ABS 360 Southwest Home Gardening
Many people who enjoy edible gardening are interested in growing vegetables and
herbs. The lower Sonoran Desert is great for growing an abundance of vegetables and
herbs, but two key factors should be considered -- what vegetables to plant and when to
plant them. Before viewing the three videos of this topic, students should read over the
following pages from the The New Sunset Western Garden Book
Vegetable Gardening (pages 698-707)
Herbs (680-683)
Soil Amendment (page 668)
Planting Seeds (page 670)
Planting Transplants (page 671)
Irrigating vegetables (page 715)
After reading the above sections, students will be ready to watch the three vegetable
garden topic videos. After viewing the three videos, students should be able to answer
the following in order to do well on the topic quiz:
1. What two primary factors need to be considered when planning a successful
vegetable garden in the Phoenix area?
Understand conditions of the season then select the plant
2. What are some examples of common cool-season vegetables and herbs? What
are some examples of common warm-season vegetables and herbs?
Cool- (oct-mar) lettuce, carrots, broccoli, peas, onions, parseley, cilantro, sage
Warm- (apr-sep) tomato, squash, watermelon, peppers, cucumber, eggplants,
basil, chives
3. How should you prepare soil for a vegetable garden?
Mulch the soil
4. What are the benefits of amending garden soil with organic matter?
Improves the capacity of the soil to retain water and important ntrients
5. What is compost? How is it used in vegetable garden preparation and
maintenance?
Organic matter, mixed in at least once a year
6. What is mulch? What organic matter mulch materials were mentioned in the
video?
Thick layer of organic material like straw,
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Study Guide for Vegetable Gardening
ABS 360 Southwest Home Gardening
7. What are the benefits of applying mulch to a vegetable garden?
Lower rates of water loss from both plants and soil, help moderate soil
temperatures, generally cooler, cooler and more evenly moist, increase harvest
yields, reduce weeds
8. What plant residues are NOT recommended as a mulch?
Free of weed propagules such as seeds, freeof disease and harmful pathogens and
should not be tocxic to vegetable plant growth
No grass clipping esp Bermuda grass
9. What nutrient is most lacking in desert soils?
nitrogen
10. What are four requirements for selecting the proper site for a vegetable garden?
At least 4-6 hours of sunlight, nearby water access, level growing surface, free of rocks,
debris and weeds
11. What are the steps for preparing the garden planting area?
Inspecting for weeds and surface debris and removing
12. What materials are commonly used to amend the soil?
Composted organic matter (straw)
13. Why is mechanical tilling of the soil discouraged?
14. What information should you look for on a seed packet?
Identify the cultivar, growing habit, number of days to germination and harvest date,
reccomendations for how deep to sow the seed
15. What are the advantages and disadvantages of planting seeds versus
transplants?
Transplants- small garden spaces under 500 ft, more efficient
Seeds- fast growing high density crops
16. What is the proper planting technique for vegetable transplants?
Dig a hole to the same depth as the rooth ball both twice as wide, tease apart the roots,
place the transplant into the hole and water, backfil the hole, tap down the soil, finsish off
with 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch
Finally, below is a brief list of common vegetables and herbs that grow well in the desert
southwest. Students can learn more about these plants in The New Sunset Western
Garden Book or from the supplementary materials in the course web links folder.
Cool-season vegetables and herbs
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