In Arizona, almost anything can be planted in your garden if you use the appropriate varieties of plants at the right time and plant certain plants together for optimum growth. Arizona desert has 2 optimal growing seasons – spring and fall. Day temps and amount of sunlight vary dramatically between seasons (short days and cold temperatures in winter to long days and extreme temperatures in summer). Since few annual plants are suited to thrive in both conditions, it is important to choose plants that mature quickly to ensure a full life cycle within one season.
Choose varieties that:
1. mature quickly;
2. provide desirable yield, taste, texture, & color;
3. are recommended by local gardeners;
4. are adapted to climate & soils; and
5. are disease & pest resistant.
Use Arizona planting calendar to choose planting date. This is a wonderful resource to get started.