In this article, I’m going to provide you with a list of good vegetables that grow well in Arizona full sun.
Arizona is a law desert region with a temperature that sometimes goes beyond the range of 104 -107°F, which is not ideal for most vegetables. However, that does not mean you can’t garden in the hot summer of Arizona, which is why you are here.
There are good veggies that you can consider growing in your garden. These vegetables include but not limited to tomatoes, pumpkin, okra, Malabar spinach, peppers, asparagus beans, watermelon, potatoes corn, eggplant, Armenian cucumber, cantaloupe, and other fruit vegetables.
Read on for a detailed step by step guide.
Are you a beginner at gardening? Learn how to start a successful garden from scratch
Below are 14 easy vegetables that can be grown in Arizona full sun:
1. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a flowering plant that is mainly grown for its fruit vegetables. Tomatoes do thrive well under acidic soil and require full sunlight for fruiting.
The fruit-vegetable is one of the widely cultivated plants in Sunny regions such as Arizona and other countries in the United States that experience hot summer. African countries are also major growers of tomatoes.
Tomatoes can be grown in low desert regions such as Arizona. But, you need to water the garden and apply fertilizer regularly to keep the garden soil moisten and nourished.
Read also: 20 Best And Easy Vegetables To Grow In Sandy Soil
2. Peppers
Peppers are also a great option for those people living in areas like Arizona.
Pepper is another fruit vegetable that is similar to tomatoes in terms of temperature and soil requirements. Peppers do not thrive well in the shade because the fruit vegetable requires full sunlight for flowering and fruit maturation.
Peppers are the one common spicy vegetables in many parts of the world such as the United Kingdom, Asia, and many African countries. Just like tomatoes you need to watch the peppers garden with regular gardening maintenance such as timely watering, fertilizer application, and mulching.
Read also: 21 Best Vegetables That Can Be Grown In Full Shade
3. Corn
Corn is a common name of maize that is widely cultivated as a vegetable. This plant also requires full sun to set flowers and fruits.
Corn is usually is e enjoyed as roasted corn or processed into cornflakes. It is a very delicious vegetable that found in many places in cooking and popular recipes.
This is another great cereal that is grown as a fruit vegetable. It grows well in the hot summer of Arizona.
Read also: 12 Easy Vegetables To Grow In Full Sun
4. Cantaloupe
This is another good option but you need to grow this vegetable with other vine plants or vegetables such as sunflowers to provide the vegetable with shade.
Cantaloupe is another vegetable that can be cultivated in full sun. Cantaloupe is commonly known to n Australia and New Zealand as rockmelon and in South Africa as spanspek and sweet melon.
Cantaloupe is a cultivar of muskmelon species, a plant that is scientifically known as Cucumis melo from the Cucurbitaceae family.
Read also: 12 Best Vegetables That Be Grown In Clay Soil
5. Armenian Cucumber
Cucumber is another nutritious vegetable that you can consider growing in full sun. The vegetable is widely cultivated for its large edible flesh. Cucumber can be eaten raw as salad greens or used as an ingredient in cooking.
Armenian cucumber is similar to a cucumber but this type of cucumber is normally around hot desert regions and law desert areas like Arizona.
Read also: 15 Best Vegetables To Grow In Wet Soil
6. Eggplant
This is another delicious and fleshy fruit vegetable that you can consider growing in the hot or full sun of Arizona.
Eggplant is a common flowering plant that is mainly grown as a vegetable. It can be eaten raw or in cooking just like a cucumber. Eggplant can also survive in partial shade but the vegetable prefers full sun and sandy soil.
Read also: How To Grow Vegetables From Scraps
7. Okra
Okra commonly known as Okra is a flowering plant in the family, which is scientifically known as Abelmoschus esculentus.
Okra is another fruit vegetable that is mainly grown for its edible green seed pods. The vegetable grows well in its native climate, which is a tropical, subtropical, or warm climate. Okra thrives well in Sunny areas and does not require more hours of shaded light.
Are you looking for low-maintenance vegetables that you want to grow in the full sun of Arizona? Then, including okra in your list is a wise choice.
Read also: What Kind Of Soil Should I use For Container Vegetables Garden?
8. Pumpkin
Pumpkin grows well in sun and does not require much watering and fertilizer application. However, if you can supplement them with timely watering and fertilizer, the plant will grow faster with more yield.
Pumpkin is one of the popular fruit vegetables, which is native to North America. Pumpkin can be described as a smooth, deep yellow to orange in color, and with slightly ribbed skin.
Pumpkin is also one of the popular verges that are cultivated in full sun for its edible flesh, seeds, leaves. The flowers of pumpkin are usually employed in the treatment of many diseases.
Read also: 5 basic things every plant needs to grow
9. Potatoes
Potatoes are perennial flowering plants, which are cultivated as vegetables for their tubers. It belongs to the family Solanaceae and the plant is scientifically called Solanum tuberosum. Potato is one of the popular vegetables consumed in Europe and is enjoyed in different dishes.
Potatoes are among the good tuberous vegetable that does not require too much sunlight and prefer shade for the rest of the day to grow and yield optimally. However, potatoes can also thrive in full sun when you planted under an area that receives 2-6 hours of direct sunlight. Sweet potatoes usually grow well in Arizona full sun when compared with other varieties or cultivars of potatoes.
Read also: Learn How To Grow Cauliflower From Scraps
10. Watermelon
Watermelon is a common flowering plant and fruit vegetable that is widely cultivated for its edible flesh and dietary water. It is a scrambling and trailing vine-like vegetable, which thrives well in tropical and temperate climatic conditions. It is known in the scientific world as Citrullus lanatus and it belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae.
If you want to grow watermelon in the full sun of Arizona, you need to water the garden regularly. And fertilizer application should not be an option if you want more yield and faster growth.
11. Asparagus Beans
Asparagus is a popular flowering plant, which is scientifically known as Asparagus officinalis. It is also a perennial vegetable like potatoes that is grown for its edible young shoots. It is called widely garden asparagus and sparrow grass in some parts of the world. Asparagus plant also thrives well in sandy soil and shaded region but also survive hot summer typically around 2-6 hours of direct sunlight.
12. Malabar Spinach
The Malabar Spinach plant is another great vegetable that you can consider growing in your Sunny region or part of your garden that receives full sunlight. However, spinach may wilt if the temperature becomes warmer typically spinach can tolerate up to 6 hours of direct sunlight. Regular watering is also required to keep the ground moist.
Malabar spinach is a species that looks similar to spinach. However, this type of spinach thrives well in full sun regions such as Arizona. Unlike, the common spinach which usually wilts when the sun heats too much.
13. Basil
Basil is not vegetables but the plant when grown around the vegetable garden in hot summer or regions, it helps provide shade and prevent the vegetables from the effects of direct sunlight.
14. Sunflower
Sunflower is another good plant that can be grown for different purposes. Sunflower also provides shade and provide to your vegetable garden against direct sunlight. You can grow the plant as a vine around your vegetable garden.
How to improve the quality of vegetables growing in Arizona full Sun
Below are important tips that can help you maintain the health of your garden in the full sun of Arizona:
1. Plant vegetables that mature early such as peppers, eggplant, corn, and potatoes
2. Provide shade for the vegetable garden such as growing vine plants like sunflower and Basil around the vegetable garden
3. Water the vegetables garden regularly
4. Supplement the vegetable garden timely with a fertilizer such as compost
Tip: Learn more about growing and harvesting vegetables in the full sun of Arizona from here and here
Conclusion
In this article, I provided 14 vegetables that you can consider growing if you are struggling to find vegetables that grow well in Arizona full sun. I hope you will find this article helpful. Let me know if you have any questions.
