How to Grow Tomatoes in Phoenix, AZ
Tomatoes are the Valley gardener's holy grail — and they're absolutely achievable if you respect the calendar. Plant from mid-February to mid-March, harvest in April and May, and be done before the June heat arrives. I've grown dozens of varieties over the years and I'll tell you exactly which ones perform best here.
Read the Full Guide🌸 Spring Garden
Peppers: The Desert's Perfect Crop
Jalapeños, bells, Anaheims — peppers love our dry heat. Plant from mid-February and harvest all the way into June. The variety guide that changed how I grow them.
Cucumbers & Squash in the Desert
Start these in late February and they'll outproduce anything else in your spring garden. My best tips for watering, spacing, and harvesting before the heat hits.
Growing Melons in Phoenix
Nothing beats a homegrown cantaloupe in May. They take patience and space, but Phoenix's dry heat and our short window make them surprisingly sweet.
Beans: Fast, Easy, and Delicious
Green beans are one of the fastest crops you can grow in Phoenix. Direct sow mid-March to mid-April for a harvest in just 50–60 days before summer shuts them down.
Eggplant: Our Underrated Hero
Eggplant loves Phoenix heat more than almost any other vegetable. It even survives summers others can't. If you haven't tried it, this is your season.
Basil & Warm-Weather Herbs
Basil thrives alongside your tomatoes in spring. Add Thai basil, oregano, and chives for a complete kitchen herb garden that works all season.
🍂 Fall & Winter Garden
Leafy Greens All Winter Long
Lettuce, kale, spinach, chard — Phoenix's cool season is salad season. Keep a steady cut-and-come-again harvest going from October through February.
Broccoli & Cauliflower in the Desert
These cool-season crops have a narrow sweet spot in Phoenix — plant in September, harvest in December. Get the timing right and they're surprisingly easy.
Root Vegetables: Carrots, Beets & Radishes
Direct-sow these in October for a winter harvest. Carrots especially love our loose desert soil when amended properly. Tips on spacing and thinning included.
Snap Peas & Snow Peas
Plant in October and harvest by January. Peas love a trellis and our cool nights. One of the most satisfying crops you'll grow in the fall garden.
Onions & Garlic in Arizona
Plant garlic in October for a June harvest. Onion sets go in December–January. Both thrive in our mild winters and are some of the easiest, most rewarding crops you'll grow.
Cool-Season Herbs: Cilantro, Parsley & Dill
These herbs hate summer but thrive all fall and winter in Phoenix. Cilantro especially will self-seed and come back year after year with almost no effort.
Growing Strawberries in Phoenix
Plant September 15 to November 15, give them afternoon shade, and pick sweet berries in spring. Best varieties, soil, and watering for the low desert.
Growing Potatoes in Phoenix
Plant seed potatoes January 1 to March 1, or try my October-to-May longer season with frost cover. Varieties, grow bags, hilling, and harvesting before the heat.
Phoenix Frost Dates & Frost Protection
First and last freeze dates for Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert, which plants to cover, and how to protect them on cold nights.
Growing Asparagus in Phoenix
Plant UC 157 crowns November through January, pick a permanent sunny spot, skip the first-year harvest, and give the bed a fall rest.
Growing Artichokes in Phoenix
Sow Imperial Star seed in November or set out transplants January 15 to March 15, cover young plants on freeze nights, and harvest tight buds in spring.