| What kind of vegetables and fruit trees can I grow in my hot, dry climate? |
| You can grow many vegetables in your climate as long as you plant at the appropriate time. Lettuce, for example, will fade quickly in the heat of late spring and summer, but if you plant in September, you can get a winter crop. The same holds true for chard, beets, leeks, endive, cabbage, spinach, radishes, green onions, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and fall peas. In January and February, you can plant beets, carrots, radishes, turnips, onions, parsley and leaf lettuce. Even tomatoes, cantaloupes, cucumbers, squash, bell peppers, and eggplants can be planted in February if you cover them with protective row covers. In March you can begin sowing seeds of corn and snap beans. Complete your sowing of all vegetables by May. Several varieties of plums will produce fruit in the low desert. Santa Rosa is a good choice if you only want one tree. Some other varieties require two trees for cross-pollination. Fig are another possibility. Some peach tree varieties have a low chilling requirement and thus are adaptable to your climate. |
