October Planting Guide for Arizona’s Low Desert

October in the low desert of Arizona marks the end of a long, hot summer. While the days remain warm, the cool nights make it the perfect time to plant just about anything. Planting this month is essential to establish crops before temperatures drop further and growth slows. October is my favorite time of year here, and I couldn’t be more excited to be in the garden. I hope you’ll join me in choosing a few things from these planting lists to add to your garden this month.

Read “Arizona Garden in October ” for a printable checklist and information about October gardening tasks for the low desert. The low desert includes elevations below 3500 ft in the Southwest, such as the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas.

Article Outline:

• What to Do Before You Plant During October in Arizona
• What to Plant Outside in October in the Low Desert: Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit
• Which Seeds to Start Indoors in October: Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit
• Flowers to Plant Outside in October in The Low Desert
• Flower Seeds to Start Indoors in October

October YouTube Videos

What to Do Before You Plant During October in Arizona

Before you plant, it’s essential to prepare your garden beds and soil to ensure a successful garden. Start by following the steps in this post on preparing beds for planting. Top the beds with Arizona Worm Farm Raised Bed Mix, and add compost, worm castings, and other organic matter to enrich the soil. If needed, incorporate a balanced fertilizer. Ensure your watering system works well—you can learn more in this guide. With everything ready, you’ll be set for a successful gardening season.

As you plan your garden for October, ensure your planting areas receive enough sunlight. With the sun sitting lower in the sky during fall, areas that were in full sun during the summer may now get much less light. Buildings, trees, and other structures can cast longer shadows, reducing sun exposure for your plants. Be mindful of these changes and plant in areas that provide adequate sunlight for your new crops.

What to Plant Outside in October in the Low Desert: Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit

(Click the links to read “How to Grow” articles on my website.)

SEED, TRANSPLANT, OR BOTH? S = Seed / T= Transplant

Perpetual Vegetable, Fruit & Herb Calendar shows you when to plant vegetables in the low desert of Arizona and whether to plant seeds or transplants. See it in my shop.

Which Seeds to Start Indoors in October: Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit

(Click the link for seed sources.)

Get planting dates for your favorite crops with these visual planting guides for vegetables, herbs, fruits, flowers & vines.

Flowers to Plant Outside in October in The Low Desert

(Click the link to read “How to Grow” articles on my website.)

SEED, TRANSPLANT, OR BOTH? S = Seed / T= Transplant

Although summers are hot in the low desert, our winters are mild. Several beautiful flowers grow well during the mild winter and bloom through early spring. In this post, I share my 10 favorite cool-season flowers that love mild winters. 

Flower Seeds to Start Indoors in October

(Click the link for seed sources.)

The Arizona Annual Flower Planting Calendar helps you learn when to plant flowers in Arizona and whether to plant seeds or transplants. It’s available in my shop.

Seed Box Labels with planting dates for vegetables and flowers

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