QUESTIONS

Learning about soil, planting guidelines, watering, fertilizing, and pest control will help you be a better gardener, but you don't have to know everything to get started!

1. HOW DID I BEGIN? WHERE DID I START?

On a birthday visit to my brother's house in September 2013, I was inspired by his various planter boxes and containers filled with vegetables and herbs. A couple weeks later, while visiting a friend, I was expressing my desire to go back to college and learn; I was craving knowledge, but the timing was not right for me to return to school. My friend said to me, "You know, you don't have to sit in a classroom to learn. Pick something you want to learn about, and start learning. There are so many resources available to us now through the internet." 

I had always wanted to learn how to garden but felt I never had the time. The next day I began to learn. I had never even owned a house plant, much less planted a vegetable garden, before I started studying and researching in September 2013, not only how to grow vegetables, but how to grow vegetables here in Las Vegas. 

I started with one garden bed and potted herbs. My goal was to grow some vegetables and lettuces to blend in my little boy's g-tube formula that I made everyday. However, when it comes to learning something new, I have somewhat of an impatient and obsessive personality, and I voraciously consumed article after article and watched video after video about so many garden related topics! In the course of five months, my husband had built me a germination station, a greenhouse, six planter boxes, an additional raised bed, and I had purchased numerous containers, plants, flowers, seeds and garden paraphernalia. Friends would ask when we had time to garden? The truth is, Sean and I would rather garden and work in the yard than watch TV or socialize like normal human beings. The bonus is that we are both that way, so it makes for a great relationship! Often times, Sean would run extension cords and hook up lights at ten o'clock at night because that was the only time we had to work. Life is so busy! My recommendation would be to start small! (Unless, of course, you are abnormal like my husband and I.) 



2. WHAT WILL GROW HERE? WHAT SHOULD I PLANT?

I'm learning that Las Vegas is actually a great place to garden! We can have multiple growing seasons because of our climate. In fact, many gardeners find they can grow vegetables all year long. I learned this by accident when starting my first Fall garden very late. I planted seeds of kohlrabi, carrots and beets directly into the ground in mid October and mid November. They grew well until December when their growth slowed, but they survived the hard freeze in mid December and continued to grow. I was able to harvest them in February and March! 

Cool season vegetables, here in Las Vegas, grow better in the Spring and Fall. Some that have grown well for me include beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, kohlrabi, onions, peas, radishes, romaine, kale, swiss chard, mustard greens and collards. 

Warm season vegetables such as green beans, eggplants, melons, peppers, squash and tomatoes grow well during the Summer. I experimented once and tried to grow them during the Fall and Winter just to see what would happen. I actually like experiments (remember, I told you I was abnormal)... don't waste your time and energy. They all died! There is a reason they are called "warm season vegetables". 

I've had success buying plants from the local nursery, buying seeds and planting them directly into the soil and starting seeds indoors or in my greenhouse and transplanting them into my garden after 4-8 weeks. 


3. WHEN SHOULD I PLANT MY GARDEN HERE IN LAS VEGAS?

SPRING GARDEN suggested planting for cool season vegetables is mid-January through end of March.

SUMMER GARDEN suggested planting for warm season vegetables is mid-March through June with the majority of the vegetables doing best when planted in April and May.

FALL GARDEN suggested planting for cool season vegetables is August through mid-October. Don't make the mistake I did when planting my first FALL GARDEN! I started seeds in October and November instead of starting seeds indoor in August to TRANSPLANT in September or early October.

The SPRING & SUMMER GARDENS mesh together as well as the SUMMER & FALL GARDENS.


4. HOW MUCH SHOULD I BE WATERING MY PLANTS?

Looking at the surface of the soil will not tell you how moist it is because we live in a hot, dry climate, and the top layer of dirt always dries out here. You want your soil to be evenly moist - not dry or soggy. Drip irrigation is the preferred method of most gardeners because it is more efficient. I have used drip irrigation, soaker hoses as well as overhead watering with both sprinklers and hoses. I prefer drip irrigation.



HOW TO START YOUR SEEDS INDOORS
Click on the link above, and read my post about starting your seeds indoors. Avoid mistakes by learning from mine!




SOURCES THAT I HAVE FOUND HELPFUL IN STARTING MY LAS VEGAS GARDEN:

I also found Leslie Doyle's Slam Dunk Easy Gardening book very helpful! She has been growing gardens here in Las Vegas for years, and her book includes a Vegetable Transplanting Guide with what she has personally had success growing. Check out her website and learn from a Las Vegas gardener who has been growing vegetables for over twenty years here! She has YouTube tutorial videos, offers how-to gardening classes and welcomes visitors and phone calls to her own garden. Sweet Tomato Test Garden, Las Vegas, NV


Garden Farms of Nevada is a company that offers a variety of garden services here in Las Vegas from supplies, consultations, garden installations, and garden maintenance. Garden Farms is owned and operated by Bryan and Brittany Vellinga, and they are both knowledgeable, friendly and great to work with. 


John Collier from growingyourgreens.com takes you through YouTube tutorials about growing gardens of all shapes and sizes (and in a variety of containers) here in Las Vegas, Nevada.