Fall is the season Arizona gardeners look forward to all year. After months of intense heat, cooler days and longer nights bring a welcome change. While gardens elsewhere wind down, here in the low desert, it’s the best time to grow. It’s also the easiest season for beginners to start, with cooler weather that’s much kinder to both plants and gardeners.
1. Get Ready to Grow
Take down shade cloth once daytime highs drop below 90°F and look for spots with at least six hours of sun so your garden will grow well. Give the soil a boost by filling beds back up with compost and worm castings to restore nutrients and help the soil hold water. Keep new seeds and seedlings watered well, but as temperatures cool, water deeply but less often to keep plants healthy.
2. Add Cool-Season Veggies
Fall is made for cool-season crops. Broccoli, cauliflower, and kale are easy to plant from transplants. Plant seeds for root vegetables like carrots, beets, radishes, and turnips. Add favorite greens like spinach, lettuce, and Swiss chard for fresh salads straight from the garden. Radishes are ready in less than a month, and lettuce in just a few weeks, the best kind of fast food.
3. Flavor with Herbs
Herbs are easy to grow in the fall and add so much flavor. Cilantro and dill thrive in cooler months and sprout quickly from seed. Having fresh cilantro in the garden is one of my favorite parts of cool-season gardening; it makes taco night so much easier. Parsley grows all winter long and is perfect for cutting as needed. Plan to let herbs flower in spring to attract pollinators to your garden.
4. Bring the Garden to Life with Flowers
No garden is complete without flowers. I love taking a jar full of flowers from the garden to a friend. Cool-weather favorites like pansies and snapdragons from the nursery add instant color. Try nasturtiums from seed. They grow so quickly, you’ll wonder why you didn’t plant them sooner. Sprinkle alyssum seeds around roses and vegetables, and the beneficial insects they attract will help with pests like aphids.
5. Start Small and Mix It Up
New to gardening? Start small. Choose one vegetable, one herb, and one flower from the options above. Learn about each one, give them what they need to grow well, and next season you can add even more to your list. Don’t be afraid to try something new, you may discover a favorite crop or flower you’ll grow every year.
Final Thought
There’s nothing better than stepping outside to gather dinner from the garden. Fall is the best season to begin and enjoy all that Arizona gardening has to offer. Get your hands dirty, enjoy the weather, and soon you’ll be harvesting vegetables, herbs, and flowers from your very own garden. A fall garden reminds you why you love living in Arizona.
Angela Judd @growing.in.the.garden
Angela helps gardeners flourish in desert climates by sharing simple tips, seasonal advice, and practical resources that make growing approachable, rewarding, and successful for gardeners of all experience levels.