Looking to start a vegetable garden in a hot, dry climate? This in-depth guide to desert gardening
will show you how to successfully grow vegetables year-round, even in extreme heat! Learn the best crops for each season, from spring to fall, along with soil preparation tips, efficient watering techniques, and how to protect your garden from pests. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned gardener, you’ll discover practical strategies for thriving in desert conditions. Perfect for those in areas like Arizona, Nevada, and California who want to grow their own food in the desert.
00:00 Introduction
00:48 Understand the Growing Seasons
8:00 Tip 2 Choose the Right Crop for Each Season
11:18 Tip 3 Focus on Your Soil
12:57 Tip 4 Water Efficiently & Effectively
14:23 Tip 5 Understand & Create Microclimates
16:08 Tip 6 Managing Pests
18:38 Tip 7 Learn from Your Experience & Others
Key Topics Covered:
Understanding desert growing seasons (Spring, Summer, Monsoon, Fall/Winter)
Best vegetables to grow in hot, dry climates
Soil preparation tips for sandy and alkaline desert soil
Efficient watering techniques using drip irrigation and mulch
Creating microclimates for plant protection
Natural pest control and companion planting
Get ready to turn your desert yard into a productive vegetable garden, no matter how hot or dry it gets!
#DesertGardening #VegetableGarden #GardeningTips #DryClimateGardening #GrowYourOwnFood #ArizonaGardening #WaterSavingGarden #SustainableGardening
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37 Comments
I have the most amazing setup for gardening in southern New Mexico but really suck at it. Plants die in the late freezes and then in the heat. I'm planting the wrong things at the wrong time, not conditioning the soil properly…so many mistakes.
Guestion. I live in Glendale AZ my swiss chard is going into its 2nd year. I will be saving seeds. My question is my two plants are in pots but the leaves don't grow straight up and tall. They stay very dense in the middle and leaves are short and low to rhe ground. They are in the sun. Any idea why or how to fix them. When I grow it again I would like them to look like others. I plan on growing much more and plant in ground and in low raised beds. I joined your academy so I can learn to garden successful in the low desert.
6:33 wrong some plants really like winter or other seasons.
This is a fantastic video. Thank you! I live down near Bisbee and our last front is around May 10 so the growing season is crazy short. 10 years of gardening and I’m still trying to figure it out.
You explain things so perfectly. Thats a talent! Great info!
Gee, and I thought I wanted to move to an area where I could garden year round. What a hassle!! A greenhouse in Idaho isn't sounding that bad now.
Are you guys able to grow corn?
You're the one with tons of experience down there and I'm not but I wonder if you're making it more difficult than it needs to be. It sounds to me like you just need to plant the opposite than we do in the north. Plant the cool stuff in the fall and the warm stuff in late winter/early spring. And the occasional unexpected frost/freeze? Well, we all have to deal with that sometimes. So your "dormancy" period is summer where ours is winter.
Any advice for the high desert 9b
WOW!! If you look up the definition of informative you would find this video!! Thank you, so much.
should we add the mulch before or after germination ?
Water from the pipes are super hot too. Is it ok to water ?
Spring is here finally!!!!
'fall' aka second spring! <3
Where I live in way, we can almost grow tomatoes all year. The full sun in summer definitely burns the leaves, and winter nights we have to cover them to fight those frosts. But tomatoes are tough little dudes who'll really hang on if you give them half a chance.
Moving to Prescott soon, so I hope someone can guide me to learn HIGH desert like you teach low.😊 Great video!
Planting dates are so incredibly local, I wish the packets listed plants' ideal temperature, that would be handier
I live in Bakersfield CA in zone 9. Our sutuation is similiar to yours as you describe alkaline soil with low organics and then the hot summers. Sometimes we hit 110° but it is not the higher consistent heat of Arizona. I learned a lot from your videos.
Very good information! I'm in zone 6b/7a however my summer months can have several weeks of high 90s to mid 100 degrees with high humidity – 80+%. Last summer I had an area of my garden with 'full sun' listed as needed but the plants in it got fried alive even with daily watering. I'll use some of your tips for that area this year and have my Sweet Potatoes and Okra planted in it along with different flowers. My tomatoes and zucchini will go into another area that gets some afternoon shade from the trees then.
Thanks for the Great information 😊
So thankful for your channel!! I feel like there are so few resources for Arizona gardeners
If you do beehives you can harvest honey. But once a year at least you have to move the bees from one hive to another and torch the interior of their old hive to kill bacteria, virus and parasites. So you'd need at least two hive boxes. More is better.
If you do bees you can sell the wax and the honey.
I am not sure if Iranian Beehives are better. But the guy that invented Earthbag homes was an Iranian Architect who lived in California. And they do have a history for making some amazing structures. So there might be a god reason for their open floor system.
What a great video for a newbie in Scottsdale! I tried to go to your website to see if I could request a garden consultation, but did not receive a response yet unfortunately.
Angela she is the best all informations you need and very detailed. No way you can't find what you need to know from Angela growing locally. I take notes works wonders with my garden. Thank you
As a resident of Death Valley, California, your video was so helpful! I've also seen good results with using a tarp for extra shelter from the sun and some installed misters to keep the soil moist and humidity high.
Shout out az
what about using a mister, can't you grow in the 110 degree heat with mist?
Main issue in arid region is water crisis. Even for human there is water crisis
I live in Las Vegas, I believe we have very similar weather. Would I be able to use your same timing for planting?
White shade cloth can you recommend
What cost effective, affordable soil or fertilizer would you suggest to buy in bulk, in order to amendment a large area of desert soil in order to make it more fertile? What type of desert soil? We’re talking sand, caliche… more sand.
Future intentions: think food forest over the long term.
How can I get your planting guide?
Nicely done! Thank you! Best, Albert
Would your guide work for Las Vegas NV area?
Im so glad i finally found a channel that has similar heat struggles as me. Everything you’ve described for your seasons, aside from the monsoons, sounds exactly like what I deal with at the north side of the California valley. This will be my 4th year trying to keep a garden and if been so difficult every year because of the heat.
I’m in Las Vegas and really just getting into this. Thank you for such clear instructions. This has been very helpful.