Desert garden

sixspeedv

sixspeedv

Well-Known Member
Well about to hit low temps that will kill all my plants so thought I'd share some pics of my first garden in my new home. 2 raised beds with drip irrigation. Few plants made it through the summer but the ones that did really produced once the temps dropped. Damn basil plants grew into giant bushes.

Dealt with lots of blossom drop due to our high temps. When plants did did fruit they were always tiny. Only plants that made it through the summer were the herbs, poblano, jalapeño, and hot banana pepper.





 
sixspeedv

sixspeedv

Well-Known Member
Once I clean up the beds in a week or so I will add some compost, perlite, and some EWC. I'm not a fan of the raised bed soil I purchased when I put this all together and will be amending it for my winter crops of garlic and misc onions.
 
vostok

vostok

Well-Known Member
Nice ..but many improvements can be made here

like painting that wall flat white to reflect light

you call it a desert garden but don't mind dumping your organics on heat transmitting rocks

that will cook your roots and steal your water..?

your wood timber may have been treated with T4?(arsenic) to prevent rot

have you checked, you may need to paint them too to entrap the arsenic or replace

growing on the desert 90% of the action is subsurface,

growing C3 plants in C4 soils is very hard work

good luck

my2c
 
sixspeedv

sixspeedv

Well-Known Member
There's no rock underneath that soil. I removed it all. Wood is treated as well.

I get full sun in that spot so no need to paint as it gets 10+ hours of direct sun during the summer.

I'll have to read into the c3 / c4 comment as I don't know what that is.

I live in the desert and have a garden in my yard. Maybe it doesn't exactly qualify as a desert garden so my apologies if that's misleading.
 
sunni

sunni

Administrator
Staff member
vostok said:
Nice ..but many improvements can be made here

like painting that wall flat white to reflect light

you call it a desert garden but don't mind dumping your organics on heat transmitting rocks

that will cook your roots and steal your water..?

your wood timber may have been treated with T4?(arsenic) to prevent rot

have you checked, you may need to paint them too to entrap the arsenic or replace

growing on the desert 90% of the action is subsurface,

growing C3 plants in C4 soils is very hard work

good luck

my2c
Click to expand...
the gardening subforum is usually more relaxed than the growing marijuana ones.
people dont really come ot be told their garden is wrong and what they need to do to fix it to your standards , they come to share their veggies
 
sunni

sunni

Administrator
Staff member
OP cute little set up , i like it
the wood makes for an elegant look rather than the plastic model types you see sometimes.
are you going to try any herbs or tomatoes next year? I love me some peppers, did you do any canning?
could make a really nice antipasto with those!

you say its a new home? my mothers house was not white and she had a huge successful garden without going nuts and painting walls

have you considered some hens and chicks? a few of those would look very cute in your rock area if you made a little formation, if youre into flower/plant thing you cant eat.
^_^
hope to see more!
 
sunni

sunni

Administrator
Staff member
sixspeedv said:
There's no rock underneath that soil. I removed it all. Wood is treated as well.

I get full sun in that spot so no need to paint as it gets 10+ hours of direct sun during the summer.

I'll have to read into the c3 / c4 comment as I don't know what that is.

I live in the desert and have a garden in my yard. Maybe it doesn't exactly qualify as a desert garden so my apologies if that's misleading.
Click to expand...
dont worry about the semantics, call it a desert garden if you wish too.
its your own damn property.
if youre new to gardening outside at least veggies check out your hardiness zone http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/
(if youre US)
 
sixspeedv

sixspeedv

Well-Known Member
Thanks Sunni!

I plan to expand and add 2 more beds or 1 more larger rectangle bed.

I did thyme, sweet basil, oregano, and rosemary. Those are prob my most used herbs and will run those again when I can. Cilantro as well too. I did parsley but didn't really grow at all and rarely needed it so will not plant it again.

I jarred my banana peppers and roasted my pablanos. I didn't get enough to need to can anything but want to eventually.

Chickens would be cool but don't think they are allowed by the HOA.
 
sunni

sunni

Administrator
Staff member
sixspeedv said:
Thanks Sunni!

I plan to expand and add 2 more beds or 1 more larger rectangle bed.

I did thyme, sweet basil, oregano, and rosemary. Those are prob my most used herbs and will run those again when I can. Cilantro as well too. I did parsley but didn't really grow at all and rarely needed it so will not plant it again.

I jarred my banana peppers and roasted my pablanos. I didn't get enough to need to can anything but want to eventually.

Chickens would be cool but don't think they are allowed by the HOA.
Click to expand...
chickens and an HOA? probably not.
as for probably painting one wall white probably wouldnt be allowed either LOL HOA's can be a pain in the ass.

check into chocolate mint, it smells so amazing even if you just grow it for the smell of it
check out your hardiness zone if you havent already and than , check up gardening websites they are really easy to understand usually
and helpful too!

you can only improve within time, and every mistake you make is a learning obstacle
 
vostok

vostok

Well-Known Member
sunni said:
the gardening subforum is usually more relaxed than the growing marijuana ones.
people dont really come ot be told their garden is wrong and what they need to do to fix it to your standards , they come to share their veggies
Click to expand...
My post directed at sixspeedv, in offering my own experienced suggestions

and enticing him/her to supply more information, of which he has done

I concluded my post by adding my2c, (my two cents)

meaning it need not be done to order or even not taking up at all

of the suggestions I have made of the aboves garden

I believe the chemicals used on the woodwork be taking seriously

thank you for your

administrative guidance

(my2c)
 
sunni

sunni

Administrator
Staff member
vostok said:
My post directed at sixspeedv, in offering my own experienced suggestions

and enticing him/her to supply more information, of which he has done

I concluded my post by adding my2c, (my two cents)

meaning it need not be done to order or even not taking up at all

of the suggestions I have made of the aboves garden

I believe the chemicals used on the woodwork be taking seriously

thank you for your

administrative guidance

(my2c)
Click to expand...
learn to differentiate between admin posts and regular user posts.
when i use the forum to speak its usually as a regular user, and not due to adminin :D
 
vostok

vostok

Well-Known Member
sixspeedv said:
I confirmed the wood is 100% western red cedar. Untreated.
Click to expand...
indeed this is a relief, as just last week we were invited to a friends place for tiffen/lunch,

ate heaps of salad and hop beer and all seven of us went to hospital with bad headaches

as a result of chems leaking from treated timber, the grower assured us all was clean...

but he got fiddled and screwed all of us, lucky for me I worked on the beer rather than graze ..lol
 
sixspeedv

sixspeedv

Well-Known Member
Wow that's scary! Good to hear you drank your dinner that night LOL

Glad you brought it up and I was able to confirm. Thanks for looking out!
 
dannyboy602

dannyboy602

Well-Known Member
Arsenic was once used to treat wood for insect larvae but not any longer. I used to build planter boxes years ago and that was always on my mind.
I don't even think you can find wood treated with heavy metals anymore.
A garden grown in the desert can be a desert garden without indigenous plants. I live in the desert too...high desert to be exact. What's C3? I've heard of C4 but that's something different...is it anything like C3PO?
Beautiful peppers...I'm coming to your house for some nice pico.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
Fascinating stuff here, for sure. I live in a semi arid area too, and I'm curious about using some if the techniques native Americans did long ago. One that comes to mind is 'lithic mulching', basically paving your garden with flagstone, leaving wide cracks to plant in. The idea is that the stone reduces moisture loss and heat gain of the soil and gross plants grow better in the desert.

That idea was so interesting to me I want to try it someone.
 
sixspeedv

sixspeedv

Well-Known Member
dannyboy602 said:
Arsenic was once used to treat wood for insect larvae but not any longer. I used to build planter boxes years ago and that was always on my mind.
I don't even think you can find wood treated with heavy metals anymore.
A garden grown in the desert can be a desert garden without indigenous plants. I live in the desert too...high desert to be exact. What's C3? I've heard of C4 but that's something different...is it anything like C3PO?
Beautiful peppers...I'm coming to your house for some nice pico.
Click to expand...
I'm in the valley of the sun, 115+ degree summers. High desert I'm guessing NM? If so hope you have hatch chiles in the freezer like I do LOL
 
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