Hello, Attempting Desert gardening

Mike H.

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Apr 8, 2018
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Arizona
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Arid, Desert, or Dry
Hello SSC team,

I've been watching video's of Mark for Months now. After weeks of trying to figure out how to get a raised garden going my wife and I have come up with an idea of using pallets to make a raised garden. For this reason I thought well Mark has inspired me and given so much I would like to give back with our build (which hasn't started yet). I hope I can build a garden half as amazing and I'll do my best to document and share and I am certain learn form this great community. Thank you for being here I can't wait to learn and grow from all of you.

Oh by the way I live in the Arizona Desert in America.

Mike
 

DarrenP

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Mid North SA
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Welcome to the forum, Mike.
We live in a warm temperate area, which has made it tricky for me regarding planting climate zones. I've worked out to follow the arid planting guide in the summer months, and the temperate on for the winter months. In between it is a bit of each, so I record everything I plant or sow in a book, as well as how it went. I should get it right in a year or two, lol.
Looking forward to seeing your pallet beds.
 

Mike H.

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Arizona
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Arid, Desert, or Dry
Darren,

Good idea. I'll be sure to use your wisdom for planting. Also, smart to document what woks and when. Thank you.
 

Mark

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my wife and I have come up with an idea of using pallets to make a raised garden
Looking forward to see the build Mike! Welcome to the forum - sorry I didn't upgrade your membership to Premium earlier but been busy on YouTube etc etc... :)
 

DarrenP

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I got hold of two pallets to build a compost heap, for all the stuff that's slow to break down in the bins, like the corn husks and leaves, and the pumpkin vines. Coming into winter, pallets are hard to come by; people like them for free firewood.
 

AzaleaHill

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Mike, I built a very productive garden whilst I was living in Phoenix. The key was to use biochar.
- it adds carbon to the sand and clay that passes for "soil" in the desert.
- it adds an immense amount of water retention. Char holds its own volume in water.
- it attracts earthworms which are almost nonexistent in the desert.
- it doesn't burn up in the sun like compost does. Once you put it in, it is forever.

I made my own in small batches in my backyard BBQ/campfire tray. (It took a year and several cases of wine for me and the missus to supervise the process.)
Just burn wood until the yellow flames are done and dump the coals into a bucket of water. You can crush the big pieces by hand but it is easier to let it dry for 3 days and then run it through my Toro blower-vacuum.

I also use a mycorrizhia additive which helped with water/ heat tolerance.

Oh, BTW, raised beds don't work very well in the desert. .. they get too hot in the summer and in much of Arizona many crops grow through the winter without too much help. Actually, sunken beds work better because the rain drains into them.

What ever you do, remember, shade cloth is your friend.
 
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ClissAT

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Azalea, I even use shade cloth here in SE Qld during the hot summer months.
It keeps the soil cool & the leaves don't expire too fast in the 110F/42C degree days.
 

Mary Playford

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Mike, you can grow very much what Mark's growing in Arizona. I have seen some success garden stories, and especially with the tropical fruit trees. Do check Shamus O'Leary's tropical trees nursery.
 

DivingTemptress

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Hi Mike

Arizona gardener who did a great job creating a food forest outside Phoenix check him out on youtube but you should start at least 3 -5 years back ... his site changed name to off grid athlete he is no longer living there.

Another MUST is mulch and I hope you have a good water source.
 

AZ Orchard

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Don't give up on raised beds as a way to grow in Arizona. I have had a very good experience
growing in them. I have them placed on the east, and south ( middle of the yard ) side.
I have a corrugated metal bed [ as close as I could come to Marks :) ], wooden bed and a cinder
block bed. It all depends on where you place it, and what you fill it with. I haven't used mulch
in any of them yet, but that would definitely work well. The addition of coconut coir or peat moss
is almost a must for my soil mixes in pots or beds.
If all you have is Full sun, then create a microclimate. You can use trees that cast filtered shade
and set up under them or in their shadow.
 

Sam Jones

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My Mediterranean climate (Adelaide, South Australia) is basically a dessert climate from mid-Spring to mid-Autumn. Rain is almost non-existent during that time, we have zero humidity and intense hot sun.

The two major difficulties I have in the dry hot season is lack of water and too much sun. You need to try everything possible to address this or your flora will likely die or fail to grow.

Probably the very best setup I can think of is using wicking beds/ self-irrigation planters (SIPs) rather than a standard raised bed. Raised beds need to be watered at least once a day, but wicking beds retain all the water and moisture for days after watering. Get it shaded from afternoon sun (I use my brick wall; a large tree or shade cloth can also work), mulch heavily, and add automated drip irrigation.
 
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