Arizona is a fairly arid climate and because of that there are many plants and vegetables that may not flourish here in the desert heat.

There are, however, plenty of hearty vegetables that will grow well in the hot Arizona summer. Here are our favorite’s that will help you in your vegetable gardening endeavors.

Eggplant

Eggplant is an especially hearty plant that can withstand the heat and can even flourish in Arizona. Eggplants grow on a vine so as long as you provide these plants with enough space to spread, you should be fine. As with many plants, it is best to seed them inside your home to help protect the seedlings then move them outdoors when they are large enough to survive in the garden.

Corn

Since corn does not require a great deal of water and instead needs more nutrients than anything, as long as you have soil that has plenty of nutrients, corn will do well. Again with corn you are going to want to seed indoors then move them outdoors when they begin to grow. With corn you will need to water it as it grows to insure that it does produce corn. Corn should be planted in even rows that are at least six inches apart so that the stalks can grow independently of one another and so that they can get the proper amount of sun and not smother one another out.

Potatoes

Another vegetable that does well in the summer in Arizona are potatoes. Potatoes do well in Arizona during the hot summer months for a wide range of reasons. Potatoes grow beneath the soil so they are not all that affected by the heat, again, as long as you have a good soil content you should be able to grow both sweet and regular potatoes. To plant potatoes you will need to start your plants outdoors. With a seed potato, plant them at several inches apart as they will spread beneath the surface of the ground where you plant them and create more potatoes.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin and melons also do well in Arizona. Pumpkin and melons do best when they are not over watered as they can develop rotten spots and can even rot on the vine if they are given too much water. Arizona does get enough water that these plants are able to grow well there and they are likely not to rot. You will still need to rotate melons and pumpkins during the growing season to prevent your melons getting flat spots or getting rotten spots from sitting. To plant pumpkins you can seed indoors or you can plant directly in the garden. Make sure your seedlings are at least six inches from one another and as they begin to grow, weed out smaller seedlings to make for space for larger seedlings. These will vine and as such you need to make sure they have enough room to grow.

Peppers

Peppers are a vegetable that grows well in just about any climate no matter what. They do not require a great deal of water and prefer direct sunlight. When planting peppers, make sure you seed them at least two to three inches apart then either transplant of weed them out when they begin to grow. Your pepper plants will produce well all season and can produce a great deal of peppers if you keep them well taken care of. Make sure you plant your peppers in a place where they will get plenty of sunlight and will be able to grow.

These are all great plants for Arizona and they can be both fun and productive to plant. Knowing your growing season can make a huge difference in planting success.