim fast growing desert trees near buildings and walkways
after spring growth and before the Monsoon season to control
size without over pruning.

(Note: This is the primary maintenance season for our HOA)
Hot Summer season: July and August (60 Days)
a. Monsoon rains and extreme heat can create tree damage that
should be taken care of as soon as possible, to protect the
trees.
b. Best season to plant Cacti
Cooling Summer Season: September and October (60 Days)
a. Plant trees early in the season
b. Best time to plant bushes
Cooling Winter Season: September to November (90 Days)
a. Reduce watering to discourage new growth
b. Winter preparation: pull dried plants, general leaf and twig
cleanup
Dead Winter Season: December to Mid-January (45 days)
a. Very little plant growth
b. Trim non-native deciduous trees and evergreens, especially
pines which tend to drip sap if trimmed during spring or
summer.

(You can download the file below to your computer if you wish)