Yard
and Garden
April
25, 2015
Q. I
would like to plant some raised beds in the Glorieta area and would like some
recommendations about what to plant. I have a drip line irrigation system.
A.
Glorieta and other higher elevation, colder parts of New Mexico, can grow many
things. Some of these plants are those that grow in other parts of the
state and some are plants that may be difficult to grow in hotter areas.
You did not mention whether you were considering flowering plants or
vegetables, so I will discuss both.
In a raised bed there are many plants that can be grown, but you should
consider factors regarding climate. A major such consideration is that raised
containers can become colder than the surrounding soil since they are above
ground and exposed to the cold weather. They also heat up on the side
toward the sun. Wide fluctuations in day and night container near the
edges of the raised bed/container can kill plant roots. This effect is
minimized by large raised beds so that there is sufficient protected root mass
far enough away from the edges of the bed. Within 3 to 4 inches of the
container or raised bed the roots will have problems, so a container that is at
least 12 inches across will have a large zone insulated from the temperature
variations along the edge. Containers, especially smaller containers, can
dry very quickly. In some cases they must be irrigated two or more times
a day. Larger containers and raised beds have fewer problems with this.
An advantage of raised beds and containers is that the soil placed into each
container can be matched to the plants that will be grown in the
container. Very well-drained soils can be engineered for succulents,
cacti, and other plants that need drying between irrigations. Soils that
retain moisture can be engineered for plants that need constant, even moisture
around their roots. Plants that need lower pH soils (more acid) than our
native soils can be planted in soils engineered for them. This is a
temporary solution because our irrigation water contains dissolved minerals
that eventually make the soil more alkaline. At that time the plants should
be repotted in fresh, properly engineered soil. This will also help avoid
salt burn since the minerals in the water accumulate in the soil and cause salt
burn symptoms in the plants.
Examples of flowers you can grow are pansies, calendula, snapdragons, cosmos,
hollyhocks, petunias, geraniums and many others. The first three can take
a little frost, but will suffer in the heat. However, since Glorieta is a
lot cooler than most other parts of NM and they should make it through the
summer. Peonies, daylilies, irises, and roses are some perennial flowers
that should grow well there. Vegetables include (but are not limited to)
cabbage, lettuce, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. for cool season, early
planting. Chiles, tomatoes, corn, beans, squash, and many other warm
season vegetables can be grown, but should be planted later when there is no
longer a chance for frost. Several types of herbs can also be
grown. These include basil, dill, oregano, fennel, and others.
Some growing season extension techniques may be employed in your area.
You can use various covering materials to get an early start and protect the
plants from late freezing weather.
For a few years I helped with the gardens at Glorieta Conference Center and
observed that a big problem was deer and other wildlife damage to the
plants. The deer did a lot of damage. Raised beds alone may not
help, but a barrier of fencing around the beds may be sufficient to minimize
damage by deer and rabbits. Deer do not like to step on crumpled chicken
wire placed on the ground around the raised beds, so that may be something
temporary to help protect against deer. Rabbits will take more effort.
The drip irrigation will need special attention. It should be drained
before freezing weather can cause ice to form in the tubing. Water
expands as it freezes and can cause the tubing to burst. This can be a
problem in the spring as well as fall and winter. Provision for draining
should be considered when installing a drip system. Drip irrigation
systems must also be checked frequently to replace any clogged emitters.
A good filter can help reduce the problem of clogging, but replacement will
still be necessary periodically.
Send
your gardening questions to Yard and Garden, Attn: Dr. Curtis Smith, NMSU
Agricultural Science Center, 1036 Miller Rd. SW, Los Lunas, NM 87031. You may
also send to cwsmith@nmsu.edu or leave a message at https://www.facebook.com/NMSUExtExpStnPubs. Curtis W. Smith,
Ph.D., is an Extension Horticulture Specialist, retired from New Mexico State
University’s Cooperative Extension Service. NMSU and the U.S. Department
of Agriculture cooperating.
