Gardening in Arizona isn’t the same as gardening in other parts of the country, especially if you live in the more arid part of the state – the Phoenix metro area. The air is dryer, we have more sunny days, and the heat reaches relatively extreme degrees in the summer. The Sonoran Desert is considered the low or subtropical desert zone, so if you’re thinking of gardening in Arizona, then there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
Locating the right spot to start your garden is a good first step. Do the crops you want to plant need full shade or full sun? Part shade or part sun? You can always put up shade screens sold for gardening purposes, but you might be able to pick the best location based on the layout of your property.
Preparing the soil is the next step. The ground here may be rocky and difficult to dig. Just because it’s the desert doesn’t mean there’s sand everywhere, so check to see what type of soil you have and what type of fertilizer you’ll need to use to get the best results.
Choosing your crop should be next on your list. Warm-season crops that can be planted during our mild springtime include vegetables like beans, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, peppers, pumpkin, squash, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes.
Citrus trees are very common here and are, in fact, one of the five Cs Arizona is known for (with the other four being cotton, copper, cattle, and climate). Cilantro is used in so many salsa recipes here that it should probably be considered the sixth C! And cilantro is easy to grow here, too, though it should be planted in cooler weather.
Whatever you plant, you’ll have to work at keeping pests and weeds out of your garden. Bug & Weed Mart has several products that help you to easily control what might invade your crops, including natural pest and weed control. And the products we carry are safe around children and pets, too. We also have organic garden pest control tips. Come in to any of our Valley-wide locations to see how we can help make your attempt at gardening in Arizona successful.