Desert Gardening

By Murray Anderson

Large sections of the US Southwest are considered desert, one of the most difficult environments in which to grow a garden. Indigenous sandy soils that don’t retain moisture, natural caliche or hardpan in the ground and the hot sun all combine to make plant growth difficult.  However, even with these obstacles creating a successful garden is possible. Here’s some thoughts on how to successfully grow a garden in the desert.

Since desert and arid regions don’t get enough natural precipitation to support a lot of plant life, it’s necessary to make maximum use of any moisture that is available. This means proper soil preparation, plant choice and location are all vital to creating a successful desert garden.

Soil preparation

• In dry regions the soil is primarily sand with very little organic content (often less than 1%). Plants, shrubs and grasses all grow best in soil that has an organic content in the range of 5%, so adding organic matter to your desert garden is an essential first step.
• Organic amendments (peat moss, shredded leaves, manure) should be spread on the surface then worked into the soil to a depth of at least 9 inches. The material will allow the soil to retain moisture while at the same time, providing vital nutrients to the plants. Plus, as it decomposes the organic materials will acidity into the soil, making for a more balanced growing environment (desert soils are normally quite ‘basic’ or alkaline in their makeup).
• Livestock manure is an easy way to add organic matter to your desert garden and it makes an ideal amendment since it already contains bacteria to stimulate nutrient breakdown. Plus, manure is often readily available and inexpensive in desert areas, making it an easy choice
• If using manure consider that fresh manure should not be applied just before planting. It’s best to spread it on your garden in the fall and allowed to ‘age’ over the winter. However, heat treated or composted manure can safely be applied and integrated into the soil just before planting in the spring.

Plant Choice

• Before making on your plant selections determine your hardiness zone as well as the annual precipitation in your area. While some plants are more resistant to hot, dry conditions than others, all plants need plants need some water (even cacti).
• Choosing plants native to you region are a logical choice however, even small variations in climate conditions and water quality can impact on specific plants. Your local garden center is a good place to get knowledgeable advice on what grows best in your specific location.
• Testing your soil after you prepare your garden will give you information about the quality of your garden’s soil, indicate what amendments you can add to improve it in the future as well as provide some insight to which plants will grow best in your garden (based on the plant’s specific soil preferences).
• Also, choose your plants based on where they will be located in your garden. Shade tolerant plants can be planted close to rocks or fences where they will get partial shade, while plants that like all day sun should be located in open sunny areas. As well, plants exposed directly to strong winds need to be resistant to dry conditions, since wind will quickly remove the moisture from soil.

Murray Anderson is an experienced freelance writer with over 500 articles published on the web as well as in print magazines and newspapers in both the United States and Canada. He writes on a wide range of topics and is a regular contributor to DoItYourself.com. He can be contacted at murand@lycos.com.