10 TIPS FOR ARIZONA SPRING PLANTING SEASON. THERE IS A SECRET TO GROWING VEGETABLES IN ARIZONA – KNOW YOUR SEASONS.
PEOPLE PLANT THE WRONG THING AT THE WRONG TIME SO ITS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT WORKS BEST AND WHEN TO PLANT. THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF 10 TIPS FROM ARIZONA GARDEN EXPERTS TO HELP ENSURE THAT YOUR GARDEN GROWS.
TIMING:THE DESERT HAS TWO GROWING PERIODS – SPRING AND FALL. BOTH HAVE THE VEGETABLES THAT GROW BEST IN COLDER AND WARMER TEMPS. THE LIST IS VAST SO IF YOU WANT MORE KNOWLEDGE OF THE VARIETIES YOU PREFER, THE FOLLOWING LINK WILL GIVE YOU A GUIDELINE TO YOUR FAVORITES AND WHEN TO PLANT.
NEXT IS…
LOCATION:AS WITH REAL ESTATE, LOCATION MATTERS. TAKE TIME TO LOOK AT WHERE AND WHEN SHADOWS ARE CAST IN YOUR YARD AND PLACE THE GARDEN ACCORDINGLY.
SUNLIGHT…
VEGETABLE PLANTS LIKE SUNLIGHT, AT LEAST SIX TO EIGHT HOURS A DAY.
SIZE…START MODESTLY…EVEN VETERAN GARDNER’S CAN BE FRUSTRATED TRYING TO RAISE VEGETABLES HERE UNTIL THEY BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO THE RHYTHMS AND DEMANDS OF THIS CLIMATE.
SOIL…VALLEY SOIL IS RICH IN MINERALS BUT LACKS ORGANIC MATTER. FOR A RAISED BED THE BEST RECOMMENDATION IS 50-50 PLANTING MIXTURE OF NATIVE SOIL AND COMPOST. YOU CAN FIND COMPOST MIXES AT YOUR LOCAL NURSERIES.
WATER…
VEGETABLES NEED TO BE WATERED 1 FOOT DEEP. USE A SCREWDRIVER TO CHECK WATERING DEPTHS. THE URGE MAY BE TO OVERWATER, BUT ITS JUST AS DANGEROUS TO YOUR PLANTS AS UNDERWATERING. PLANTS NEED OXYGEN AND TOO MUCH WATER CAN DROWN PLANTS.
HOTLINE…MEMORIZE THIS NUMBER: 602-827-8200 EXT. 301. THIS IS THE MASTER GARDENER HOTLINE. ITS OPERATED BY VOLUNTEER MASTER GARDENERS, SO IT MAY TAKE 48 HOURS TO GET A RESPONSE IF NO ONE IS ON DUTY WHEN YOU CALL.
PLANT SELECTION…
PAY ATTENTION NOT ONLY TO PLANTING THE APPROPRIATE VEGETABLES FOR THE GROWING SEASON, BUT ALSO TO CHOOSING THE VARIETY OF THE PLANT. READ LABELS AND SELECT VARIETIES THAT ARE 45-60 DAYS TO HARVEST.
PACING…THANKS TO OUR TWO GROWING SEASONS, YOU CAN PACE HARVEST TIME.
ALTHOUGH ITS GETTING TOO LATE IN THE SEASON TO PLANT LETTUCE, IN AUGUST WHEN YOU SOW THE ARUGULA SEEDS, YOU WILL WANT TO PLANT EVERY TWO WEEKS TO ENSURE A CONTINUAL HARVEST THROUGH SPRING.
& LASTLY – APPETITE…
PAY ATTENTION TO YEILD AND SCALE. UNLESS YOUR FAMILY LOVES WATERMELON, CONSIDER PLANTING PRODUCE THAT DOESN’T CONSUME A LOT OF SPACE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE STARTING A SMALLER PLOT. BEFORE YOU DEDICATE A ROW TO ZUCCHINI, MAKE SURE YOUR FAMILY AND NEIGHBORS LIKE THIS HIGHLY PROLIFIC SQUASH. CONSIDER PLANTING VARIETIES OF SQUASH AT DIFFERENT TIMES TO ENSURE A CONTINUAL HARVEST.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ARIZONA GARDENING, THERE ARE SEVERAL BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT.
CLICK HERE FOR SOME IDEAS ON AMAZON OR CHECK OUT LOCAL BOOKSTORE.
WE ENJOY ARIZONA GARDENER’S GUIDE BY MARY IRISH
IF YOU ARE IN THE AREA AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME WONDERFUL IDEAS IN ACTION. VISIT THE TUCSON BOTANICAL GARDEN. YOU COULD VISIT THEIR WEBSITE FOR HOURS AND EVENTS.

HAPPY GARDENING!!!