We recommend planting your seedlings in a location that receives 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. If possible, the east side of your house is a great location because your seedlings will receive the morning and midday sun and be protected from the intense afternoon sun.

Without getting in the weeds (ha!) of soil science too much, most types of soil will work for your vegetables. You do want to avoid sandy soils because it will not hold water long enough for your plants to be able to drink it up. Arizona’s native soil will suit your vegetables just fine. If you want more info on labs that test soil visit the University of Arizona publication AZ1111

You can also complete a soil test of your yard to figure out what amendments may be necessary for your soil.

We recommend setting up an irrigation system, if possible, to water your plants. This will make it easier on you and your plants. If an irrigation system is not possible, watering by hand will work just fine. It will be up to you to remember to water the plants when needed. How often and how much will depend solely on your garden set up. Email us (arizonalocalgrowers@gmail.com) pictures and some more information about your setup and we can help guide you in the right direction.

Square foot gardening is a simple, efficient gardening method that maximizes your harvest in a small space. You can divide a raised garden bed into 1-foot by 1-foot squares, each planted with a specific number of plants based on their size. This method minimizes waste, reduces weeds, and conserves water while making gardening more manageable. It’s great for beginners and those who are used to playing in the soil.

There are pros and cons of both raised beds and inground gardens. We will list out both here and let you decide on what works best for your lifestyle.

Raised Beds Pros:

• Your bed is higher up so there is no need to bend down as much.
• Since you fill it with soil, you know exactly what is going into it.
• There are fewer weeds and it is easier to weed when they appear.
• Can use square foot gardening much easier.
• Can be built inexpensively.
• Beds can be designed and built to blend seamlessly into your landscape architecture plans.
• Can make an unproductive part of your yard productive.
• Hold heat longer in the winter.

Raised Beds Cons:

• Building materials can be expensive
• Can be expensive to fill with soil. (See Hügelkultur for ways to do this less expensively).
• Dry out faster in the summer.
• Limited gardening space. You can only garden what will fit within your raised bed.
• Can be easy to overplant creating growth problems and possibly attract pests.

In Ground Garden Pros:

• Use the resources you have already.
• Less expensive to start.
• There can be more room to grow vegetables, especially those that need space.
• Retains water longer, especially if you use mulch.
• Some plants thrive better when planted in the ground because their roots can grow deeper.

In Ground Garden Cons:

• Have to bend over more often to garden.
• Soil may be too rocky, sandy or clay heavy so you have to know how to adjust your gardening accordingly for strong growth.
• If your soil is compacted, the water retention can be too much causing root rot so it is important to water the correct amount.
• There could be fungus lurking in your soil that you are unaware of.
• Weeds can be more of a problem with inground gardening.
• Possibility of more pests, like rabbits and insects having easier access to plants.

Homegrown vegetables can be more nutritious than ones purchased from the grocery store since you pick them at peak ripeness. They have had the opportunity to grow to their full potential, which allows them to have the highest amount of vitamins and nutrients. The longer a vegetable sits after picking, the more the nutrients and vitamins begin to degrade, leaving a smaller amount of nutrients to ingest when you eat them. Also, if you are gardening organically, then your produce will not be exposed to pesticides. Even if you decide to use some pesticide or herbicide you know what you are using and can control what you will ingest versus the unknown when purchasing from the grocery store.

Yes! What part you can eat of the plant depends on which plant it is. However, most leaves, flowers, vegetables, and seeds are edible. For example, an arugula flower tastes even sweeter than the leaves of arugula. You can roast a harvested turnip to make turnip hummus and use the greens for dinner that night.

Yes! You must have been at the top of your class, tomatoes are actually fruits. Many plants we call vegetables are botanically considered fruits. While there is a scientific definition that includes flower ovaries and other reproductive flower parts, we will save that for your science class or parents. A basic definition is any vegetable that grows seeds inside itself is considered a fruit, like squash, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Culinarily these are referred to as vegetables.

Botanically, vegetables are other edible parts of the plants, like leaves, roots, or stems, so spinach, carrots, or celery.

Plants are living things, and their success depends on many factors such as care and environment. For this reason, we’re unable to guarantee or accept returns on seedling subscriptions after they have been delivered. We’re always happy to offer advice to help them thrive! Email us at ArizonaLocalGrowers@gmail.com

The short answer is no you do not need compost in your garden. Your garden will manage just fine without the added benefits of compost. However, you may notice your plants are not as fruitful as you hoped or have not grown as large as you want. Compost, whether purchased or made by you, provides additional nutrients to your plants. It can also help keep the soil cooler in the summer months, acting as a bit of insulation against the heat. If you do want larger, more fruitful plants that may or may not take over your garden bed and your entire life turning you into the best gardener you know, we recommend using compost. When using, apply on the top of your soil regardless if you have in-ground beds, raised beds, or are using containers. As the plants are watered the nutrients will leach into the soil and provide the plants with the added nutrients, while keeping their roots cooler.

Besides a fun word to say (pronounced HYOO-gle-culture) literally translates to mound bed or mound culture in German. A mound is built with large logs, sticks, grass clippings and old plant waste, compost and top soil. These mounds will slowly decompose, always providing nutrients to the plants that have been planted at the top of the mound. These mounds also provide high water retention and improved soil structure, while being low maintenance.

We apply Hügelkultur in our raised beds by helping fill them less expensively. At the bottom of our raised bed we place a layer of brown cardboard, then a layer of larger logs (if available) or lots of sticks from pruning trees and bushes, next we fill with grass clippings, leaves, and other plant waste, then top with raised bed potting soil. This cuts the amount of potting soil we need to purchase in half, and gives our seedlings a boost when their roots reach down to the decomposing plant material layers. Each year we only need to top with a nominal amount of soil and compost and our planters are ready to go.

The simplest raised bed prototype includes concrete planter wall blocks and 2”x6” wooden boards. These can be purchased at any big box store. They only require cutting the wood boards the length of the garden bed. You can stain the wood to help it last longer, but it is a simple and inexpensive way to begin your gardening journey. Home Depot will even cut to the exact size you need.

• Too much water
• Too little water
• Aphids, white flies, spider mites, etc
• Not enough fertilizer
• Too much fertilizer
• Not enough sun exposure
• Too much sun exposure

Are you noticing a pattern here? It is hard to identify what is causing problems with your plants. If you have read our care pages and still have questions or are not sure of what’s happening, take pictures and email us. We are happy to assist!

At this time Bountiful Harvest does not have the ability for our customers to customize which plants they receive in their Harvest Box. Seedlings are selected based on which plants would thrive in the Arizona desert during the current growing season.

A microclimate is a small area of a yard or neighborhood that has a different climate than the surrounding area. If one neighbor on your street has wayyyy too many trees in their yard while the rest of the neighbors have desert landscaping with rocks and xeriscape plants, that one neighbor has created a microclimate. It may be slightly cooler and have a higher humidity level than the rest of the neighborhood. It may also attract different animals compared to the rest of the neighbors. Each microclimate grows plants differently, which is why the gardening experience is unique to each and every garden.

Are you going to be out of town for the summer or need to take this upcoming growing season off because your child is participating in all the extracurricular activities there are this growing season? If so, you can delay the delivery of your quarterly subscription. We would suggest delaying it by a month, but can delay up to three months and wait for the next growing season.

Great question! Just like you (or maybe it is just us) the plants get tired of the sun beating down on them and begin to look wilted during the day. They get floppy and seem like they are dying. If they perk back up in the evening once the sun has started setting then give yourself a high five! You are watering your plants enough and they are just getting tired during the day. If however, they do not perk up once the sun is setting then get those thirsty plants some more water and keep an eye on them. You still have the chance to save the plants, but water them before they dry up!