• Slime (fungus) on Cactus and plants – Use: ELIMINATOR – Malathion 50% Insect Spray, Follow the directions on the container
• Agave Cactus (grubs attack this one) – Use: ELIMINATOR – 5% Diazinon Insect Granules, follow directions on the container
• Trees and Bushes – Want nice green healthy foliage and growth... try this. Use: Ironite – Should be sprinkled (minimum 12" from the center) around the tree or bush. If there is no rain, water well to start the action. This procedure should be followed every four months. Additional information can be found on the bag.
• Weeds – If you can't bend over to pull a few weeds, use ROUND-UP. It works well and goes a long way. Pulling Weeds in your area helps to eliminate re-seeding of the weeds. Reminder: Stay ahead of the problem – not behind it. Use Pre-emergent treatment in January and July.

Watering Guidelines for Tucson, Arizona

Drip Irrigation Guide for Tucson, Arizona

Maximum Drip Irrigation Times are based on the volume of soil that can be saturated from 60% available moisture content. These maximum irrigation times should only be used as a guideline to flush salts out of the root zone once or twice a year.

Drought Tolerant / Low Water Use Plant Lists

• Tucson AMA Drought Tolerant / Low Water Use Plant List sorted alphabetically by botanical name

Watering Tip

A drip system with a one-gallon per hour emitter and a 15 minute run time only puts out one quart of water.
A garden hose running only two or three seconds puts out one quart of water.

Do I need to water native desert plants?

After native desert shrubs, trees, and succulents have become established in a landscape, they ordinarily don't need watering. But there are certain situations in which you may want to irrigate:

*When desert landscapes are planted more densely than natural desert plant communities--and they very often are--rainfall may not be enough to support them. You'll probably need to do some supplementary watering.

• While desert plants are experts at surviving droughts, you may not like how they look while they're doing it. You can improve their appearance during a dry period by giving them some water. (But beware: this can take a huge amount of water during the summer heat!)
• Once in a while there's a drought so severe that even some naturally growing desert plants succumb. At such times you may want to ensure the survival of important landscape plants by giving them a drink.
• Some plants that grow naturally in areas of the Sonoran desert where there are frequent monsoon thunderstorms may need summer irrigation if you put them in parts of the Lower Colorado Valley little visited by the monsoon.

If an artificial desert landscape were an exact copy of the area's natural plant community, you'd never have to water it. The need for irrigation arises when we ask more from an arid land than it's ordinarily able to provide.