Tips and tricks on planting trees, bushes, flowers and more in the Borderland

ANTHONY, New Mexico - At Sierra Vista Growers, you can find just about every plant you'd ever want or need. Fruit trees, vegetable plants, shrubs, flowers, indoor plants, and succulents are just a few categories of the variety of plants they have at their nursery.

Every day we get closer and closer to the summer season (which begins on June 21), which means now is a perfect time for you to start a garden or work on your existing one. Of course, you have to decide what you want to plant, and the purpose of the garden- but once you've decided, a visit to Sierra Vista Growers will provide you with all the resources that you need.

ABC-7 spoke with Kathy Rodriguez and Max Rapaport, who work at the nursery. Kathy specializes in flowers, fruits, and veggies growing, while Max is an expert on trees and shrubs. First, we will discuss some of the ways to properly set up to grow fruits, flowers and veggies.

"First of all, you have to know the type of light and the type of soil that your garden has. If it's a lot of sunshine, not great soil, then you pick things that will do better in that environment. Something in the shade that likes sun, it's not going to like it. It's not going to be a happy plant and it's probably not going to give you flowers either," Kathy explained.

If you don't have good quality soil, Kathy recommended amending the soil- adding nutrients and other substances to make sure the soil can drain properly. One must do research before they plant their flowers.

As for digging the holes before planting in the ground, Kathy explained to dig a hole as deep as the existing soil is in the pot you purchased the plant in. She also recommended loosening up the roots for all flowers, fruits and veggies so they'll have the opportunity and space to be able to grow in all directions.

Of course, some plants require different care. For example, tomato plants, Kathy explained, are best planted with a portion of the stem underground, unlike most other plants. The reason for this is so the tomato will be supported by the ground, especially in times of high winds.

Now to trees, and to the expert Max Rapaport, who was kind enough to show ABC-7 a demonstration of how to plant a fig tree into the ground.

First, you must buy the tree. Then, you'll have to dig a hole! "You want to get the hole deep enough so that the whole tree will fit in but keeping the same level of dirt in the soil. If you plant your tree too deep, it will choke," Max said.

He also recommended loosening up the roots before planting the tree or shrub. Then, you can put your tree into the hole and begin to fill the hole in with a good mix of soil, to allow for good drainage, and for nutrients.

"Once the hole is filled about halfway up, you're going to want to drop in your AgroForm tablets, one on each side, depending on the size of your tree, and we'll fill them up," Max showed.

Once you are done filling up the hole, you'll want to make a "watering well." On the soil, Max showed how to spread the soil in a way to make a well by having the soil slope down around the plant, and slope up towards the rim. Whenever you water, water will be able to sit there until the soil soaks it up. Lastly, you'll want to add a 2-3 inch layer of mulch. It can be pecan shells, straw, or store-bought mulch. The mulch will deter weeds and pests from bothering your trees and shrubs.

There you have it- some guidance on how you can plant a variety of plants in your backyard! For more help, and to answer your gardening questions, you'll definitely want to visit the store and speak with the workers, who have extensive knowledge of everything you need to know. You can visit Sierra Vista Growers at 2800 NM-28, Anthony, NM 88021.