Arizona Vegetable Planting Guide: A Visual Guide for Low Desert Vegetables

• PLANTING GUIDE: Each month lists vegetables, fruit & herbs to plant outside & seeds to start indoors.
• HARVEST GUIDE: Photos show what may be ready to harvest that month.
• Planting dates are for the low desert of Arizona (zone 9b).

• Grows best from seed
• Plant outside: March – April, and again in July – August
• Harvest leaves as needed and cut the seed-heads with stems for drying to collect seeds. 
• Leaves are high in protein. 

• Grows best from seed or transplant
• Start seeds indoors: February – June
• Plant seeds or transplants outside: March – July
• Don’t rush to plant in the spring; Armenian cucumbers prefer warm temperatures. Heat tolerance is their number one attribute; high temperatures do not stress these plants.

• Grows best from transplant
• Start seeds indoors: August – December
• Plant seeds outside: October – December
• Plant transplants outside: October – February
• Time to harvest: 4 – 6 months
• Buds are edible when harvested young (before opening and developing into flowers). 
• At the end of flowering, plants should be cut down to ground and mulched heavily. Plants normally come back each year.

• Grows best from seed
• Start seeds indoors: August – December
• Plant seeds or transplants outside: September 15 – January
• Prolonged warm temperatures cause arugula to bolt and become bitter.
• Harvest outer leaves using cut-and-come-again method to allow additional harvests.
• Arugula tolerates a little frost.

• Asparagus grows quickest from 2 year old roots; can also start from seeds or transplants
• Start seeds indoors: August – November
• Plant outside: November – January
• Time to harvest: 1 – 2 years

• Grows best from seed directly sown in the garden.
• Plant outside: March 15 – April and July – August
• Time to harvest: 60 – 100 days
• Lima beans prefer warm but not hot temperatures and may begin producing once temperatures drop in the fall.

• Grows best from seed directly sown in the garden.
• Plant outside: March 15 – April and August – September
• Time to harvest: 60 – 90 days
• Harvest beans when they are small and tender. Picking beans often encourages more bean production.

• Grows best from seed directly sown in the garden.
• Plant outside: March and July – August (monsoon season)
• Time to harvest: around 100 days
• Tepary beans have been grown in the Sonoran Desert for hundreds of years.
• Do not overwater. 
• Harvest when pods are dry.

• Grows best from seed directly sown in the garden.
• Plant outside: March 15 – July
• Time to harvest: 60 – 90 days
• Yardlong beans tolerate heat and humidity better than snap bean varieties.
• Also called asparagus beans or Chinese-longbeans.

• Grows best from seed directly sown in the garden. But can be carefully transplanted when young.
• Start seeds indoors: August – January
• Plant outside: September 15 – February
• Time to harvest: 60 – 80 days
• Beets tolerate a little frost.
• Beet thinnings can be carefully transplanted.
•  Plant beet seeds every few weeks for a continual harvest. 

• Grows best from seed directly sown in the garden.
• Plant outside: April – August
• Also called cowpeas.

• Grows best from seed or transplant
• Start seeds indoors: August – January
• Plant seeds outside: September 15 – January
• Plant transplants outside: September 15 – February
• Time to harvest: 45 days
• Bok Choy likes cool temperatures.
• A light frost improves the flavor of Bok Choy. 

• Grows best from seed or transplant
• Start seeds indoors: August – December
• Plant seeds outside: September 15 – November
• Plant transplants outside: September 15 – January
• In many varieties, smaller side shoots will form after the main head is harvested.

Time to harvest: 

• Seed: 120 – 130 days
• Transplants: 80 – 90 days

• Grows best from transplant in the low desert of Arizona.
• Start seeds indoors: July – September
• Plant transplants outside: September 15 – November
• Time to harvest: 100 – 120 days
• Once buds form, if temperatures are beginning to climb or if you want to harvest all the Brussels sprouts at one time, pinch off the rosette (growing tip at the top of plant) about a month before the desired harvest. This directs the plant’s energy to increasing the size of the buds and they will develop all at once.

• Grows best from seed or transplant
• Start seeds indoors: August – December
• Plant seeds outside: September 15 – November
• Plant transplants outside: September 15 – January
• Cabbage will not form a head but split or bolt if exposed to too much heat or severe frost.

Time to harvest: 

• Seed: 120 – 130 days
• Transplants: 80 – 90 days

• Grows best from seed if soil is warm enough.
• Start seeds indoors: January – June 
• Plant outside: February 15 – July
• Time to harvest: 80 – 120 days
• Can be started indoors, but do not let seedlings become pot bound.
• Try growing native-adapted varieties from Native Seeds Search.

• Grows best from seed. DO NOT USE TRANSPLANTS.
• Plant outside: September 15 – March
• Time to harvest: 60 – 100 days
• Thin carrot seedlings for good-sized carrots.
• Harvest carrots before the heat of the summer; the heat turns them bitter. 

• Grows best from seed or transplant
• Start seeds indoors: August – December
• Plant seeds outside: September 15 – November
• Plant transplants outside: September 15 – January
• To grow cauliflower successfully, it needs at least 2 months of cool weather (60 degrees is ideal) to mature. 

Time to harvest:

• Seed: 120 – 130 days
• Transplants: 90 – 100 days

• Grows best from transplant
• Start seeds indoors: July – September
• Plant seeds outside: September 15- November
• Plant transplants outside: September 15 – December
• Time to harvest: 120 – 150 days
• Harvest individual stalks of celery as needed rather than cutting off the entire base. 
• Celery can also be grown with the cut-off base of grocery store celery.

• Grows best from seed
• Plant outside: February 15 – March and July – August
• Time to harvest: 70 – 90 days
• Plant corn in blocks rather than rows to encourage pollination. 

• Grows best from transplant in the low desert of Arizona
• Start seeds indoors: December – March and July – August
• Plant transplants outside: February 15 – April and August 15 – September
• Time to harvest: 65 – 75 days
• Can be tricky to grow in Arizona. If you have trouble getting plant to grow, try starting seeds indoors.
• Also called Mexican sour gherkin and Mouse Melon.
• Plants may form tubers, which can be over-wintered.

• Grows best from seed
• Start seeds indoors: January – March and July – August
• Plant outside: February 15 – April and August 15 – September
• Time to harvest: 60 – 90 days
• For spring planting, choose short-season varieties that will ripen before the hottest days of summer. Arizona summer heat makes cucumbers bitter. 

• Grows best from seed
• Plant outside: March 15 – April
• Days to harvest: 75 – 110 days
• Harvest pods as soon as they are plump and still bright green. Once pods turn yellow, the consistency and flavor deteriorates rapidly.

• Grows best from transplant
• Start seeds indoors: January – February and May – July
• Plant transplants outside: March – April and July 15 – September
• Time to harvest: 70 – 120 days 

• Planted from cloves
• Soft-neck varieties grow best in the low desert of Arizona
• Plant during the month of October
• Time to harvest: 5 – 7 months
• Place whole cloves in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator 6 weeks before planting. Vernalization helps ensure correct bulb formation.

• Grows best from transplant
• Start seeds indoors: December – January and May – June 
• Plant transplants outside: February 15 – March  and July 15 – September
• Ground cherry plants are sprawling and grow wide. Allow 2 – 3 feet between each plant. 

• Grows best from bulbs
• Plant from August – November
• Harvest greens as needed; harvest bulbs when the desired size. 
• I’itoi onions thrive in the Sonoran Desert’s difficult growing conditions. One bulb becomes 8 or 10 bulbs, which in turn become more bulbs. You will be amazed at how quickly these bulbs multiply.

• Grows best from seed or transplant
• Start seeds indoors: August – December
• Plant seeds outside: September 15 – December
• Plant transplants outside: September 15 – January
• Time to harvest: 60 – 90 days
• For a continual harvest, harvest only the outer leaves of kale (known as the cut-and-come-again method). 

• Grows best from seed or transplant
• Start seeds indoors: August – December
• Plant seeds outside: September 15 – December
• Plant transplants outside: September 15 – January
• Time to harvest: 45 – 60 days
• Kohlrabi tastes best when harvested small and before the weather gets hot. Begin harvesting when bulbs are about 2 inches wide. 

• Grows best from seed or transplant
• Start seeds indoors: August – November
• Plant seeds outside: October – November
• Plant transplants outside November – January
• Time to harvest: 120 -150 days
• Densely plant seeds and then thin and replant seedlings 6 – 8 inches deep and 4 – 6 inches apart; or plant from transplant. 

• Grows best from seed or transplant
• Start seeds indoors: August – December
• Plant seeds or transplants outside: September 15 – January 
• Time to harvest: 50 – 100 days depending on the variety
• For a continual harvest, harvest only the outer leaves of lettuce (known as the cut-and-come-again method). 
• Warm temperatures cause lettuce to bolt.

• Grows best from seed
• Start seeds indoors: January – March
• Plant outside: February 15 – April
• Time to harvest: At least 120 days when harvested as a sponge, usually much longer.
• Once gourd is longer than 6 inches, the insides become fibrous and it is too tough to eat. 

• Grows best from seed or transplant
• Start seeds indoors: January – March
• Plant outside: March – May
• Although Malabar spinach tolerates hot Arizona summers, it is a tropical plant and needs consistent moisture throughout the growing season. For best flavor, keep soil evenly moist. 

• Grows best from seed
• Start seeds indoors: February – April
• Plant outside: March 15 – May
• Time to harvest: 70 – 100 days
• Good to know: Make it a point to harvest okra daily while it is producing; leaving pods on the plant slows or stops production.

• Grows best from seed or onion transplants (not sets)
• Start seeds indoors: August – November
• Plant seeds outside: October – November
• Plant transplants outside:  November – January
• Time to harvest: 7 – 8 months
• Densely plant seeds and then thin and replant seedlings.
• Onion sets commonly sold in stores have often dried out and will bolt (flower). 

• Grows best from seed
• Plant from seeds outside: September 15 – April
• Time to harvest: 90 – 100 days
• Good to know:  Harvest individual onions as needed. 

• Grows best from seed. DO NOT USE TRANSPLANTS
• Plant outside: September 15 – November
• Use fresh seeds each year.
• Time to harvest: 100 – 120 days

• Grows best from seed
• Plant outside: March 15 – April
• Time to harvest: 5 months
• Good to know: The flowers of peanut plants are above ground, but the pods (shells) containing the seeds develop underground. 

• Grows best from seed
• Plant outside: September 15 – January
• Time to harvest: 60 – 150 days depending on when planted and variety
• Good to know: Peas are sweetest when eaten fresh; the sugar in the peas turns to starch within hours of harvesting.

• Grows best from transplant
• Start seeds indoors: December – February and May – July
• Plant transplants outside: February 15 – April and July 15 – September
• Time to harvest: 90 – 120 days
• Good to know: Start seeds indoors in late December or January for spring transplants.

When to plant potatoes in Arizona:

• In the low desert of Arizona, plant from September through January.

Good to know:

• Grows best from seed potatoes
• Potatoes grow well in grow bags or containers.
• If plants are killed by frost, harvest potatoes (no matter the size) within a week or two to keep them from rotting.
• Time to harvest: 90 – 120 days

• Grows best from seed
• Start seeds indoors: February and June – July
• Plant outside: March and July – August
• Time to harvest: 90 – 120 days
• Growing pumpkins require a lot of room and water. 

• Grows best from seed. DO NOT PLANT TRANSPLANTS
• Plant outside: September 15 – March
• Time to harvest: 40 – 60 days
• Radishes sprout easily, grow quickly, and are a perfect first seed to grow for new or young gardeners.

• Grows best from seed or transplant
• Start seeds indoors: February – April
• Plant outside: March 15 – May
• Time to harvest: 120 – 180 days
• Although the plants don’t bloom until fall, planting roselle earlier in the season ensures a large plant with plenty of blooms and calyces to harvest. 

• Grows best from seed
• Start seeds indoors: August – December  
• Plant outside: September 15 – January
• Time to harvest: 40 – 90 days
• Larger leaves can become bitter; don’t wait too long to harvest.
• Harvest outer leaves (leaving inner leaves for continual harvest) or harvest the entire plant at once by cutting it off at the base.

• Grows best from seed
• Start seeds indoors: January – February and July – August
• Plant outside: February 15 – March and August 15 – September
• Time to harvest: 60 – 90 days
• If you are finding that female fruits are withering, hand-pollinate by transferring pollen from the male stamen to the female pistil.

• Grows best from seed
• Start seeds indoors: February and June – July
• Plant outside: March and July – August
• Time to harvest: 90 – 120 days
• Winter squash mature on the vine and can be stored indoors for several months. 

• Grows best from slips – small pieces of rooted sweet potato vines grown from a sweet potato.
• Start sweet potato slips indoors: January – April
• Plant slips outside: March – June
• Time to harvest: 120 – 160 days
• Sweet potatoes need a long warm growing season, are heat tolerant and drought resistant, and have few pests or diseases.

• Grows best from seed or transplant
• Start seeds indoors: August – January
• Plant seeds outside: September 15 – January
• Plant transplants outside: September 15 – February
• Time to harvest: 60 – 90 days
• To harvest Swiss chard, cut off the outer leaves with a sharp pair of garden scissors 1½ to 2 inches above the ground while they are young and tender (about 8 to 12 inches long).

• Grows best from transplant
• Start seeds indoors: December – January and May – July
• Plant transplants outside: February 15 – March  and July 15 – September
• Time to harvest: 80 – 100 days
• Plants grow large and will need trellising.
• Plant 2 to ensure pollination

• Grows best from transplant
• Start seeds indoors: December – January and May – July
• Plant transplants outside: February 15 – March  and July 15 – September
• Time to harvest: 50-120 days
• Look for plants with a short (60-90) days to maturity.

• Grows best from seed. DO NOT USE TRANSPLANTS.
• Plant outside: September 15 – January
• Time to harvest: 90 – 120 days
• Thin when plants are 4 inches tall. 

• Grows best from seed
• Plant outside:  February 15 – March
• Time to harvest: 90 – 120 days
• Watermelon leaves produce the sugars that sweeten the watermelon. Allow leaves to sprawl and grow; do not pinch off vines or leaves.