Gardening in Havasu

Good Morning!
The question:  Can you successfully garden in Lake Havasu?  Well...........the answer is YES!

If you go to the index on the right you will see previous posts, pictures of our gardens and helpful information  under:  Asparagus gardening, Artichoke gardening, gardening in Havasu, Square foot gardening and Planting guide for Havasu (todays post)

Enjoy!  deb

Planting Calendar for Lake Havasu City, AZ

On average, your last spring frost occurs on March 1 (at LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ climate station).

Crop	Based on Frost Dates   Based on Moon Dates
	Start Seeds Indoors	Plant Seedlings or Transplants	Start Seeds Outdoors
Basil	Jan 5-19 Jan 5-10	Mar 1-22 Mar 1- 9	N/A
Beets	N/A	N/A	Feb 16-Mar 8 Feb 16-22
Bell Peppers	Dec 22-Jan 5 Dec 26-Jan 5	Mar 15-Apr 5 Mar 24-Apr 5	N/A
Broccoli	Jan 19-Feb 2 Jan 24-Feb 2	Feb 9-Mar 1 Feb 9, Feb 24-Mar 1	N/A
Brussels Sprouts	Jan 19-Feb 2 Jan 24-Feb 2	Feb 2-23 Feb 2- 9, Feb 23	N/A
Cabbage	Jan 5-19 Jan 5-10	Feb 2-16 Feb 2- 9	N/A
Cantaloupes	Feb 2- 9 Feb 2- 9	Mar 15-Apr 5 Mar 24-Apr 5	N/A
Carrots	N/A	N/A	Jan 26-Feb 9
Cauliflower	Jan 19-Feb 2 Jan 24-Feb 2	Feb 2-16 Feb 2- 9	N/A
Celery	Dec 22-Jan 5 Dec 26-Jan 5	Mar 8-22 Mar 8- 9	N/A
Chives	N/A	N/A	Feb 2- 9 Feb 2- 9
Cilantro (Coriander)	N/A	N/A	Mar 1-15 Mar 1- 9
Corn	N/A	N/A	Mar 1-15 Mar 1- 9
Cucumbers	Feb 2- 9 Feb 2- 9	Mar 15-Apr 5 Mar 24-Apr 5	N/A
Dill	N/A	N/A	Jan 26-Feb 9 Jan 26-Feb 9
Eggplants	Dec 22-Jan 5 Dec 26-Jan 5	Mar 15-Apr 5 Mar 24-Apr 5	N/A
Green Beans	N/A	N/A	Mar 8-29 Mar 8- 9, Mar 24-29
Kale	Jan 19-Feb 2 Jan 24-Feb 2	Feb 2-23 Feb 2- 9, Feb 23	N/A
Lettuce	Jan 19-Feb 2 Jan 24-Feb 2	Feb 16-Mar 15 Feb 23-Mar 9	N/A
Okra	N/A	N/A	Mar 15-29 Mar 24-29
Onions	N/A	N/A	Feb 2-23 Feb 10-22
Oregano	Dec 22-Jan 19 Dec 26-Jan 10	Mar 1-22 Mar 1- 9	N/A
Parsley	N/A	N/A	Feb 2-16 Feb 2- 9
Parsnips	N/A	N/A	Feb 9-Mar 1 Feb 10-22
Peas	N/A	N/A	Jan 19-Feb 9 Jan 24-Feb 9
Potatoes	N/A	N/A	Feb 23-Mar 15 Mar 10-15
Pumpkins	Feb 2-16 Feb 2- 9	Mar 15-Apr 5 Mar 24-Apr 5	N/A
Radishes	N/A	N/A	Jan 5-26 Jan 11-23
Rosemary	Dec 22-Jan 5 Dec 26-Jan 5	Mar 8-29 Mar 8- 9, Mar 24-29	N/A
Sage	Jan 5-19 Jan 5-10	Mar 1-15 Mar 1- 9	N/A
Spinach	N/A	N/A	Jan 19-Feb 9 Jan 24-Feb 9
Squash (Zucchini)	Feb 2-16 Feb 2- 9	Mar 15-Apr 5 Mar 24-Apr 5	N/A
Sweet Potatoes	Feb 2- 9	Mar 15-Apr 5 Mar 15-23	N/A
Swiss Chard	Jan 19-Feb 2 Jan 24-Feb 2	Feb 9-16 Feb 9	N/A
Thyme	Dec 22-Jan 19 Dec 26-Jan 10	Mar 1-22 Mar 1- 9	N/A
Tomatoes	Jan 5-19 Jan 5-10	Mar 8-29 Mar 8- 9, Mar 24-29	N/A
Turnips	N/A	N/A	Feb 2-23 Feb 10-22
Watermelons	Feb 2- 9 Feb 2- 9	Mar 15-Apr 5 Mar 24-Apr 5	N/A

Find the best dates for planting vegetables and fruit in your garden! Our free planting calendar calculates the best time to start seeds indoors and outdoors, as well as when to plant young plants outside.

How to Use the Planting Calendar

Simply put, a planting calendar is a guide that tells you the best time to start planting your garden. Most planting calendars are based on frost dates, which dictate when you should start seeds and when it's safe to plant outdoors in your area. Our planting calendar is customized to your location in order to give you the most accurate information possible.
On the planting calendar below, please note:

• The Frost Dates indicate the best planting dates based on your local average frost dates. Average frost dates are based on historical weather data and are the planting guideline used by most gardeners.
• The Moon Dates indicate the best planting dates based on your local frost dates and Moon phases. Planting by the Moon is considered a more traditional technique.
• The Plant Seedlings or Transplants dates indicate the best time to plant young plants outdoors. This includes plants grown from seed at home and plants bought from a nursery. Although frost dates are a good way to know approximately when to start gardening, always check a local forecast before planting outdoors!
• When no dates appear in the chart, that starting method is not recommended for that particular plant. Some crops do best when started outdoors rather than indoors, while others prefer the opposite.

Cutting the Food Bill by 50% or more............Step 5

You CAN cut your food bill by 50% or more!  Let's review the steps so far:
(if you want to check out the first 4 steps go to the blog at
www.buildingthearkinlakehavasu.blogspot. com
if you are reading this off the blog the steps are listed at your right. 

1.  Have a Well Stocked Pantry
2.  Eat less meat
3.  Buy in Bulk
4.  Buy only when item is at it's LOWEST price

and
5.  Grow a Garden

What?  do I hear murmuring?  yes, you can grow a garden year round in Havasu.  I happened upon a farming couple from Indiana.......a wealth of information!!!   They probably have at least 30 fruit trees and 2 huge gardens...........they do use 40% shade cloth over the top..............that was a key tip.

We have Asparagus (bed has been in 12years) Artichokes (some plants are over 5 yrs old), Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Mellons, Zuchinni, Jalapeno Peppers, Bell Peppers, Lemons, Oranges, etc, etc, etc.  We started this year in mid November and we are going to go on thru to November this year and on and on....you get the drift.

Considering the length of time our Asparagus bed and the Artichokes have been in........I'd say it was a pretty wise investment! ........and..............it's FUN!

Try a Garden! Square Foot Gardening

Check out the photos and Videos below!

Most people think we can't grow gardens here in Havasu.......well.....we can.  We have a 6foot by 25foot Asparagus garden that has been going strong for almost 15years!  We planted Artichokes at the same time.  They are great in that you constantly get new plants coming from the roots.  We have Herbs (Rosemary and Parsley)  and a 4 x 8 square foot garden with vegetables.    We grow tomatoes and peppers in pots.  

Artichoke plants, they are wonderful in that they bear fruit for 5-7years but also send up new plants each year ....they multiply.... and replenish the earth!!!!







Part of the Asparagus bed.....Asparagus will bear harvest for 20years.  Each year after harvest you let the plant go to "fern"..........they (the plants) will tell you when it is time to cut them down as the fern turns brown as it concentrates on what is going on below!!!  Soon the spears arrive.  Cute little tykes!  When you finish harvesting for the season you let it go to fern again and the cycle continues.   When the bed is well established you "harvest" for a  longer period of time than the first year or so.

 Below is a short video on what "Square Foot Gardening" is all about and why it is so much more efficient than a traditional garden.

This is our first year trying it.....we have a 4 x 8 foot bed

A more "in depth" video on Square Foot Gardening