Small Space Vegetable Gardening (Tucson, Casa Grande: condo, organic, floor)

[finernfrogfur]

Part 2 "The Veggies"...

Besides acclimating to Tucson's desert life my green thumb is as green as dirt!! HELP !! So as not to overwhelm the reader I'll put this out there in 2 parts. Those knowledgeable in fruits may not want to read about vegetables and vice versa. I need advice and don't need to overwhelm those kind enough to reply .

I have a small sized back yard that faces West that I'd like to landscape with vegetables, grapes, and fruit/citrus trees. Does anybody have experience with or knowledge to share...

Fruits and vegetables I'd like to plant...

· Grapes - Will use an arbor with trellis for each vine, the vines will be planted in the ground on the South side of each arbor growing up and over the arbor towards the North and all vines will be exposed to full sun: Glenora Seedless, Lakemont Seedless, and Reliance Seedless.
· Herbs planted in containers: Basil, Bay, Chamomile, Chives, Coriander, Dill, Marjoram, Mint (Spearmint for sure), Oregano, and Parsley.
· Vegetables planted in the ground: Beans, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Fennel, Garlic, Hyssop, Lettuce (variety), Melons (Cantaloupe and Mini-Seedless Watermelon), Onions (variety), Peas, Peppers (Bell/Sweet), Potatoes (Fingerling multi-colored), Radish, Rhubarb, Spinach, Squash, Tomatoes (variety), and Zucchini.

[Prodigal Native]

The herbs can be tricky, and the growing seasons can be a little out of whack, but do some google searches and the UofA website can be a great resource.

[Windwalker2]

I and others I know have grown okra in pots all over the area. I tried all the other stuff and found that only okra survives drought, heat, cold, ants, worms, etc. etc. I expect my plants to overwinter, at 3200 ft. and colder than Tucson, and give me a few fruits in May before new plants are ready to produce.
I'm a lazy gardener but it's hard in this area to grow things people grow elsewhere. You may want to try Native Seeds Search for local varieties.

[Prodigal Native]

Originally Posted by Windwalker2

I and others I know have grown okra in pots all over the area. I tried all the other stuff and found that only okra survives drought, heat, cold, ants, worms, etc. etc. I expect my plants to overwinter, at 3200 ft. and colder than Tucson, and give me a few fruits in May before new plants are ready to produce.
I'm a lazy gardener but it's hard in this area to grow things people grow elsewhere. You may want to try Native Seeds Search for local varieties.

Native Seeds is a great idea and they would probably be able to point the OP to a lot of good resources as well.

Gardening here is very different than most of the country... for me, I have to plant tomatoes in February if I want to get more than a few harvested before the plants burn to a crisp and the fruits split.

[Grannysroost]

Originally Posted by Prodigal Native

Native Seeds is a great idea and they would probably be able to point the OP to a lot of good resources as well.

Gardening here is very different than most of the country... for me, I have to plant tomatoes in February if I want to get more than a few harvested before the plants burn to a crisp and the fruits split.

Works for me in Casa Grande...check this page out...https://www.facebook.com/groups/123250067720449/

[finernfrogfur]

Thanks everybody for your tips! Keep 'em comin' if you please .

I don't do heat very well (melt at 80 degrees...God has a wonderful sense of humor bringing me here where the temp's are "hot, hotter, and inferno" ~ lol). Thinking that I can do Fall, Winter, and Spring gardening. In Summer I'll be hibernating! Will I be ok growing during those seasons?

[swbell6]

You can grow veggies year-round but planting times are unique to our climate. Eggplant, hot peppers and Armenian cucumbers (actually a melon) were the only things that thrived for me last summer. Oh, and basil does fine in the heat. I should have planted the bell peppers, green beans and tomatoes earlier - March 1 or so. You can grow cold crops from October through April or so. They seem to stop growing when it gets really cold but should be just fine when things warm up.

Water twice a day in the summer; in the winter, water once a day or every other day once the plants are established. Don't forget to amend the soil every time you plant something. I use composted organic manure, soil sulfur and blood meal. Double dig the soil if you can.

Both of these sites have helpful info, links and a planting guide.

Tucson Organic Gardeners

Community Gardens of Tucson

Every season is a learning experience!

[Marcy1210]

I do container gardening as I'm on the second floor of a condo, and I've had really good luck with herbs (especially basil and dill) and with cukes. I tried tomatoes, but they never get much bigger than cherry tomatoes, even when I plant small plants at the end of February. I have learned that none of the plants like direct sun from May to October, so I put them in the shady part of the balcony and they seem to do fine.