How Do I Grow Vegetables In The Desert?

With the triple-digit temperatures in desert areas such as Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico or even Egypt, you might wonder if it would be possible to grow fruits and vegetables in such an extreme climate.

With enough shade, water, good nutritious soil, and by selecting varieties that are heat tolerant, you can turn your backyard desert into an edible garden oasis. 

The saying “where there is a will, there is a way” couldn’t be more true in this case. So if you have the will to build your edible garden, the next question is what is the way to build it in the desert?

Here are a few tips you can use as a guideline when growing vegetables in desert climates.

Protect Your Plants

The intense sun and the strong winds are 2 elements that can ruin a vegetable garden in the desert, if not properly prepared. Here are some tips to help protect against these elements in your edible garden.

The Sun

Oh, the irony.

Your plants need 6+ hours of daylight per day in order to grow. However, the blazing desert sun can do some major damage to your plants if they are not adequately shaded from the sun’s harsh rays.

You can protect your plants by adding an awning and then securing shade clothes on the side of the awning which gets the afternoon sun. 

Shade clothes come in a variety of different “strengths” which are represented by a percentage (%). Each strength blocks a certain amount of light from passing through and they range anywhere from 30% to 95% protection. For desert climates, we recommend using an 70-95% shade cloth, which ever best suits your needs.

Remember that morning sunlight is preferred over the harsh afternoon sunlight.

Lastly, you’ll want to consider placing your garden in an area of your yard which receives at least 6 hours of sunlight during the winter so you can continue gardening all year-round.

The Wind

Aside from the heat, the desert also brings high winds. Your more delicate edible plants will also need protection from the intense winds and sandstorms of the desert.

Luckily, if your shade is thick enough and well anchored, it should be strong enough to give you added protection against the wind. If you have an awning, using thick shade cloths as walls will not only protect your plants from the harsh sun but also the winds.

Provide Enough Water

Let’s be honest, no one wants to go outside and water their plants in the scorching sun.

When growing fruits and vegetables in the desert, having an irrigation system is a must.

The least expensive options are self-installing a soaker hose or drip system.

How Much Water Do My Plants Need?

On average, your edible plants will need at least 2 inches of water per week. Though, in the desert, this can vary greatly. You can expect to water your plants twice a day when the evening temperatures are exceedingly hot.

Remember that the location of your plants, day and evening temperatures, time of year and a variety of other factors will ultimately influence the actual amount of watering needed in your garden.


Provide Healthy Soil

Another reason it can be difficult to grow vegetables out in the desert is due to poor soil quality. The bad quality is due to the soil having too much sand, too alkaline and/or salts. Either way, you want to provide healthy balanced soil if you want your vegetable garden to thrive.

Your 2 best options are to either amend (change) the current soil, making it more fertile over time or you can begin with new organic soil in a raised bed. Whatever your method, ensuring your soil has the right amount of nutrients is a huge factor in growing healthy edible plants.

What If I Want To Use My Existing Soil?

If you plan to bring your existing soil back to health, it’s important to first have your soil tested. Soil tests can provide a better idea of which deficiencies your soil may have and this information can help to plan which amendments you should add into your soil to get it to the desired levels.

Your primary nutrients to be concerned about are Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (N, P and K) and how much you add to your soil depends on the type of plant you plan to grow in that area. Most vegetables require a lot of nutrients in order to grow optimally into healthy plants. On the other hand, fruits and flowers don’t require as much as vegetables and herbs and shrubs require even less.

What Do I Use To Amend My Soil?

So now that you have tested your soil and know which nutrients you have to add, what sources do you get your amendments from? You can add amendments from organic sources such as compost, blood meal, bone meal, fish emulsion, and seaweed/kelp. Check out the soil care and fertilizers page for a more detail list.

Here’s a helpful breakdown of which nutrients each of these organic fertilizers or amendments can bring:

• Compost – Provides a variety of nutrients and micronutrients from several trace elements. Slowly breaks down into the soil but also has quick bioavailability for plants.
• Blood meal – Organic source of Nitrogen (N). Takes time to breakdown into soil.
• Bone meal – Organic source of Phosphorus (P) and Calcium (Ca). Also contains small amounts of Zinc (Zn), Magnesium (Mg), Iron (Fe), and other trace elements that are vital to plant health. Takes time to breakdown into soil.
• Fish emulsion – Provides a quicker Nitrogen (N) boost to your plants with an NPK ratio of 4-1-1. Needs to be diluted before use, typically 1 tablespoon (15mL) to every gallon of water.
• Seaweed/Kelp – Due to having an undefined NPK ratio, it is best known for adding trace elements to your soil.

Additionally, the introduction of compost to your existing desert soil not only helps to improve it’s fertility but it can help with water and nutrient retention as well. To add compost, dig down around 12-18 inches into your existing soil and adding about 4-6 inches of organic compost. Remember, with compost, you can never add too much!

However, you will have to continually add more compost and/or other nutrients back each season until your soil has a well-established balance of nutrients and microbial lifeforms. The more organic matter (compost) you add to your soil, the more nutrients it will be able to hold for your plants over time.

What About pH Levels?

Desert soil tends to be very alkaline (high pH) and you may need bring the pH down to help encourage the growth of healthy edible plants.

Sulfur (S) can be added to help to bring a soil’s pH levels down, just try not to over-use and always monitor your pH levels until your desired levels have been reached.

What If I Want To Start With New Soil?

If you don’t have the time to develop your existing soil, you can get a head start by using organic potting soil and using large containers or raised beds.

The biggest advantage of growing vegetables in containers or raised beds is that most organic soil is ready to plant right out of the bag. As your plant grows, especially during the flowering stage (when the fruit starts to form), it will require more nutrients.

After the growing season is over and you’re ready for the next, consider adding compost or other amendments back into your soil to keep your soil healthy for the next crops you will plant.

Not all plants consume the same nutrients, nor the same amounts of them. This is why it’s always important to test your soil before adding anything into it.


Grow During Cooler Months

If you don’t want to deal with the heat, you could hold off until it passes and grow food during the cooler months.

When the climate is cooler, some good options for vegetables to grow in the desert includes:

• Carrots
• Beets
• Onion
• Radish
• Turnips
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Kale
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Peas
• Potatoes

Grow Heat-Tolerant Varieties

If you insist on growing your garden during the spring/summer seasons in the desert, consider growing heat-tolerant varieties. Visit your nearest nursery and ask one of the associates to help you find heat-tolerant vegetables that have already been proven to grow in your area.

In general, warm season vegetables that would do best if grown in the desert climate includes:

• Pumpkin
• Squash
• Melon
• Cucumber
• Peppers
• Tomatoes
• Sweet potato
• Beans
• Eggplant

Although peppers, tomatoes, eggplants are heat loving plants, when the daytime temperatures stay above 95 degrees and the nighttime temperatures don’t drop below 85 degrees for an extended period of time (consecutive days at a time) blossoms will start dropping and you’ll end up with lower yields. The fruit of these plants can still get sun-scald, if exposed to a significant amount of direct sunlight, which is why providing adequate shade is important.

The exact time of year when you should sow your seeds will depend on your hardiness zone, and is usually shown on the back of the seed package.

As an added measure for desert gardeners, it is recommended sowing your seeds in 2-week intervals to ensure you sow seeds during the optimal time and conditions.

You’re Ready To Grow

Now that you know, you’re ready to grow.

Hey, that rhymed! Anyway….

The best time to get your garden started is when the weather begins to cool down because it will be more bearable to work outdoors. However, if you’re eager to get started, make sure you stay hydrated, keep cool and take plenty of breaks. There is no need to rush.

Soon enough, you will begin to reap the benefits of your labor with a beautiful edible oasis just a few feet away from your doorstep. Not only will your feet thank you for it, but your mouth and stomach will too! 😋