Question by justklee: Herb Garden in a desert climate????
I love to cook and want my own herb garden but I live in a desert climate, will my herb garden survive in triple digit temp? If no herb garden…any other pretty desert plants besides thorny catus plants I can grow?
Best answer:
Answer by Cornpatch
Unless you have limited water, herbs should be possible. Use drip irrigation. If you are having trouble in full sun, plant on North side of structures, around/under shrubs and trees, or under shade cloth.
Local garden centers and other gardeners should be able to get you started with attractive plants. Consider foliage color and ‘structure’ in addition to flowers and again make use of shade.
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Oh my, yes, you can have a herb garden. Many popular herbs are mediterranean, and so they are naturally used to hot and dry conditions.
You may wish to protect your plants from TOO too much heat (perhaps plant them near a sheltering wall) but these should be OK:
Sage: grows well in well-drained, light soil. Lots of sun for this little guy! He hates the cold (don’t let him get below 15 F or he’ll be sad). An old Arabian proverd says: ‘How can a man die who has sage in his garden?’ (so you see, it grows well in the desert!)
Rosemary: Known to Greeks and Romans (the name comes from the Latin ‘rosmarinus’ – ‘dew of the sea’). This little guy loves the sun! He requires very little moisture, and likes it hot.
Aloe: A suculent plant (like a cactus) very good for healing burns, skin irritations, and sunburn. Alexander the Great knew about aloe! This is definitely a desert plant (the Egyptians used it in mumufication – yuk!) Again, this little guy loves sun, needs little water, and likes loose or sandy soil.
Basil: This guy is an anual (you will have to replant every spring) but he’s a delight. He’ll take the heat but needs more water than the others above.
Oregano / marjarum (these two are very closely related): Oregano is from the Greek, meaning ‘joy of the mountains’ (isn’t that pretty?) and was sacred to Venus! Again, like the others, this is native to the mediterranean, and needs sun and well-drained soil (but, like basil, give this little guy a bit more water than the rest)
Thyme: again, known to the Greeks and Romans. Again, this little guy loves sun and needs well-drained soil. There are many different kinds of thyme, some are lovely, lemon-scented varieties, some are more spicy, all are delightful.
Ooooh, you lucky person, you can also grow a bay (laurel) tree! This beautiful tree will need water, but it will love your hot, sunny environment and mild winters. Don’t let this guy get too cold!
You should have a wonderful, happy garden full of healthy herbs!
I envy you your location!
Hope this helps
PS – you may wish to feed your plant with a TINY bit of plant food. Never too much, or they could get very sad.
I live in southern California. We often have such single digit humidity as to prove hard to grow things. However!! If you are sincere in wanting the best for an herb garden, you must add things to the soil to hold water before ever planting anything. I shred newspapers, and mix them into the soil, as well as dried leaves, sawdust, and coffee grounds. Sawdust is given freely at a lumber yard near me, so is used coffee grounds from the local Starbucks, simply for the asking. (You just have to be ready to carry it out yourself) There is something at the gardening sections of Home Depot and Wal-Mart called Perlite. It is a man-made substance that holds water when mixed into the soils as well. I also use potato and carrot peels, rather than dump them down the disposal.
Secondly, plant in a shaded area, or else provide shade for the seed bed. The middle of the day is a hard time for little plants to get through. I have some cheap beach umbrellas throughout my backyard, and when the sun is too hot or the air too dry, they help preserve the life of the plants. I think they cost me a whole $ 5 each at Big Lots. Prop up a plastic trellis, and drape screening material or outdoor roll-up bamboo over them. Regular old bark turned into the soil also helps the moisture levels.
Thirdly, do not water mid day. Little water droplets are like magnifying glasses, and can actually cause plants to have burned spots on them. That hurts the growth of the plant. Aside from the fact that you waste so much to evaporation in higher temps of the day. Water late in the evening (or overnight if you have automatic sprinklers).
I am currently getting my second crop of grape tomatoes with the methods I have used here. It is September, and usually, July would be the end of them. So good luck, and good cooking!