Vegetable Gardens in the Desert: Is This Possible?

The taste of homegrown tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and any other vegetable you can think of could never be matched by the ones you buy at the store. How about the gratification of knowing you grew the vegetables that is in your salad. Those that live in the Eastern part of the country or where they get regular rain and humidity has more luck then those of the desert. As a resident of Southern Nevada I have had more than enough experience with trying to grow my own garden. It is not easy and it takes vigilance and most of all perseverance. I am currently growing sweet onions, green onions, spinach, tomatoes, radishes, carrots, pole beans, and sweet peppers. As desert gardener I am going to walk you through starting your own desert garden. You have to learn about the watering situation, the weather, the soil, the fertilizers, and the times for planting throughout the year for each of the vegetables that you can grow in the desert. Due to the seasons the times for planting in the desert are different than in more temperate regions.

Watering:

In the desert you have to remember that there is no or very little rain. It is extremely dry and so the soil will dry out very quickly. Since water is very important to all living things that you should have this in mind before creating your desert garden. When it comes to watering it is important to get to know each vegetable because they may have their own preference of the amount of water that they want. You should also make sure that the area has ability for water to drain, especially if it rains. After all in the desert when it rains it tends to rain all at once. There are some vegetables that are adapted to the desert than others so you should read up on them so you do not over water one and dry out the other one. When you water you must water enough to make sure that the whole root zone is watered. Also you need to remember that in a desert the common types of soil are sandy and clay. If you have sandy soil* then you will need to water more often than if you have clay soil*. You also should check the moisture levels by digging a few inches deep next to the plant.

*Sandy soil is very light and it dries more quickly. It is also the first to warm up in the sun.

*Clay soil is a heavy soil and it holds moisture for a long period of time when it is wet. It also is able to keep the nutrients and it is fertile. It is also the last type of soil to warm up in the sun.

Weather:

If you decide to become a desert garden you need to become very aware of the weather in the desert. In the desert not only can the temperatures fluctuate it is also very dry. While the summers are scorching the winters can be freezing and sometimes the temperatures can become frozen. You will need to watch the weather and keep an eye on the temperatures. Temperatures are not the only thing that can be a menace to you and your garden. The winds can also cause you some problems. In the desert wind gusts can be as high as about 70 mph and there can also be dust devils. So make sure any high standing plants are secured by supporting them up against a pole or trellis and a rope. Be careful when doing so you do not damage the plant.

Soil:

When you are gardening in the desert it is particularly difficult to deal with the soil. Since there is not that much rain and vegetation the soil in the desert is not fertile and it is high in salts. Even though there are plants here that have adapted to these types of conditions, the vegetables that you may want to grow are not. Therefore, you will need to do different things to make the soil more fertile and less salty. There are several different ways to adjust the soil so that your plants can flourish.

One of the things that you will need to do is remove the salts that are in the soil are by leaching. You can do this by running large amounts of water over the area and letting it drain. You can only do this if your soil can drain freely. If your soil does not drain then you will need to add things like compost so that it can help increase the draining ability for your soil. Then when you have mixed the compost in with the soil you will need to apply a large amount of water and let it drain. You have to remember when you leach out the salt you also leach out the necessary nutrients that your plants will need. Therefore, you will need to add some compost or fertilizer before you plant anything.

Another issue with the soil that may occur is "Caliche." This is occurs when the soil is basically glue or cemented together with lime. There could be a thin layer or there could be a thick layer of the Caliche. This is a problem for your plants because it will prevent drainage and it is also alkaline. Alkaline soil can slowdown or stop the growth of your vegetables.

The soil of the desert also has a high pH level. What is pH? pH is the measurement that is taken to determine if something and in this case soil is alkaline or acidic. If you want to test for this you can usually find a test kit in your local nursery or any store that has garden supplies. Follow the instructions on the package and then read your levels. If you have too high of a pH level which will most likely be the case in the desert, then you can use sulfur to lower the pH. You should be able to obtain sulfur from the same place that you got your soil test kit also. You add the sulfur to the soil. The measurement should be from 15 to 20 pounds of sulfur for every 1,000 square feet or until you have about six to eight inches deep. Note you should not apply sulfur to planted area while the temperatures are too hot. Otherwise, you could damage your plants. Also it is very important to remember that ammonium is not what you would want to use to lower the pH levels. It is not effective in doing so.

Another way to improve your soil is by adding organic matter. Organic matter includes peat moss, mature compost, potting mixes, composted bio-solids or sludge, forest mulches but you should use it with compost, and composted manure. If you have a high salt level then you should avoid dairy manure because it will only increase the salt levels. Organic matter is very important for many reasons. It will help develop a better soil structure and also improve the drainage that can help remove salts from the soil. The organic matter has all the benefits of soil microorganisms that you could ever need. Microorganisms are very important for the plants ability to pick up the nutrients that are in the soil. Organic matter helps keep soil temperatures at a moderate level. It is able to hold moisture better than soil with little or no organic matter. Organic matter has the major sources of soil nutrients that your vegetables will need. It also can help hang onto chemicals that the plants may need or the organic matter can hold onto the chemicals that are harmful to your plants.

Fertilizers:

Fertilizers are very important part of the gardening process. Understanding what the roles of each element in a fertilizer and recognizing the signs when there is a deficiency is very important. There are about thirteen important elements that are needed in the soil. Without these elements things will go wrong in the vegetable plants and you will not be harvesting anything. These are also important in other plants like flowers and trees. The following are some of the elements that a plant needs, the role of the elements, and the signs of deficiency of these few elements in the plants. There will also be some extra information to help you understand the process of how the plants access each element. When you feel you need any or all of these elements you can usually fulfill them if you use fertilizers. I use Miracle Grow® for all my plants nutrient needs. I think that it is the best product out there. However, if it is possible I would suggest using the liquid and not the beaded kind. I think that the liquid kind just works better and faster when you need it to. It also seems to be easier for the plant to take up then the beaded kind.

Nitrogen (N) is one of the major elements of the soil however; it is not readily available to the plants. The standard amount of nitrogen in healthy plants is about three to four percent. Nitrogen has many important roles in plants cells. This element is present in chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is used by plants to absorb the sun's energy so that they can produce sugars from water and carbon dioxide. This process is called photosynthesis. Nitrogen is also very important in other structures of the plants cells. This includes amino acids of which are the main components of protein; it also is part of compounds that are used to transfer energy such as ATP (adenosine triphosphate). ATP allows the plant cells to conserve and use the energy. Nitrogen is also a very important part of the nucleic acids. One of the major nucleic acids is DNA of which is the genetic material that permit the cells to grow and reproduce. The major signs of nitrogen deficiency are when the leaves turn pale yellow.

Phosphorus (P) is one of the important elements that are necessary for plant growth and its reproduction. It helps to store and transport energy while photosynthesis is underway. As a part of genetic material it is also an important component in DNA and RNA. It is also important for the plant because it helps them to absorb the water and other nutrients that are in the soils. It encourages flower blooms to grow and seeds to develop. It is also aids in strengthening the plants and increases their ability to withstand the intolerable conditions within their environment. The gardeners of the desert all know that the environment is very harsh and hard for plants to tolerate. Therefore this element is very important. This element is one of the more frequently applied to gardens since it cannot be easily absorbed from certain forms of soil chemicals. The way to tell if a plant is deficient in phosphorous is if the leaves begin to develop purple streaks or patches. And the leaves begin to turn a more bronze.

Potassium (K) is an element that is important to plants because of its involvement of so many different enzyme systems inside the plants. It helps plants to resist drought and the effects from excessive temperatures. This is especially important in the desert because it is very hot and there is very little rain and humidity. It helps to raise the resistance of disease in plants. It helps the plants to produce starches, regulate the growth of roots, and it helps to control the pores in the cells of the plants. This ability is important for the desert because if the pores are left open when they are not supposed to the vital water in the plant will be dried up from the heat of the sun. The signs for the deficiency of potassium are the browning of the margins of the older leaves.

These are only a few of the important elements. There are other important elements that plants need. These other elements include calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), boron (B), chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), and zinc (Zn). These have various signs of deficiencies. They also have many different processes that make them so important.

Vegetable Planting Times for the Desert:

First set of plants are the cool season plants:

Artichokes: from early February to late March.

Asparagus: from early February to late April and from early September to Late November.

Beets: from early February to late March and from early August to early October.

Broccoli: from early February to late February and early August to early October.

Brussels sprouts: from early February to late February and early August to early October.

Cabbage: from early February to late February and early August to early October.

Carrots: from early February to late March and early August to early October.

Cauliflowers: from early February to late February and early August to early October.

Celery: from mid March to early April and from early September to early October.

Chard-Swiss: from early February to late March and from early August to early October.

Chives: from early February to mid March and from early August to early October.

Collard greens: from late February to late March and from early August to early October.

Endive: from early February to mid March and from early August to early October.

Garlic: from early September to early October.

Horseradish: from early February to late March and from early October to late November.

Kale: from early February to mid March and from early August to early October.

Kohlrabi: from early February to mid March and from early August to early October.

Leeks: from early February to mid March and from early September to early October.

Lettuce-head: from early February to late February and from mid August to late September.

Lettuce-leaf: from early February to late February and from mid August to late September.

Mustard: from early February to mid March and from early September to late October.

Onions-dry: from early March to early April and from early August to late October.

Onions-green: from early February to mid March and from Early August to early October.

Parsley: from early February to late March and from early August to early October.

Parsnips: from early February to late March and from mid August to early October.

Peas: from early February to mid March and from early September to early October.

Potatoes: from mid February to mid March.

Radish: from early February to mid April and from mid August to early October.

Rhubarb: from early February to late March.

Rutabaga: from early February to mid March and from mid August to early October.

Spinach: from early February to late March and from early September to late October.

Turnips: from early February to mid March and from mid August to early October.

The second set of plants is the warm season plants:

Beans-Bush: from mid March to mid April and from mid July to mid August.

Beans-Pole: from mid March to mid April.

Cantaloupe: from mid March to late July.

Corn-sweet: from mid March to late April and from mid July to mid August.

Cucumbers: from mid March to mid August. (This vegetable is my favorite one to grow because it is the easiest to keep in the desert).

*Eggplant: from mid March to mid May.

Muskmelon: from mid March to late June:

Okra: from early April to late June:

Peanut: from mid March to mid May:

*Pepper: from mid March to early May.

Potatoes-sweet: from early April to late May.

Pumpkin: from mid March to late June.

Squash-summer: from mid March to early July.

Squash-winter: from mid March to late June.

*Tomato: from mid March to late April.

Watermelon: from mid March to late June.

*These need to be planted in a hotbed 8 weeks before mid March.

Sources:

Eckert, D. (n.d.). Efficient Fertilizer Use - Nitrogen. Retrieved July 15, 2009, from Rainbow Plant Food: http://www.rainbowplantfood.com/agronomics/efu/nitrogen.pdf

Plant Nutrients-Phosphorous. (2008). Retrieved July 16, 2009, from Natural Resource Fact Sheet: http://www.cfaitc.org/Commodity/pdf/Phosphorus.pdf

Plant Nutrients-Potassium. (2008). Retrieved July 16, 2009, from Natural Resource Fact Sheet: http://www.cfaitc.org/Commodity/pdf/Phosphorus.pdf

Soil Type Test. (2006). Retrieved July 13, 2009, from Minnesota Gardening for beginners: http://www1.umn.edu/webdd/prepcare/soiltype.html