Vegetable Gardening:Raised Bed Vegetable Gardening in Zone 9b (West of Phoenix) (2024)

FAQs

What fruits and vegetables grow best in zone 9b? ›

Warm-season crops thrive best from February through May/June. Crops included in this season are beans, cucumber, eggplant, melons, pepper, pumpkin, squash, sweet corn, sweet potato, and tomatoes. These vegetables do not survive when the frost comes and need warm Arizona temperatures to properly mature.

Vegetable Beds: On the other hand, when it comes to vegetable beds, the bed must be approximately 12 to 18 inches deep to ensure adequate depth for the roots of your plants. This is especially important if your raised bed is placed on cement or the patio, which will inhibit roots from growing deeper into the ground.

If you're a tomato lover and reside in USDA zone 9, boy are you in luck! A large variety of tomatoes thrive in your warmer climate. Zone 9 tomato plants may take a little extra TLC, but there are still plenty of hot weather tomatoes to choose from.

Eggplants. If you're looking for a vegetable that is easy to grow and pays off big in the kitchen, eggplants might be right up your alley. Eggplants love the sun, heat, and warm temperatures. However, just as with bell peppers and tomatoes, sunscald is a possibility.

Vegetables that do well even in really hot climates

Vegetables like corn, okra, eggplant, hot peppers, tomatillos, and even though they aren't vegetables, melons like watermelons and cantaloupes. Corn originated as a tropical grass.

It's important to water your garden to counteract the drying effects of the harsh desert sun but be careful not to overwater. During the summer, your garden may need to be watered once a day, but during the rest of the year, once or twice a week may be sufficient. Morning is the best time to water your garden.

Tomatoes, veggies and most seasonal flowers need to be watered daily during the summer. Citrus trees and hibiscus do not like wet feet, so allow them to dry out somewhat between irrigations. Guideline: Use a T-handled probe or long-handled screwdriver. If the soil is dry down 1 inch for veggies and flowers, water.

The best way to plant tomatoes is to set out 6-inch transplants beginning in mid-February in the low-desert areas and mid-March in the cooler higher elevation areas. Tomatoes can be planted from seeds successfully, but seeding requires an additional six weeks to get the plants germinated and up to size.

What zone is Phoenix Arizona in for gardening? ›

Phoenix is within the USDA Hardiness Zones of 9b and 10a. These Zones are decided based on the minimum average winter temperature of the area, helping you pick plants that can survive your coldest temperatures. 9b falls into a minimum average winter temp of about 25°F to 30°F, while Zone 10a is between 30°F to 35°F.

Medium-rooting vegetables like kale, cucumbers, and zucchini love at least 18 inches. A 2-foot bed is ideal for these types of vegetables, as well as fruits that grow on bushes like blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries.

For a 4x8-foot raised bed with a 6” height, using Mel's Mix: about 5 cubic feet each of compost, peat moss, and vermiculite is needed. It usually takes about two to three bags of purchased fertile mix (1.5 cubic feet each) to cover the bed surface to a depth of 2 inches.

Eighteen inches is the minimum height needed for plants like tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and kale—plants that have a bigger root base and need more nutrients and space to spread out.

Thanks to zone 9's mild weather, you can garden outdoors year-round with the right crops. The best times to start cool-weather crops are mid-winter and late summer, while late winter or early spring is the best time to start plants that prefer warmer weather.

Zone 9 has average lows ranging from 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Zone 9a average lows range from 20 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit, while Zone 9b average lows range from 25 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. To verify your planting zone you can check out the USDA Map.

Florida and California, as it happens, are actually good candidates for growing strawberries in zone 9. In fact, many popular strawberry varieties are actually patented in these two states. When it comes to choosing the correct strawberries for zone 9, picking the right variety for this area is critical.