Quick Question about sunlight exposure

[Potato Pancakes]

I'm planning a raised bed vegetable garden, about 10x10 at my house in AZ. We're in the valley so we have the hot, dry desert climate. What I'm wondering is what side of my yard to plant on. I have a 6ft wall on the west and east side and ideally the garden will be up against one of those. So that would mean that the garden won't have early morning or evening sun. Which would be best?

[opabinia51]

Ideally, you would want to get as much sunlight as possible on your garden. Though, you can plant shade tolerant plants as well.

However, in your climate a raised bed might not be the best idea because they tend to require more water than conventional beds just because of the fact that more surface area of the soil is exposed to the sun.

If you have access to leaves that do not contain allelopathic chemicals, then add leaves to your beds regardless. As decaying leaves and leaf mold will hold up to 300 percent more water than their actual mass. Mulch larger leaves to aid in their decomposition and to prevent them from matting.

[Grey]

Hi Potato Pancakes -

Considering the intensity of the sun in AZ - in the spring or fall, you'd want your plants to have as much exposure as possible. In the summer, you'd want them sheltered from that blistering sun in the afternoon.

Best of luck - and I agree with Opa, the raised beds will dry out faster on you than if you put them in the ground.

[opabinia51]

You know, thinking about your climate, it may the best if you can plant vegetation that is native to your climate, then you won't have to worry about plants bolting in the sun or being sunburnt.

Do any of our members have advice on what edible and non edible plants are available in Arizona?

I know you can use the barrel cactus to drink from in a pinch but, you wouldn't want to do that if you didn't have to.

[pixelphoto]

I vote morning.
After teh cool nights the plants need to thaw out or knock the frost off them. The early morning sun will warm them up and help them out.

[opabinia51]

Thanks Pixelphoto!

What does everyone else think?

[Lizard]

Ah, now this I know. I am creating four raised beds, 8ft by 4ft this summer.

I grow squash like crazy (really just throw a seed in the dirt and water daily, it will grow).

I had beautiful green beans, pumpkins, watermelon, and cucumbers.

Radishes did fine.

The carrots did nothing...like none even sprouted...

You want your raised bed on the north side of your home or east if north is not an option.

Me, I stick it where ever I want and put some shade cloth over it, mine was on the southwest side of my home last year and loved it.

I watered twice daily. Before the sun fully hit it in the mornings (like...7:30-8:00am) and just as the sun was less in the PM (5:30-6:00pm)

Any other questions?

-Elizabeth

Oh, and our native vegetation is not edible. I mean yeah, you could dig into a cactus and suck the slime up to keep from dying of thirst, but that isn't exactly a vegetable garden.

[opabinia51]

Thanks for the advice, I would recommend working as much compost into the area as possible. I don't know much about the vegetation in your climate but I do know that cycad leaves tend to contain a lot of cellulose which can be very slow to break down.

Might be worth just doing a google search on Cycads and composting to see what they are like. But, work a bunch of compost into the area for now to increase the water carrying capacity of your soil so you don't have to water so much.

Twice a day is a lot, and if you employ some water saving methods, you'll find that a) you won't have to use as much water
b) you will not be leaching as many nutrients from the soil
c) you also won't have to fertilize your garden nearly as much


Try working some miniature swales into your raised beds to catch any rainfall that does occur.

Use cover crops and leaf mold during the spring and summer to help to shade the area.

And do a deep watering in the morning or evening for at least an hour. I like evening and there are basically two competing hypotheses out there on when it is best to water:
1) Some like to water in the morning because they say that if you water in the eveving it will promote the growth of fungi and other organisms in your garden as the water will be sitting on the soil all night long.
I personally don't water in the morning because by mid morning the blistering sun will evaporate all the water.

2) Some like to water in evening because it gives the water all night long to soak deep into the soil. Yes, you can promote the growth of fungi, but if you employ organic gardening techniques and don't use anything with the suffix Cide then you shouldn't have a problem. I never have.

[Lizard]

I didn't realize people from Canada have so much experience gardening in the Sonoran Desert. Thats interesting.

-Elizabeth

[opabinia51]

This is not advice based on living in the desert, this is advice based on years of research into universal water saving techniques that work in all climates.

And thank you for adding to this discussion.

[webmaster]

Hey Lizard,
Thanks for the advice. Gardening in desert climes can be tricky, and from having experienced all the seasons in Tucson (a lovely town), I would agree that it's a challenge. My father in law grows citrus fruit in his backyard, and it prospers without him doing much for it beyond watering. It came with the house.