Considerations

• Before planting, gardeners should consider what types of vegetables their families eat and the availability of garden space. They should also take into account how much time they have to work in the garden and plan a space accordingly.
  
  

Preparation

• Gardeners in Arizona should send their soil to a university or lab to have it tested for pH and nutrient levels so they know what fertilizers they may need to add before planting. According to the University of Arizona's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, soils in Arizona often need more nitrogen and phosphate.Gardeners should add necessary fertilizers and till the soil before planting. The National Gardening Association also recommends adding compost to improve the nutrient levels and texture of all soil types.
  
  

Irrigation

• Most vegetables require between 1 and 2 inches of water per week, according to the University of Arizona. The desert environment in Phoenix often gets less than 1 inch of rain per week, so gardeners may have to provide supplemental irrigation. The University of Arizona explains that morning or night are the most efficient times to irrigate plants in Phoenix, because less water evaporates than during the day's hot afternoons.
  
  

Benefits

• Phoenix gardeners have the benefit of warmer weather than most areas of the country. According to the University of Arizona, gardeners in Arizona may often plant vegetables during the fall or winter. Some vegetables that grow well during the cooler seasons in Phoenix are kale, cabbage, broccoli and turnips.