Gardening is a great way of sustainably providing you and your family with fresh and organic produce. Maintaining a garden in a desert climate, though possible, is not a task for the faint of heart.

It requires patience, discipline and, a strict schedule to produce a flourishing garden. There are, however, a few tips and tricks you can use to make your gardening experience easier and less draining:

Try Limiting the Amount of Sunshine

Position your plants in an area that receives shade in the afternoon and full sunlight in the morning and evening. Plants should be ideally exposed to 6 to 8 hours of sunlight. If no shade is available in the afternoon, cover the plants with a shade cloth to prevent wilting.

Use Good Compost

Mix in good quality compost in your soil to give your plants the nutrients they need to survive and thrive. Good compost is fully decomposed and has a nice earthy scent. Using foul-smelling compost that has not fully decomposed may attract animals and pests to your garden.

Know The Planting Seasons

Planting a vegetable during the right season is key as the climatic conditions will favor its best overall growth. It is important to know the specific variety of the vegetable being grown in order to accurately pinpoint its growing season.

Water Plants Frequently

The high heat of the desert is enough to wilt your plants if not properly watered. Always water them at least twice a day in the morning and evening.

Invest in an automatic sprinkler if no one is available to frequently water the plants. Another easy way to irrigate is by drip irrigation, where bottles with holes in their caps are filled with water and slightly buried into the soil headfirst at the base of the plant.

Water plants deeply in order to encourage deeper root growth. Deeper roots allow plants to reach underground water tables, making them drought resistant and eliminating the need for daily watering.

Manage Weeds and Pests

Continuously weed your garden to reduce the competition for soil water and nutrients. Some weeds carry pests, increasing the risk of infestation. Uproot the weeds or kill them using herbicides that are safe to use on vegetables.

It is important to learn about common pests in your area that are capable of infesting your crops. Pests transmit diseases and reduce the yields and aesthetic value of your crops.

They are especially prevalent in warm and hot climates. Spray your crops with pesticides or cover the garden with a mosquito net fence to prevent larger insects like grasshoppers from reaching your crop.

Mulch

This involves placing a layer of mulch onto the soil surface, often at the base of plants. Materials that can be used as mulch include sawdust, paper, uprooted weeds, or straw.

Mulch prevents weeds from sprouting since they block sunlight and water from reaching it. They also preserve moisture in the soil by reducing the rate of evaporation. Mulching also slows down soil erosion by keeping the fertile top layer of the soil from being blown or washed away.