Optimal timing is essential for successful desert gardening. By understanding the seasonal patterns and adapting your gardening practices accordingly, you can maximize your harvests and foster a thriving garden. From planting heat-tolerant crops in summer to utilizing cool-season vegetables during milder months, strategic seasonal timing is a key component of regenerative gardening in the desert. Explore the best practices and tips to align your gardening activities with the unique climate and seasons of the desert region.
Want to know what to plant each month in Tucson? I’ve come up with some comprehensive planting guides based on my observations and wisdom from Tucson Organic Gardeners and Community Gardens of Tucson. Notably these guides include cover crop planting dates, something which I had trouble finding for the area when I first started growing […]
This website is dedicated as a knowledge-base for regenerative gardening, though I approach this through a low desert gardening perspective. I’m here to share what I know and help inspire you to grow regeneratively in arid climates. As a drylands gardener, this site and info are presented through a desert gardening lens. If you’re wondering
If you’re looking for Tucson average first / last frost dates of the season for gardening, you’re in the right place. There’s a lot of variation in the dates you’ll see cited online, so here I’ve provided date ranges rather than specific dates. I believe frost date ranges provide more value than hard dates, because
Curious what you should plant in Tucson in August? It’s a great time in the low desert! Let’s talk about what you can grow in August in Tucson. What Cover Crops Should I Grow In August In My Tucson Garden? 1st Half Of August BROADCAST IN FIELD: Cowpea, Sorghum DIRECT SOW / DRILL IN FIELD:
What Should I Grow In August In My Tucson Garden? Read More »
Curious what you should plant in Tucson in July? It’s a great time in the low desert! Let’s talk about what you can grow in July in Tucson. Cover Crops To Plant In July For Tucson Gardeners 1st Half Of July BROADCAST IN FIELD: Cowpea DIRECT SOW / DRILL IN FIELD: Cowpea 2nd Half Of
Curious what you should plant in Tucson in June? It’s a great time in the low desert! Let’s talk about what you can grow in June in Tucson. Tucson Gardening Cover Crops – June Planting Guide 1st Half Of June BROADCAST IN FIELD: Cowpea DIRECT SOW / DRILL IN FIELD: Cowpea 2nd Half Of June
Curious what you should plant in Tucson in May? It’s a great time in the low desert! Let’s talk about what you can grow in May in Tucson. Cover Crops To Plant In May For Tucson 1st Half Of May BROADCAST IN FIELD: Alfalfa, Amaranth, Cowpea, Sorghum DIRECT SOW / DRILL IN FIELD: Cowpea 2nd
Curious what you should plant in Tucson in April? It’s a great time in the low desert! Let’s talk about what you can grow in April in Tucson. Last frost is likely already passed by April, but you could still get a late frost early this month. I’ve seen tomatoes killed by April frost, but
Curious what you should plant in Tucson in March? It’s a great time in the low desert! Let’s talk about what you can grow in March in Tucson. Last frost is likely to pass by March 14th, so depending on your risk tolerance you may consider starting to sow warm season crops outdoors later this
February in the Tucson garden continues the harvesting and planting of cool season root crops and leafy greens. It’s not yet time to start the spring indoor seedlings, rather to keep doing what’s working and don’t stop harvesting and preserving the abundance. Last frost could come as early as February 2nd, though it’s not very
Curious what you should plant in Tucson in January? January in the low desert is a great time. While the rest of the country is months away from being able to garden, ours are absolutely thriving. Cover Crops To Plant In Tucson In January I list cover crops first because I believe they’re the most
Moving into December in Tucson, we say goodbye to the warm season! If the first frost hasn’t come yet, it will any day now. You can hang onto tomatoes and peppers with frost cloth if you want to fight that fight, but I let go of the warm season crops. They’re gone, and my focus
Curious what to plant in October In Tucson? October is another really busy month for Tucson gardeners! Now we’re officially into autumn, and the average temps quickly drop below 90F and into the 80’s this month. The garden is your oyster in October, being able to plant almost any cool season crop anytime you’d like,
Curious what to plant in Tucson in September? September is a super busy month for Tucson gardeners! As other climates are winding down, we’re prepping for what is essentially our “second spring.” It’s exciting and stressful simultaneously, but I really love it. Autumn is quickly approaching and as the temps drop below 100F, often for
When does basil grow in the Sonoran Desert, you ask? As with most plants, there are many varieties of basil! Some are better-adapted for different regions and climates. Some of these varieties may fall outside of the season I’ve laid out below, so always take these things with a grain of salt and experiment with
Wondering what you should plant in November if you live in Tucson? This seasonal planting guide is your manual for November gardening! November is a great month in the low desert as temperatures cool off and plants which don’t tolerate much heat begin to thrive. Days are shorter and frosts are coming, if they aren’t
