Here in Southwest America, we have an amazing collection of developmental conditions, as I mentioned to a family member in northern New York. They rejoice when summer temperatures rise above 80 °. They cover their beds for the winter and move out of their cottages and parks. At the same time, we can be Planning our fall gardens.
Just before spring, my inbox is packed with plant catalogs, and I would love to see them, but you Occasionally Receive catalogs by the end of the summer where I need information right away. So, I Google it.
I think “to Google” is now in the Oxford English Dictionary.
How much information is available in google or any other search engine? I can’t imagine.
But just because something is right does not mean that everything is right and proper Our Special developmental conditions. You really need a critical eye to make sure the computer is giving you the information you Required. Most of the time, websites are designed to sell something. If point com, it could be no I do not Be impartial.
Unfortunately, there are also hidden opinions. The blog may or may not be based on facts; Some people’s point of view may be simple Presented According to the gospel. Many gardeners they are Experienced and trained, but if a statement is too obvious or unrealistic, double check. Any statement that includes the words “always” or “never” may not be true. I learned to avoid those two words.
And just a lot of things Appeared In your search never seems relevant. I was looking at “Food Safety and Hydroponics”, but I also found pages trying to sell me. Absolutely the best Hydroponics components, and other pages tell me how dangerous hydroponic practice is. Those last websites were, of course, blogs. Comments.
There are millions of plants listed on the web, from annual auctions to spectacular shade trees, but don’t set yourself up for frustration.
For example, a plant may look wonderful in the photo, and from the description, they think it was suitable for all places. Take a closer look.
Where does it grow well? In which zone? We are Zone 8b, we are working up to Zone 9. But if a plant should be in Zone 10, we are very cold in winter. If the zone is 4-7, our situation is very hot in the summer.
What about water use? There are places around the world where water often falls from the sky.
Occasionally people there may need extra water from a tap.
We Occasionally it gets heavy rain here in the Southwest Desert, then it can go for months between rain events. If we wait for rain to water our plants, flowers, and trees, we will have a landscape of dead plants. You can usually find the plant’s water needs on the web or in the catalog.
At least avoid anything that is not drought tolerant. This is something to think about, since we have been in a drought for more than 20 years technically.
Let’s not forget the sunlight. We have hundreds of cloudless, or cloudless days each year. Any plant that needs it Partial shade It requires careful placement and great attention.
Salt soil is one of our major gardening problems. It is not often mentioned in plant descriptions on the web or in catalogs. When looking for plants, be sure to check your salt tolerance.
The World Wide Web is around the world, so not all information is suitable for Mojave, the smallest and most arid desert in North America.
I only searched for desert shade trees websites, and found a large area. I got a lot of them Can They grow in this climate, but some details will die in a few years. Maybe they will prosper other American deserts, but not all deserts are the same.
And with climate change, who knows what will happen in the next decade?
The web is terrifying, but it does not replace the knowledge of gardeners’ growth conditions, and it does not replace your common sense.
For KNPR’s Desert Bloom, this is Dr. Angela Okalagan at Nevada Extension University.