Successful Desert Gardening: Pt 1

We’ve talked before about how difficult it can be to maintain a happy and healthy garden in the desert. The ground is hard, the heat is harsh, and the insects are vicious. Thankfully, that doesn’t mean you can’t have the garden of your dreams. In part one of this successful desert gardening guide, you’ll get tips about how to get your garden started.

Maintain positive realism.

It is important to stay positive. Don’t let yourself get discouraged about the journey ahead before it even begins. It is equally important to stay realistic. Gardening in the best of climates is unpredictable. This is even more true in the desert. Sometimes plants will die and bugs will overrun your plants. It happens to the most experienced green thumbs.

Experiment!

Growing an organic home garden is a relatively new hobby. Don’t be afraid to plant things out of season. Plants that aren’t “supposed” to do well in the desert may surprise you as well. Play around and have fun with the plants you choose for your garden.

Plan ahead.

If you are looking for a quick afternoon activity once or twice a week, look elsewhere. Gardens are a lot of work in the beginning, so plan for that. You have to dig and prepare the harsh desert soil to sustain life. Once the garden matures, things get easier so don’t quit.

Also take some time to plan what you want to grow in your garden. In this stage, research is key. You can contact landscaping companies Las Vegas trusts to get the inside scoop on what plants grow best in which seasons. There are also numerous resources online for this.

Know where you will plant short crops in relation to tall crops. Know where you will plants that stay planted year round. Know what area will be designated for replanting each season.

If you plan this out with a drawing, you are much more likely to achieve long-term gardening success. Like we said before, gardening is hard work. If you approach this with a willy-nilly mindset, you won’t get far.

Perhaps the most important thing to plan for is what you will do with your harvest. It would be a terrible waste to put in all the work just to have a majority of your crop be composted. Talk with the families in your community. There may be people who would be open to trading crops if they garden as well. You can also research canning and other ways to preserve your harvest.

Start in the sun.

In the desert, this probably sounds counterproductive but it’s not. When plants are first starting out, they need full sun. You can always add to your garden to provide shade later.

Plan more.

Learn what plants work well together and which ones don’t. This is called companion planting. Choose a variety of plants then plan for the plants to touch once they reach full maturity. You protect the roots of the plants from too much heat and you get more harvest in the end.

Now that you’ve planned and planned, it is time to get started on the fun part. You can keep reading on to part two of this guide or you can call the professionals in landscaping Las Vegas trusts to get the job done right. Contact Showcase Land and Care for more information about landscape companies in Las Vegas, contact 702.531.6789.