Vegetable Garden: Summer Photo Tour

tomato garden — It’s possible to grow veggies in Arizona – you just need to know what and when!

Can you really grow a vegetable garden in Phoenix?? Yep!! Arizona is the second leading producer of lettuce in the entire United States, so it should come as no surprise that vegetable gardens do very well in Phoenix – you just have to know when to plant them!

Tomatoes

Varieties to plant:

Roma
Heirloom
Black Beauties
Grape (yellow and orange)
Early girl
Indigo rose
Cherokee Purple
Yellow pear

When to plant:

March is the best month to start a tomato or vegetable garden – ideal growing temperatures are between 55-95 degrees. The warmer the soil, the faster the tomato grows.

How to plant:

Make sure you have enough space for your plants – a square foot is usually plenty. They can get crowded. You’ll also want to have adequate soil – fish emulsion and calcium help with fertilization. A “cage” is recommended so that the tomatoes can climb up and avoid insects on the ground soil. Another source of protection for any vegetable garden – netting or a graze cloth to prevent the birds from enjoing your crop before you do!

heirloom tomatoes — Netting helps prevent birds and other animals from nibbling on the tomatoes

For more info on how to start your own tomato garden, check out this link for growing tomatoes in Arizona.

Grapes

grape vines — Small table grapes come out of these vines that were planted about 7 years ago

My husband planted these vines years ago, and they usually produce table grapes early summer. They get pruned and cut back in the winter, then start to grow back in the spring. They are small, but sweet – perfect for kids!

Garden Peppers

A few of my family members like to test their palate and eat really hot peppers. Thankfully, we’ve only grown the mild variety in our garden. A stake planted next to them helps them grow upright and withstand the weight of the peppers. These do well with warmer weather, so best to plant them in the Spring for a summer harvest.

growing peppers — Peppers grow especially well in the heat, so we have a planter box dedicated just for them!

garden peppers — I’ll use these peppers for cooking, diced up into recipes or sometimes I’ll just slice them raw as crudités with a delicious dip.

Growing Herbs

Herbs are an essential part of any home vegetable garden and can grow exceptionally well in Arizona. As a home cook, it’s so nice to be able to walk in to my backyard and grab whatever herbs I need for my dishes.