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What I’m Planting in August for an Arizona Fall Garden

ByV.S. Quinnell

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Well, folks.

The tomato is dead.

There. I said it.

I tried. The tomato tried.

Arizona won.

My bell pepper hasn’t exactly been living its best life either, but she’s still hanging in there. And around here, if you’re still fighting, I’m not pulling you out.

Meanwhile, my poblano chilies apparently think 110-degree weather is fabulous because they are going crazy.

The jalapeños?

Same thing.

They’re over there thriving while everybody else is trying to survive.

My broccoli is coming along, and the cucumbers are still doing their thing too.

So instead of spending August mourning a tomato plant, I’ve decided it’s time for the next experiment:

My Arizona fall garden.

Yes, I’m talking about fall while it’s still hotter than you-know-what outside.

Welcome to gardening in Arizona.

Apparently Fall Gardening Starts While It’s Still Summer

This is one of the things I’m learning about gardening here.

You can’t necessarily look at the calendar and garden the same way somebody in Ohio, Oregon or Michigan does.

Our seasons are different.

And in Arizona’s low desert, late summer starts opening the door for another round of vegetable planting. The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension’s Maricopa County planting calendar shows planting windows beginning in late summer for several vegetables as we transition toward the cooler growing season.

So I’m going to work with Arizona instead of fighting Arizona.

That’s the plan anyway.

You know me.

We’ll see what happens.

Carrots: Attempt Number Two

Let’s talk about the carrots.

Because technically…

I’ve already planted carrots.

They were Dollar Tree seeds.

And nothing much happened.

Now, am I blaming Dollar Tree?

No.

It could have been the seeds. It could have been the heat. It could have been the soil. It could have been me.

There were several participants in this crime scene.

But I really want to grow carrots, so I’m trying again.

This time I’m going to start with a fresh packet of seeds and pay more attention to the variety and planting conditions.

Arizona’s planting calendar gives carrots a late-summer-through-cool-season planting window in the low desert, so I’m not giving up on them yet.

Let’s Try These Carrots Again

Products to feature:

And I’m documenting this attempt.

Because if these things actually grow, I want photographic evidence.

I’m Going to Try Kale

I’m also thinking about kale.

I know.

Look at me getting fancy.

Before anybody gets excited, this does NOT mean I’m about to start drinking green smoothies every morning and telling everybody how kale changed my life.

I just think it would be fun to grow.

And kale starts becoming a better fit as we move toward Arizona’s cooler season. The University of Arizona planting calendar begins the low-desert fall window around this time.

So I’m giving it a little patio real estate.

I’m Curious About Beets Too

Beets were not originally on my list.

But that’s the fun part of doing this.

I’m learning.

I’m researching.

And I’m discovering vegetables I hadn’t really considered growing before.

Beets are another cool-season crop I can start experimenting with as we move toward fall.

Will I become a beet-growing woman?

Who knows.

Apparently I’m already a poblano-growing woman, and I didn’t see that coming either.

The Broccoli Gets to Stay

My broccoli is already coming along.

So we’re leaving it alone.

I’m actually excited about this one because every time something survives this Arizona summer, I feel like we should both get a certificate.

Congratulations. You didn’t die.

That’s our standard right now.

As temperatures eventually start coming down, I’m curious to see whether the broccoli really takes off.

The Cucumbers Are Hanging In There Too

The cucumbers are also coming along.

They’re staying.

I’m learning that one of the biggest mistakes I can make is deciding too quickly that something isn’t working.

Some plants struggle.

Some pause.

Some suddenly take off.

And apparently some tomatoes just say:

I’m out.

So I’m giving the cucumbers time.

Nobody Touch the Poblanos or Jalapeños

These two have earned permanent residency.

My poblano chilies are going crazy.

The jalapeños are doing great too.

I’m not changing anything.

I’m not moving anything.

I’m not even going to look at them funny.

Whatever they’re doing…

keep doing it.

And Then There’s My Bell Pepper

She’s struggling.

But she’s still here.

And there’s something about that little pepper plant refusing to quit that makes me want to give her a chance.

So she stays too.

Maybe the cooler weather will help.

Maybe she’ll surprise me.

And if not?

We’ll talk about her in the next garden update.

What I’m Thinking of Using for My Fall Garden

Getting My Arizona Fall Garden Started

Potential products:

I’m Done Trying to Make My Garden Behave Like Somebody Else’s

Maybe that’s the biggest lesson I’m taking from this summer.

My garden doesn’t need to look like somebody’s perfect garden on Pinterest.

And Arizona isn’t going to change because I bought a tomato plant.

I have to learn what works here.

On my patio.

With my containers.

With this heat.

And with however much attention I actually want to give everything.

That’s why I’m enjoying this more than I expected.

I’m not trying to become an expert gardener.

I’m curious.

I want to know what happens.

What grows?

What doesn’t?

What surprises me?

What do I never plant again?

And what ends up taking over the patio?

Right now, the poblanos are winning that last category.

And Yes, I’m Trying Those Damn Carrots Again

That’s happening.

New seeds.

New attempt.

Same gardener.

And maybe that’s the point.

Something doesn’t work?

You don’t necessarily have to declare yourself a failure.

Sometimes you just buy another packet of seeds and try the damn carrots again.

I’ll keep you posted.

Because by September, we’re either going to have little carrot tops popping up…

or we’re going to have Carrot Attempt #3.

Either way, there’s going to be a story.

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