The transformation that we have seen after several days of rain is really amazing. But it's not just the water! As you have heard us state on many occasions, the soils of Albuquerque are alkaline in nature, and we frequently recommend soil amendments to lower the pH. But guess what? The water that you are supplying your plants is also alkaline! The average pH level of Albuquerque water is 7.6. Normal, clean rain has a pH value of between 5.0 and 5.5, which is slightly acidic. However, when rain combines with sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides—produced from power plants and automobiles—the rain becomes more acidic. In some regions and forest ecosystems, this can be very detrimental, but here in Albuquerque, we are actually blessed by acidic rain.
So, with all this rain... should you be watering?
As nice as the rain has been, don't neglect the sprinkler system. The Hobson sprinklers are on again. We are benefiting from high temps staying at 90 degrees or less, plus higher humidity (and low pH just falling out of the sky) but it takes SO much long steady rain to do what a sprinkler system does. We suggest you refer to our "Yes, That's a Rainbow" article about how to read the signals that your plants send when they need more water than they are getting. Speaking of water...
Dare we say it AGAIN? "THE BEST STOCKED NURSERY IN ALBUQUERQUE!". We replaced 99 images on our home page to prove it.
We have replenished our fertilizer supply, and if you haven't fertilized in the last two months, you need to, and our special formulation 16-8-8 just can't be beat.
We WILL be open on July 4th, from 10am to 3pm. If you need a little more inspiration, check out our July Gardening Calendar.
We really have a great sale this week, especially on a long list of shrubs (a few are pictured below): Buy one, get one half price, mix or match! Our 50% Off Annuals display is really getting amazing as we continue to add stock to that category. See our Specials Page for details.
Take a peek behind the scenes - visit our "About Us" page and see what's new.
As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve
ALL YOUR YARD AND GARDEN NEEDS!™
Richard, Jennifer, and Your Gardening Angels