When to Cut Spinach in Arizona, and How Long It Really Keeps
In Arizona’s low desert, cut spinach while the plant is still growing leaves: pick the outer ones once they’re big enough to eat, and pull the whole…
Arizona
Home and garden guidance specific to Arizona: climate, seasons, local rules and rebates.
Gardening in Arizona
Everything we have worked out for Arizona: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Phoenix, the last spring freeze falls around no freeze in most years; a rare cold snap can bring 32F between late December and mid January and the first fall freeze falls around no reliable fall freeze; see the note, USDA zones 4b-10b, 8,014 growing degree days in the year.
Heat, not frost, is what shortens the season here: above 86 °F tomato pollen goes sterile, so growers run a spring crop and an autumn one rather than a single long season. Garlic is the awkward one: only 0 weeks below 40 °F, where it needs six to split into cloves. Chill the cloves before planting, or grow a softneck type.
Elsewhere on the property in Arizona: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
When Sweet Corn Is Ready in Arizona, and How Fast It Fades
Two clocks decide when sweet corn is ready, and they answer different questions.
When to Plant Grass Seed in Arizona
Sow warm-season grass seed when the soil two inches down reads 65 to 70 °F and is still climbing, checked mid-morning.
How High to Mow a Lawn in Arizona
Mow an Arizona lawn at the height its grass species needs. That is 1 to 2 inches for Bermudagrass, Zoysiagrass, Seashore Paspalum and Carpetgrass, 1.5 to…
When to Dethatch a Lawn in Arizona
Most Arizona lawns never need dethatching. Cut a wedge out of the turf with a spade and measure the brown, spongy layer between the green blades and the…
When to Prune Fruit Trees in Arizona
In the Phoenix area, prune deciduous fruit trees in late winter, after the short window for a freak cold snap has closed and before the buds break.
When to Start Seeds Indoors in Arizona: A Crop-by-Crop Calendar
Across most of Arizona’s low desert, there is no last spring frost to count back from.
How Late Can You Plant Trees and Shrubs in Fall in Arizona?
In the low desert, there is no frost-based deadline for planting trees and shrubs in fall.
When to Mulch Strawberries and Perennials for Winter in Arizona
In the low desert around Phoenix, there is no winter mulching date. The ground doesn’t freeze, and NOAA lists the frost-free season there as 365 days.
When to Dig Up Dahlias, Cannas and Gladiolus in Arizona
Whether to dig up dahlias, cannas and gladiolus in Arizona depends on which Arizona you garden in.