Read at : Google Alert – desert gardening
JUMP INTO GARDENING
By Greg Peterson
The big secret in my life is that although I have been a gardener here in the Southwest since 1975—starting at the ripe old age of 14—I am still discovering how to grow plants in the desert. Being a lifelong Phoenix gardener, it is often assumed that I have it all figured out in the vegetable growing department. So much so that when people tell me they have two brown thumbs I just laugh, then promise them that I have killed more plants, including trees, than they will ever come close to destroying.
In reality, gardening in the desert is simple … to a point. There’s one overall rule and two very important instructions that, when followed, make growing a lot easier. The rule: Desert gardening is one great big grand experiment. You win some and you lose some. Don’t take it personally or get discouraged.
The directions: Give your plants 1. healthy soil and 2. enough water to keep them thriving.
Yes indeed, it is that simple.
Building soil is the single most important step you can take toward growing a successful garden. Our desert soils are devoid of four out of the five components needed for healthy soil. Dirt (broken-down rock and clay) is the component we have in abundance. Building the other four components into the soil (air space, water, organic material and the all important little “tillers,” including bugs, microorganisms, worms, etc.) is paramount. What this means is that you need to add lots and lots of organic material. I have found that it typically takes three to five years of consistently adding compost to my garden beds to achieve really good soil.
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