Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange
Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [desert]

Area of very low precipitation - typically less than 10in/year.

Use this tag for questions about desert plants, or questions about growing in desert conditions.

Note that although deserts are usually associated with hot areas, deserts can be any temperature. The Earth has temperate and polar deserts - the largest desert is actually located in Antarctica.

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How do you know if you are watering a plant too much vs. too little?

I live in Arizona, and I can never tell if I am watering my plants too little or too much. Plants are very touchy here - and you have to be able to read the signs correctly. I can't. What signs are there for each?
johnnietheblack
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What food crops grow well in a hot/dry desert climate?

I live in Las Vegas, where year-round rainfall is very low, and summer temperatures can be very high. The humidity is very low, the sky is nearly always sunny, and spring and fall temperatures can remain warm. Wind is frequent. I have an interest in…
Bryson
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How are peppers and mulch used in a desert environment?

I have a couple of pepper plants that I've recently procured. Since I do not want these to go the way every other plant that has been gifted to me (i.e. death), I transplanted them into some large planters and used "moisture-control" potting soil,…
russjman
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How can I grow air plants in an arid climate?

I inherited several air plants (bromeliads probably in the genus Tillandsia) from a friend. I know they are tropical in origin and lived in a greenhouse previously, but I live in a very arid climate. The plants seem to be drying out. How can I take…
kmm
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How to take care of an avocado plant in the chihuahuan desert?

A friend of mine gave me an avocado plant that she grew from seed. She kept it primarily in a well-shaded patio. I don't have such a patio... in fact, I have a non-shaded house with frequent strong winds. I really want to keep this plant outside…
Paul
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Garden in Desert Soil

We are in a position to move onto a large city lot of about 0.75 acre. I like the idea of having a large lot for economic and quality of life reasons but I see an opportunity to set up a sizable garden that can yield fresh food (further enhancing…
acpilot
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Edible Desert Plant

I came across this very interesting looking plant while browsing the Internet. Apparently, it is edible (seeds, plants, and maybe the pod), but I just can't find the name of it. It grows in the desert, but I'm not sure exactly where. Here are some…
Pamela
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Growing Strawberries in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia (Winter season)

I sowed strawberry seeds and they germinated just now after the passage of a long heavy rainstorm. I am living in Al Khubar, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia which is a desert region. It is currently the peak of winter season here with temperatures…
Taimur
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Desert Fruit - What are good varieties to grow in the desert?

I live in the desert and want to grow fruit in my garden but am concerned about the heat. I'm wondering what varieties the community would recommend I take a stab at when it begins to warm up?
Ppoggio
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Is there any merit to my wacky idea to grow a Purslane lawn?

I have this wacky idea to plant Purslane instead of grass in my desert yard (zone 7a, 9 inches of rain annually). I'm not keen on having high-maintenance turf; the only grass in the running against the Purslane idea is Curly Mesquite grass, which…
iLikeDirt
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What is this grass that is growing in my desert yard?

I live in New Mexico (zone 7a) and my yard is basically a desert. However, I was surprised to discover some grass growing near the edge of my patio slab today. I didn't plant it and I certainly haven't watered it, so I was surprised to see it! I'm…
iLikeDirt
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What can I replace my garden with?

I'm in a situation where its a waste of time, effort and money to take care of our many little gardens (Different separate gardens ranging between 20-90 meters square). Briefly, we rarely visit them and its is nearly impossible to be available to…
Muhammad Gelbana
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Is it possible to overwater tomatoes growing in a dry climate?

Is it possible to overwater potted tomatoes growing in a dry climate? What are the signs that they are overwatered? Are these tomato plants over-watered? Does it have blight? Is something else wrong, too? This one has a "raisin"!
Geremia
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What is the most efficient drip system setup for irrigating a tree in the desert?

What is the most efficient (i.e., least water lost due to evaporation) drip system setup for irrigating a tree in the desert? I've seen some elaborate setups, like this: But having it above-ground like this would seem to result in a lot of water…
Geremia
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Is mulch in the desert a good idea?

I am getting wildly conflicting information on mulch. Some sources say that it starves plants, keeps rainfall from reaching the soil, grows mold, rots tree trunks, and feeds termites. Other sources say it's critical in a desert environment like mine…
iLikeDirt
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