Angela Judd, Regional Ambassador | Desert Southwest
When I started gardening in the low desert of Arizona, I learned pretty quickly that the usual gardening advice didn’t always fit what I was seeing in my own garden. Our heat is intense, we get very little rain, and timing is crucial. Summer can be especially humbling if you’re trying to follow rules meant for milder climates. But over time, I found that a beautiful, productive garden is absolutely possible here when you focus on the fundamentals.
For me, those fundamentals are soil, sunlight, watering, and timing.
1. Start with the Soil
Good gardening in a hot climate starts below ground. Plants need rich, well-draining soil with enough organic matter to hold moisture without staying soggy. In my garden, I add compost regularly and use in-bed vermicomposting bins to keep microbial life active. Healthy soil helps plants handle stress better, makes watering more effective, and gives roots a better environment to grow deep and strong.
2. Be Smart About Sunlight
Sunlight matters, but what plants need changes with the seasons. In the cooler months, I try to maximize sunlight. During the hottest months, I usually focus on providing shade, especially in the afternoon. In the low desert, intense summer sun can be too much for many crops, even those that love heat. Shade cloth, taller crops, and strategic planting can make a big difference. I often use sunflowers along the western edge of my garden to provide some relief from the harshest afternoon sun.
3. Water Deeply and Protect That Moisture
The goal is to grow healthy plants with strong roots. I focus on watering deeply and less often to encourage roots to grow down into the soil rather than staying shallow near the surface. Once plants are growing well, I add a thick layer of mulch in summer, usually 3 to 5 inches. Mulch helps conserve water, cool the soil, reduce temperature swings, and keep moisture where plants can use it.
4. Get the Timing Right
Timing is one of the biggest keys to success in the low desert. Heat-loving crops need to be planted early enough to get established before extreme heat arrives. Cool-season crops need to go in at the right time so they can mature before temperatures get too warm. A planting guide made for your specific area makes a huge difference.
My Summer Survival Kit
The summer survival crops are the ones I rely on most when it gets hot. These varieties bring life to the garden, give me something to harvest, and help keep the soil alive and microbially active until our more productive growing seasons from fall through spring.
Yard Long Noodle King Pole Bean: These beans are a reliable summer staple in my garden because they are much more heat-tolerant than regular green beans. They have deeper roots, a waxy coating on the leaves, and they continue to flower and set beans in hot weather when regular beans often give up.
Painted Serpent Cucumber: This is one of my favorite cucumbers to grow. It’s actually a melon, but it grows like the best kind of summer cucumber for my garden. It has excellent flavor, is easy to grow, and gives lots of crisp, delicious fruit. Harvest it young for the best texture and flavor.
Jambalaya Okra: Okra is one of the top crops for high heat. Even if you don’t think you like okra, I often say grow it anyway. It handles tough conditions, shades the soil, and keeps something productive in the bed through summer. If you’ve only had slimy okra, try it fried over high heat with a little cornmeal. It’s so good.
Queen Anne Black-Eyed Peas: Black-eyed peas are a standout heat-loving cover crop. As beds empty out from spring crops, I can pop in a seed or two, and they quickly cover the soil with living mulch. Later, I can cut the plants back and use them as organic matter in the bed. Moon and Stars Watermelon Watermelon doesn’t mind the heat. Give it room to spread and let the vines cover the soil. It grows well during the hottest part of the season.
Compact Vining Bath Loofah: I love growing this variety in a whiskey barrel with a tall trellis. It still gets large, but growing it in a container lets me keep it going as long as I want in the fall without worrying about needing that bed space for the next season. Plus, I get dozens of sponges.
Zinger Hibiscus: I first tried roselle hibiscus on a whim years ago, and now it’s a staple in my garden. We use it for tea, jam, and even holiday sauce instead of cranberries. The plants get large and produce well into fall, so I grow them in a whiskey barrel just like I do loofah so I can let them go as long as they’re still producing.
Mrs. Burns’ Lemon Basil: A tried-and-true basil for heat, flavor, and the bees. The smaller leaves hold up well in full sun, and the fragrance is incredible. I let some flower for the pollinators.
High Noon Long-Lasting Sunflower: I plant this tall branching sunflower alongside my beds to help block the afternoon sun, and if I succession plant it a couple of times, I can have that shade all season long. It also brings so many birds and bees into the garden.
Gardening in hot, dry climates isn’t just about adding shade, watering more, and hoping for the best. It’s about building healthy soil, watering deeply, planting at the right time, and choosing varieties that are well-suited to the heat. For more hot, dry climate gardening tips and resources, you can find me at Growing in the Garden on my website, YouTube channel, Instagram, and through my online classes on Patreon. I also offer planting guides and calendars designed for gardeners in hot, dry climates.