Around this time of year, we all start wondering if we’re nuts to garden in the desert. The thermometer rises, the dry wind sucks all the moisture out of living things, and the near-tropical desert sun beats down on everything, making us feel like we’re living on a frying pan inside a broiler.
Fortunately, this time of year is usually fairly brief, and the dryness ends with our spectacular monsoon season, with dry summer making way for wet summer. But perhaps this is a good time to remind ourselves what we all love about gardening in the desert.
1. We can grow food year round. There is always some type of vegetable or fruit that can be grown. In Tucson we have 5 growing seasons to coincide with each of our climate seasons: winter (Nov.-Feb.), spring (Feb.-April), dry summer (May-mid July), monsoon ( July-Sept.), and fall (Oct.-Nov.). Non-native plants can grow quickly thanks to our abundant sunshine, and while our winters can have frosty nights, it’s usually not enough to harm our cool-season crops. Our 5 beautiful and unique seasons allow for a great deal of variety.
2. We can grow a huge variety of plants. Thanks to our abundant sunshine, there are few plants that we can’t grow. Our main limiting factors are our soil characteristics and our water supply. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to take advantage of our rain — see below!
3. We get enough rain to water many plants cheaply or for free. The Tucson valley gets between 10 and 12 inches per year of rain. Learning about rainwater harvesting is crucial for desert gardeners and will provide you with lots of free water. The easiest and cheapest option is passive rainwater harvesting. Many people also install tanks for stretching out the rain supply.
4. Lots of sun. You can shade plants if there’s too much, but you can’t add sunlight that isn’t there! Many plants just can’t grow without much sunlight. Thanks to our sun, plants can grow quickly here — provided they also have an appropriate amount of water and they’re happy in the soil you give them.
5. There are easy workarounds to many of the environmental stressors. For example, the dryness of the desert air and wind can be mitigated by organic mulch, planting shelter plants, using walls and berms as barriers, and similar strategies. You can add organic matter to the soil to reduce its alkalinity and increase the nutrients. You can shade plants during the worst of the summer heat to help them make it through. And during the winter, we usually don’t have many cold nights, so many plants can survive year-round.
6. We have lots of awesome native plants that are as beautiful as they are fascinating. From stunning flowering trees like the ironwood, to beautiful smaller shrubs like the Arizona cotton, and everything in between, we have a huge variety of local species that can thrive in your garden and provide resources for our wildlife. You can check out some of them by reading my “Plant of the Month” articles. Another great resource is the Arizona Native Plant Society, which has a 14-page list of native plants you can use in your garden.
7. There are plenty of people who can help you garden and answer your questions. Our beautiful desert has lots of resident plant lovers. The University of Arizona Extension Service has a wealth of publications aimed at gardeners and growers. The Pima County Master Gardeners are available to answer questions, consult on problems, and serve as a great starting point for new gardeners. In addition, we have several excellent local nurseries with knowledgeable staff. You can also volunteer with various plant organizations to learn more. And don’t forget about the special gardening interest groups!
The summer is upon us, so here are three summer garden hacks you need to know.
