Hi, Desert Gardener,

Recently, one of my readers suggested that I write about the challenges of gardening in clay soil. And so I did. 😉

I used to think all desert soil was sandy until I moved into my current home and discovered I had clay. The first time I stepped on it after a rain, I sank up to my ankles and thought I was stuck in quicksand! 😲

If you have clay, you'll want to check out this week's featured article. And if you don't, you may want to read it anyway -- it may make you grateful that you don't have it.

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Today's featured plant is a wildflower that actually breaks up and improves clay soil with its long, carrot-like root. It also happens to be my favorite desert flower that never fails to make me feel more cheerful.

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Starting this week I'm going to post the articles in this newsletter on my Southwest Gardener Facebook page. That way if you have a question or comment, you can start a conversation there. I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner!

In this week's newsletter, we cover:

• Clay soil problems & solutions
• Featured plant: Desert marigold
• Plants that hate cold, wet soil
• What to do in the garden in February
• Upcoming gardening events
• and more!

A Reader Asks:

"I left a large cactus on irrigation while I was on vacation and now it looks yellow and sick. Could I have overwatered it? It was only getting 15 minutes per day."

You absolutely overwatered it. An established cactus should never be on irrigation, especially during the winter. They hate having cold, wet roots and need to dry out completely between waterings. Additionally, this winter has been unusually wet, compounding the problem

When in doubt, it’s always better to underwater than overwater cactus and other succulents. Stop watering and let it dry out completely. Then check out this article on watering cactus and get it on the recommended schedule.

Upcoming Garden Events & Classes

There's always more to learn about gardening! Here are some upcoming event highlights.
* Growing Veggie Gardens with Rainwater @ Watershed Management Group
* Plant & Seed Swap @ Green Bee Wholistic Home Services
* Citrus Drop Off Event @ Rillito Nursery

Get the details in our Tucson Gardening Events Calendar →

Not in Tucson? Look for online classes denoted with this icon. 💻 Anyone can participate in these.

Gardening Quote

"If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden." — Frances Hodgson Burnett, author

In Case You Missed It

​Lilac Vine: Enchanting Winter Flowers​

​How & When to Fertilize Citrus Trees

​7 Tips for Watering Landscape Cactus (& Other Succulents)​

Before You Go...

Do you have a gardening question you'd like to see answered here? Send it to ask@swgardener.com.

If you found this information helpful or interesting, please share it with friends! They can sign up for this newsletter here.

And stop by the Southwest Gardener Facebook page where you can comment on this week's articles. Then please "like", "follow", or "share"!

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Keep growing and learning,
​Desert Dee