When to Sow Parsnips in Arizona
In low-desert Arizona, including Phoenix, parsnips go in the ground in fall, typically October into November, timed so the 100 to 120 day root matures…
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.
Will Parsnips Sweeten in Arizona?
Grow parsnips in low-desert Arizona and you’ll harvest a fine, pale root. Sweet, though, is a different story.
Growing Spinach in Arizona: When Will It Bolt?
In the low desert around Phoenix, spinach doesn’t get much of a window at all.
When to Sow Carrots in Arizona: Counting Back From the Last Frost
Arizona’s carrot timing hinges less on a single frost date and more on what’s under your boots.
Will Carrots Fork in Arizona Soil?
Arizona’s benchmark soil won’t fork a carrot on texture alone. The state’s representative series runs sandy, not clumped with clay, and it drains well…
When to Sow Beets in Arizona
In Arizona’s low desert (Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma and the valleys around them) beets go into the ground from October through February, not in spring.
Beet Soil in Arizona: What the Root Will Meet
Arizona’s benchmark soil, the Casa Grande series, is well drained and mineral-heavy with almost no organic matter, and its surface runs alkaline at pH 8.5.
When to Start Pepper Seed in Arizona
In Arizona’s low desert, soil crosses 60°F well before any lingering frost risk disappears, so the planting clock starts indoors 8 to 10 weeks ahead of…
Why Peppers Fail to Set Fruit in Arizona
Peppers stall out in Arizona for one main reason: the state’s low desert spends nearly half the year too hot for pollen to work.
Growing Pumpkins in Arizona: Will They Ripen in Time?
In most of Arizona’s low desert, including Phoenix and Tucson, frost simply isn’t the obstacle.