Three desert garden lessons I wish I knew sooner

After years in the garden and through U of A's Master Gardener program, three ideas keep coming up with clients:

Water deep, not often. Shallow watering trains roots to stay near the surface. Shallow roots are more susceptible to temperature changes and produce a weaker plant. Finding the right watering schedule is tricky and something I am still working on perfecting. The key take away is that doing a good deep watering less frequently is better than watering the surface regularly.

Plant the right thing at the right time When I first started gardening I had some failure when I planted cool season crops as the weather was starting to heat up. The plants didn't do well and I thought it was because I didn't have a green thumb. I cannot stress enough the importance of planting things at the right time. Having a planting calendar that you can use it essential. I Love

Plant what you eat and enjoy Plant things that you like! Plant veggies and fruit that you family will eat. Plant flowers that will bring you joy! I have stopped planting radishes because I don't eat them. It doesn't make sense to use your space for things that you done eat or enjoy.

Gardening here is deeply rewarding once you stop fighting the desert and start partnering with it.