The weather is warming and the vegetable gardening questions are mounting – time for the warm-season vegetables! And the good news is that there is soooo much to plant now in the Southwest!

Alphabet of Vegetables that Love the Heat

So many choices, so little time and space! You could grow: Amaranth, Beans, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Greens (MANY!), Melons, Millet, Okra, Peanuts, Peppers – both Sweet and Hot, Squash – Summer, Squash – Winter, Sorghum, Sunflower, Sweet Potato, Tomatillo, Tomato, Zucchini.

How to Vegetable Garden in the Heat

Site Your Garden – Part I = Your Yard

First – about your yard. To put it simply, earth, air, fire, and water all play a role in gardening success.

Earth. Good soil is a must. Almost all vegetables will need acidic soil. Virtually all Southwest soils are alkaline. Growing in containers or raised beds with purchased soil might be your best bet.

Air. Some air movement, but not constantly drying winds.  You may need to plant a windbreak or grow behind walls.

Fire. You will need a site that has ample sunlight but hopefully not reflected light and heat (Poolscaping is very specific.)

Water. Your vegetables will need water. Site your garden where you can easily water it.  Consider drip irrigation.

Here is my article Top Ten Tips for Warm Season Garden Success. The ten tips work for any vegetable garden, warm season or cool season.

Site Your Garden – Part II = the Southwest Overall

First of all – where exactly do you live in the Southwest? We have a very diverse area. Gardening in Reno, Nevada will be different from growing vegetables in El Paso, Texas. That said – these far apart Southwest cities are – they are more similar to each other than they are similar to anything “back East.”

Most national “vegetable bible” type books simply don’t work for our region. Our Southwest region is very different from back East because of our highly individualistic Southwest soils (caliche, clay, solid rock, old sandy riverbeds). Then there is our relatively low humidity, overall aridity, and unique landforms. Towering mountains, deep canyons and valleys, plus wide open spaces offer us tumultuous winds, often on a daily basis – not something much experienced “back East.”

 

And Light with a capital L. Sunlight is intense in the Southwest! Due to low humidity, the photons of sunlight come zipping and zapping down to earth with greater intensity. We may not feel it – but plants that use the photons of sunlight to do photosynthesis sure feel it.  You might need to have some shade cloth over your garden!

I told you that to tell you this – be sure to select plants and seeds that are specifically able to handle our area.

Where to Get Seeds & Seedlings

I told you that previous section to tell you this. For seeds and seedlings, try to “shop local.” Local nurseries are your best bet. Seeds from seed companies that specialize in hot climates are also very helpful. Seeds and plants from big box stores are (IMHO) a waste of money and time. Some person sitting in some mid-western city somewhere orders for the entire country – not for our unique corner of the world.

I used to have a listing of seed catalogs (lost to hackers) and another list of local nurseries (also lost). It took time.  I had built these lists slowly over time using information from you – my wonderful and loyal readers. I built the list entirely online – thinking that was most efficient. The lesson I learned is to build the list offline and then post it. Please feel free to share your favorite local nurseries no matter where you live in our region. Also seed companies!  I need to rebuild this aspect of the site.

Starting seeds indoors might be a good idea – especially since little baby plants can dry out so quickly when they are first starting to grow. Seed Starting.

I Mourn the Loss

If you are new to this site, the hackers destroyed so much. I do have some warm-season vegetable articles up so far – which is the point of this post – to point you to them.  I do hope to recreate more such posts soon. To make some lemon aid out of the lemons, the good news is that now I get to more carefully craft these articles to help you succeed with your gardening goals.

Growing Vegetables in the Land of El Sol

Three Sisters gardening works! And here are some of the many beans to grow in your Three Sisters garden.

And here are Seven reasons to grow beans.

If you grow beans, also grow some of the herb epazote. A few leaves of this Mexican herb added to beans as they cook helps break down some of the enzymes our digestive tracts can not. Think of epazote as a natural “Bean-O” plant. Using epazote on Savor the Southwest.)

Sunflower is a good plant for the warm-season, and while you may not think of it as a “vegetable” it does bring in the pollinators that you need for so many warm season crops. And the “petals” are edible – as well as the seeds, so I hope you will grow some sunflowers. (Using Sunflowers on Savor the Southwest.)

Speaking of pollinators. Here are some Warm Season Flowers to help draw them to the garden.  You want your vegetables to bear ample fruits after all.

Wait. What?  Vegetables bear fruit?!?

Although we call it a “vegetable” garden, as far as the plants are concerned, most of them are making fruits. Fruits are the part with seeds inside.

Fertilizer for Warm Season Vegetables

Plants producing fruits especially need phosphorous. On fertilizer packages, phosphorous is represented by the middle of the three numbers, or as the middle letter of NPK. Select a fertilizer high in P later in the season. More About Fertilizer (Yes it says “autumn.”  Sigh.  Just another garden basic to repost for you.)

Young plants, about two weeks after transplanting or out of the seed, primarily need nitrogen and potassium, N and K, for healthy leaf and root growth respectively. A general fertilizer, one with NPK: 20: 20 : 20, will work fine.

Established “vegetables” will produce best with a “bloom” food, one high in phosphorous. If you grow only the Three Sisters, you may not need to fertilize. Especially since the bean family members do not appreciate nitrogen fertilizer.

Add Some Herbs to the Vegetable Garden

Flavor your food with herbs. Then you can celebrate National More Herbs Less Salt Day in fine style on August 29th every year. The idea is that the more you add flavor with herbs the less likely you are to consume excess salt.  That said, the pink salt is nice but do be sure you eat enough iodine.

Think of herbs like basil, lemongrass, oregano, thyme, and even lavender (yummy in vinegar and oil salad dressing). The native plant aloysia has an oregano-like flavor and is a great low water, butterfly-attracting landscape shrub.

Even if you don’t prepare food with your herbs, they can make delightful herbal tea. Seven Iced Tea ideas. Four Hot Tea herbs.

More about using the products of the land on my sister site: Savor the Southwest.

So much more in this book – over 200 pages!

The latest printing is printed in the USA!  I am so delighted!

The Southwest Fruit & Vegetable Guide offers not just growing guides but some of the latest varieties – including ones specifically for raised bed and container growing.  Price is currently more than what you would pay on Amazon – but when you buy from me you get a signed copy!

From the review:

“In this updated 2nd edition of Southwest Fruit & Vegetable Gardening, you’ll find much-needed advice and practical tips on growing an edible garden, no matter which part of the southwestern US you call home.

Profits from the sale of this book go to the Arizona-based Horticulture Therapy non-profit Tierra del Sol Institute.

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