Resources
Yavapai County Alert: Bark Beetles and Dying Conifers
Plant Databases
- Native and Naturalized Plants of Yavapai County
- Arizona Invasive Plants
- Non-native Invasive Plants of Arizona
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I find out about upcoming events? Our monthly newsletter advertises our upcoming events. Subscribe here
- Do you do water testing? We do not do water testing; we have a bulletin with labs that do test water in the Southwest, AZ111.
- Do you do soil testing? Yes, both our Prescott and Camp Verde Extension offices perform free pH soil tests.
- I need a plant/insect identification. How do I request information? You may bring a sample to our Camp Verde or Prescott Extension Office and a Master Gardener will help you.
- Where can I find gardening publications? There are lots of links to our garden publications and other websites on this Gardening page. Many of the publications are specific to Yavapai County. If you can’t find a publication on a topic you are looking for, contact one of our Master Gardener Help Desks.
- Where can I find information on growing tomatoes? Scroll to the bottom of the Yavapai Edibles page.
Help Desks
Both offices are open Monday to Thursday, 9am to noon and 1pm to 4pm.
We perform free pH soil testing in both offices. The Soil Test Request form includes instructions. If you would like a more thorough test than for pH, we suggest you send your soil samples to Texas A&M.
Backyard Gardener
The Backyard Gardener was a weekly Yavapai County, AZ newspaper column published from 1998 to 2021. The articles were written by University of Arizona Extension Agent Emeritus, Jeff Schalau. Those articles have been consolidated, updated and reformatted, and are available on this webpage with a designation of "BYG #". Ongoing research and changes in regulations will occur and inform best practices. Please use this site accordingly and know that pesticides and legal statutes change over time. Horticultural practices also vary from region to region and state to state. For the most current horticultural and natural resource information, consult your local Cooperative Extension office.
BYG = Backyard Gardener
YC = Yavapai County
- Firewise Landscape BYG #214
- Fire Recovery BYG #250
- Firewise USA
- Yavapai County Firewise
- Creating Defensible Space for Your Home and Property AZ1290
- Firewise Plant Materials for 3,000 Ft and High Elevations AZ1289
- Yavapai Defensible Space Contractors (informational only, contact Yavapai County Firewise with questions)
- Container Gardening BYG #198
- Cottonwood, Verde Valley, Sedona Landscape Calendar YC #74
- How to Hire a Landscaper
- How to Hire a Tree Expert AZ1003
- Landscaping for Wildlife - Habitat Elements YC #6A
- Ornamental Tree Care YC #58
- Perennial Border Design BYG #229
- Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley Landscape Calendar YC #27
- Protecting Trees & Shrubs from Construction Damage BYG #122
- Sustainable Landscaping BYG #93
- Wildlife Habitat BYG #109
- Windbreaks BYG #44
Hardscaping
- Fencing Your Garden BYG #210
- Greenhouses BYG #6
- Green Roofs BYG #215
- Hoop Houses/Low Tunnels BYG #84
- Rain Gardens BYG #147
- Raised Beds BYG #26
Planting /Propagating
- Companion Planting BYG #254
- EcoRestore Portal Soil/land restoration (what to plant and how to restore based on your goals)
- Erosion Control with Native Grasses BYG #63
- Fire Recovery BYG #250
- Native Grasses - How to Establish
- Planting Guidelines for Trees and Shrubs AZ1022
- Propagating Plants BYG #96
- Seed Saving BYG #193
- Transplanting Landscape Plants BYG #104
Pruning
- Pruning Landscape & Fruit Trees BYG #234
- Pruning Sealants BYG #17
- Pruning Shrubs BYG #164
- Pruning Trees After Storm BYG #187
- Sanitizing Pruning Tools BYG #125
Photos of Insects Found in Yavapai County
Arizona Pest Management Center Insect Photo Gallery
- Alternative Pesticide Options AZ1765
- Ants (Identification and Management), from University of California
- Fire Ant Stings AZ1954-21
- Harvester Ants BYG #16
- Odorous House Ants BYG #15
- Aphids
- Bacterial Insecticide - Bt BYG #116
- Bagworms BYG #51
- Bedbugs AZ1625
- Bee Identification Guide (Arizona)
- Beneficial Insects BYG #67
- Biological Insect Controls BYG #226
- Blister Beetles:
- Borers in Landscape Trees BYG #52
- Boxelder Bugs YC #9
- Butterfly Gardening #188
- Centipedes BYG #53
- Cochineal Scale BYG #199
- Cockroaches BYG #200
- Coddling Moth YC #10
- Common Fruit Tree Pests YC #13
- Conenose Bugs (aka Kissing Bug)
- Crickets BYG #205
- Cricket Management AZ1004
- Cypress Bark Beetles AZ1316
- Dragonflies & Damselflies BYG #144
- Drywood Termites AZ1232
- Earthworms incl Vermiculture BYG #58
- Earwigs BYG #57
- Elm Leaf Beetle Bulletin #18
- Fall Webworms BYG #56
- False Chinch Bugs BYG #209
- Feral Honeybees BYG #119
- Firewood and Bark Beetles AZ1370
- Flea Beetles BYG #76
- Fleas BYG #190
- Flies BYG #66
- Fungus Gnat Integrated Pest Management AZ1531
- Galls BYG #208
- Grapeleaf Skeletonizer
- Grasshoppers BYG #35
- Green Fruit Beetles BYG #5
- Harvester Ants BYG #16
- Horticultural Oils BYG #242
- Indoor Pests (Stored Product Pests & Carpet Beetles) BYG #38
- Lady Beetles (see Beneficial Insects)
- Insecticides BYG #240
- Insect and Disease Problems YC #61
- Kissing Bugs (see Conenose Bugs)
- Leaf-footed Plant Bug BYG #36
- Least Toxic Pest-Control Products - Directory
- Mosquitoes
- No-See-Ums BYG #59
- Oak Galls BYG #61
- Odorous House Ants BYG #15
- Oystershell Scale
- Paper Wasp/Yellow Jacket BYG #39
- Peach Tree Borer
- Pest Management BYG #91
- Pinacate Beetle BYG #55
- Pine Bark Beetles BYG #233
- Pine Bark Beetle FAQs
- Pinon Ips Bark Beetle AZ1394
- Pinyon Needle Scale AZ1315
- Problems and Pests of Agave, Aloe, Cactus and Yucca AZ1399
- Root Knot Nematodes BYG #60
- Scale Insects BYG #203
- Scorpions BYG #184
- Sequoia Pitch Moth BYG #19
- Snailcase Bagworm BYG #194
- Snails and Slugs
- BYG #124
- Snails and Slugs YC #59
- Solitary Bees BYG #42
- Sopulgids (Sun Spiders) BYG #8
- Sphinx Moth (Hornworm) BYG #37
- Spider Mites BYG #195
- Spider Mites of Conifers Bulletin #37
- Spiders BYG #177
- Squash Bugs BYG #18
- Tarantulas BYG #90
- Tent Caterpillars AZ1249
- Thrips BYG #2
- Ticks
- Vegetable Pests BYG #196
- West Nile Virus BYG #235
- Whiteflies BYG #197
- White Grubs BYG #11
- Wood Boring Beetles BYG #257
General Information
- Deer and Rabbit Resistant Plants AZ1237
- Discouraging Wildlife BYG #110
- Fencing for Wildlife AZ1481
- Javelina Resistant Plants AZ1238
- Legal Status of Wildlife BYG #130
- Ultrasonic Pest Control BYG #46
- Wildlife Repellents BYG #132
- Wildlife Track and Scat ID BYG #131
- Wildlife Transmitted Diseases AZ1481
Wildlife
- Backyard Birds BYG #189
- Backyard Poultry BYG #150
- Badgers BYG #114
- Bats BYG #149
- Bats in North Central Arizona AZ1675
- Beavers BYG #97
- Black Bears BYG #98
- Bobcats BYG #99
- Coatimundis BYG #65
- Commensal Rodents YC #12
- Cottontail Rabbits BYG #100
- Coyotes BYG #101
- Deer in the Landscape BYG #3
- Elk BYG #115
- Feral Hogs BYG #118
- Gopher Management BYG #45
- House Mice BYG #102
- Javelinas BYG #32
- Mountain Lions BYG #126
- Owls BYG #134
- Pigeons AZ2001
- Porcupines BYG #31
- Quagga Mussels BYG #249
- Raccoons BYG #111
- Rats
- Packrats
- Woodrats (Packrats) BYG #23
- Rattlesnakes BYG #133
- Ravens BYG #113
- Ringtails BYG #112
- Rock Squirrels BYG #24
- Skunks
- Snails and Slugs
- Turkey Vultures BYG #166
- Voles BYG #33
- Wild Turkeys BYG #165
- Woodpeckers/Sapsuckers BYG #155
General Information
- Community Gardens Bulletin #21
- Container Gardening AZ1713
- Cover Crops BYG #27
- Fall Vegetable Gardening BYG #185
- Farmscaping BYG #178
- Fruit, Vegetable and Herb Growing Guide (Utah State University Extension)
- Greenhouses BYG #6
- Raised Beds BYG #26
Fruit Trees, Brambles, and Grapes
- Almond Trees YC #3
- Asian pears YC #5
- Backyard Cane Fruit Production AZ1585
- Best Apple Tree Varieties for Yavapai County
- Brambles BYG #75
- Calendar of monthly activities YC #76
- Critical Temperatures for Frost Damage on Fruit Trees Utah State University
- Fertilizing Fruit Trees BYG #211
- Figs BYG #4
- Flower and Fruit Drop YC #16
- Fruit trees for 3500 to 6000 ft elevation AZ1162
- Fruit Tree Chilling Requirements #48
- Fruit Tree Spraying BYG #50
- Gogi Berries BYG #218
- Gooseberries/Currents BYG #77
- Grapes BYG #127
- Grapes for Central Arizona YC #22
- Fruit Tree Spring Freeze BYG #10
- Pruning Fruit Trees BYG #121
- Thinning Fruit Crops BYG #47
- Home Orchard Estab. BYG #163
- Pecan Trees BYG #217
- Persimmons BYG #220
- Pomegranates BYG #71
Fruit Tree Pruning Videos
Vegetables and Herbs
- 10 Steps for a Successful Vegetable Garden AZ1435
- Artichokes BYG #143
- Asparagus BYG #153
- Basil #245
- Edible Flowers Bulletin #17
- Garlic BYG #160
- Grand Canyon Sweet Onion BYG #247
- Green Beans BYG #244
- Growing Herbs YC #54
- Harvest Clues YC #19
- Harvesting /Storing Vegetables BYG #22
- Herbs BYG #216
- Heirloom/Hybrid BYG #86
- Kale BYG #172
- Lettuce, Winter BYG #148
- Mushrooms BYG #107
- Okra BYG #219
- Organic Food BYG #141
- Organic Vegetable Gardening YC #20
- Peppers/Chiles BYG #174
- Potatoes, Irish BYG #58
- Rhubarb BYG #162
- Seed Starting BYG #85
- Spinach BYG #173
- Sweet Corn BYG #223
- Sweet Potatoes BYG #224
- Vegetable Pests BYG#196
- Vegetable Planting Dates YC #51 Dates shown are for seeds, unless otherwise noted.
- Vegetables A to Z BYG #74
- Winter Squash BYG #225
Tomatoes
- Diffuse Knapweed BYG #202
- Field Sandbur BYG #213
- Herbicides BYG #7
- Hoary Cress BYG #241
- Lawn Weeds BYG #171
- Puncturevine BYG #14
- Starthistles BYG #228
- Using Pesticides Safely BYG #137
- Weeds BYG #170
- Weed Management YC #23
- Weed Management Choices Glyphosate and associated ingredients
Climate
Irrigation
- Drip Irrigation Tune-up BYG #230
- Drought and Extreme Heat: Plant Responses and Landscape Maintenance Practices AZ1876
- Drought Impact on Conifers BYG #117
- Drought Tolerant Plants BYG #248
- Fall / Winter Irrigation BYG #231
- General Landscape Irrigation Guidelines Bulletin #15
- Irrigating Native Southwest Trees and Shrubs Bulletin #41
- Irrigation During Drought BYG #138
- Using Gray Water for Irrigation BYG #40
- Water Conservation BYG #236
Weather
- Deicing Compounds BYG #128
- Fall / Winter Freezes BYG #9
- Fruit Trees Spring Freeze BYG #10
- Frost Probabilities BYG #12
- Frost Protection BYG #251
- Weather Stations BYG#94
Water
Western Regional Climate Center: http://www.wrcc.dri.edu contains historical data, including freeze date probabilities.
View our photo library of plant diseases
- Ash Decline? BYG #238
- Comandra Blister Rust AZ1310
- Common Tomato Disorders Under Desert Conditions Bulletin 56
- Cotton (Texas) Root Rot AZ1150
- Crown Gall Diseases #34
- Curly Top Virus BYG #20
- Damping-off AZ1029
- Fire Blight AZ1030
- Insect and Disease Problems Bulletin #61
- Iron Deficiency BYG #232
- Lichens BYG #206
- Mistletoe BYG #180
- True Mistletoes AZ1308
- Dwarf Mistletoes AZ1309
- Powdery Mildew AZ1033
- Problems and Pests of Agave, Aloe, Cactus and Yucca AZ1399
- Rust Diseases BYG #156
- Seiridium Canker of Cypress Trees in Arizona AZ1557
- Slime Flux AZ1031
- Slime Molds Bulletin #60
- Sooty Canker AZ1032
- Sunscald BYG #25
- Sycamore Anthracnose BYG #106
- Texas Root Rot BYG #43
Compost / Soil
- Coffee Grounds BYG #140
- Compost BYG #29
- Composting AZ1632
- Garden Soil Prep BYG #142
- Mulches BYG #30
- Mycorrhizae BYG #105
- Soil Alkalinity BYG #239
- Soil Amendments BYG #129
- Soil Solarization BYG #28
- Soils and Climate of Yavapai County YC #25
- Worm Composting BYG #258
Fertilizer
- Fertilizing Woody Ornamentals BYG #212
- Nitrogen BYG #88
- Organic Fertilizers BYG #89
- Phosphorus BYG #87
- Root Stimulators BYG #252
- Using Fertilizers Wisely BYG #175
- Winterizer Fertilizers BYG #237
Plant Lists
- AZ Dept of Water Resources, Prescott Active Management Area Low Water Use Drought Tolerant Plant List
- City of Prescott Low-Water-Use Plant Website
- Cottonwood, Verde Valley, Sedona Landscape Plants YC #32B
- Deer and Rabbit Resistant Plants AZ1237
- Drought Tolerant Native Plants for the Verde Valley
- Irrigated Pastures AZ2020
- Javelina Resistant Plants AZ1238
- Firewise Plant Materials AZ1289
- Landscaping for Wildlife - Habitat Elements YC #6A
- Landscaping for Wildlife - Plant List YC #6B
- Plants Poisonous to Livestock
- Plants That May Cause Allergies in Yavapai County YC #2
- Prescott Area Landscape Plants TC #32A
- Yavapai County Grasses YC #78
Plants
- Agaves BYW #79
- Aloe Vera BYG #169
- Annuals YC #7
- AZ Rosewood BYG #201
- Bamboo BYG #161
- Bermudagrass BYG #108
- Buffalograss BYG #103
- Bulbs BYG #207
- Cactus Culture BYG #181
- Catnip/Catmint BYG #146
- Chinese Jujube BYG #191
- Cool Season Lawns BYG #227
- Cottonwood BYG #182
- Creosote Bush BYG #95
- Cypress Trees BYG #151
- Deciduous Trees BYG #68 (Chinese Pistache, Liquid Amber, Desert Willow, London Plane, Mesquite, Honey Locust)
- Dodder BYG #64
- English Ivy BYG #183
- Grasses BYG #256
- Holiday Cacti BYG #253
- Hops BYG #167
- Houseplant Air Quality BYG #243
- Indoor Plant Care BYG #255
- Invasive Trees BYG #92
- Iris, Bearded BYG #154
- Lawn Grasses for Yavapai County YC #73
- Manzanitas BYG #73
- Native Oak Trees BYG #62
- Native Trees from Seeds BYG #123
- Non-native Conifers BYG #69
- Ocotillo BYG #80
- Onionweed BYG #82
- Oregon Grape BYG #139
- Penstemons BYG #72
- Plant Roots BYG #176
- Pollen Allergies BYG #136
- Prickly Pear Cactus #192
- Red Yucca BYG #159
- Rosemary BYG #221
- Roses BYG #222
- Roses in Yavapai County
- Sacred Datura BYG #41
- Saguaros BYG #145
- Saltcedar BYG #204
- Sedges BYG #81
- Stapelia BYG #186
- Sweet Resinbush BYG #259
- Tree of Heaven BYG #152
- Turf Tips
- Turf Maintenance (Weeds and Insects) YouTube
- Wildflowers BYG #70
- Wood Growth & Structure BYG #135
- Yarrow BYG #168
- Yuccas BYG#78