Your Tucson garden and the changing climate
As you no doubt noticed, the Southwest is in a prolonged, multi-decade drought, and our water supply is somewhat precarious. Add to that concerns about rising temperatures, and it’s enough to make even stalwart gardeners worry for the future of their plants.
There are many things we can do to make our gardens more sustainable in our changing world. Using less water, by planting drought tolerant native plants, irrigating responsibly, reusing grey water and collecting rainwater are top on the list.
We can also make our soils more capable of holding moisture through our long hot summers.
Our plant choice matters greatly, as well; native plants are generally best and fortunately our Sonoran desert ecosystem gives plenty to choose from. Planting native shade trees is key, not only for humans but other living things, too.
If you want to prepare your garden for our changing climate, here are articles with more tips to guide you through keeping a healthy, sustainable garden.
(14) updates to this series since Updated
With more extreme weather in our future, you may wonder if you can still have a garden. Here are tips on how to make your garden more resilient.
Tucson's dry desert summers are a challenge for plants. Here's how to help them survive the heat.
Making your own compost is a great idea, but Tucson's desert climate can pose some challenges. Here are some tips for successful composting.
Want your plants to thrive? Learn about the importance of organic matter in desert garden soils, and the differences between organic and inorganic fertilizers.
Mulch is a must-have in the Sonoran desert and will save Tucson gardeners lots of time and hassle. This article discusses why mulch is good for plants in the Tucson desert and the pros and cons of different types of mulch.
Want to grow food but don't have the patience for vegetable beds? Here are some low-maintenance native desert food plants to try out like mesquite, palo verde, hackberry, wolfberry, prickly pear and more.
How can we garden responsibly and not worsen our ecological crisis? Read on to find out.
Wondering when to water and how long? How about watering during the monsoon? Here are some tips and resources to get you going.
Drip irrigation systems are the best choice for Tucson gardens. Find out why, and how to get started with installation.
Greywater is the wastewater from your home's laundry, showers, and bathroom sinks. It's a great source of free water for your garden, and it's easy to implement.
Passive rainwater harvesting involves building earthworks to channel and store water in your yard, saving you lots of money and conserving water.
Active rainwater harvesting involves the use of gutters and tanks to channel and store rainwater. This allows you to “bank” rainwater in Southern Arizona's unpredictable climate so you can stretch out the period of time rainwater is available for irrigating plants.
If you hate the work and cost of your Tucson pool maintenance, check out this great DIY pool conversion to a giant rainwater tank and veggie garden.
Native plants are underutilized in our gardens in the Sonoran Desert. Many nurseries sell plants from Mediterranean climates or from deserts i…
