Desert Vegetable Gardens

Vegetables may not come as easily as in the central or eastern United States, but growing vegetables in the desert is possible. Success in desert gardening depends on your planning. Choose the right types of vegetables, the site you select, soil preparation, and the care you provide after planting.

Unique aspects of desert vegetable gardening

Vegetable gardening in the desert can be a challenge. Sunlight can be excessive and either theirs very little rain or heavy thunderstorms. Daily temperatures often can fluctuate from over 100 in the daytime to 70 at night (30 degs). Most desert soils contain very little organic matter and can be very alkaline.

Some of these factors we cannot ameliorate, but we can improve soil, water appropriately, and provide shade. Unlike most parts of the country, our summers are too hot for our gardens to survive. In Arizona, we can grow both a spring and a late fall-winter garden. Timing is everything when gardening in the Southwest deserts. Almost everything about gardening in the desert is different from gardening.

Vegetables choices for the desert

USDA hardiness zones won’t help much when it comes to selecting plants for the desert. These zones are based on minimum temperatures. In the desert, though, what’s important is tolerance for high temperatures and low humidity.

True to the fundamentals of xeriscaping, your best choices are native vegetables. For this reason, the “three sisters”—corn, beans, and squash—are a popular combination. Chilies also grow well in the southwest. Another popular garden plant is the lanternlike fruit of the tomatillo hangs from the low, sprawling bush. Tomatoes often find summers in the southwest too hot, but the Punta Banda tomato, which produces all summer - a rarity in Tucson They are small, flavor-packed tomatoes that grow happily in the heat

That’s not to say other types of crops won’t grow in the desert, they just take a bit more care. Leafy vegetables need good amount of water. Kagran Summer Lettuce and bloomsdales spinach are heat tolerant. Cassava (Spanish Melon)

Garden location

The desert's intense sunlight and daytime temperatues reaching sometimes well over 100°F (40°C) make it vital for plants to be shaded. Even warm-weather vegetables like tomatoes and peppers need some form of protection. The easiest method is to take advantage of a location where trees or a building provide ready-made shade from noontime and afternoon sun. If this isn't possible, a shade cloth is another alternative. Fabric shade cloths can block 40% to 70% of the sun's rays while without obstructing air circulation.

Continued >>

Page one: Overview, vegetable types, and garden location (shade).
Page two: Soil preparation and planting times.
Page three: Irrigation for vegetables.