Am I better off planting in pots or create beds in the ground?

Vworz
by Vworz

I live in Tucson. I’d like to plant a garden. Am I better off planting in pots or create beds in the ground which is very sandy. I don’t have irrigation for pots or a bed. Thanks.

  8 answers
  • Kmdreamer Kmdreamer on Jul 22, 2018

    Try pots first then you could plant this way you could figure were you want them

  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Jul 22, 2018

    You could, depending on where you want to have plants, go with pots in some areas with stone or gravel beds underneath. For the larger areas you can go with raised beds so that you are able to provide plants with enough good soil for healthy root growth. You can use soaker hoses for watering the beds and a watering can or regular hose with an end that can give you the different settings to use. I actually have gallon jugs that I fill with water and allow to go to air temp before I water my potted vegetable at the side of my house. I use a hose for front planting and pots, and soaker hoses for my veggie garden that is up two steep tiered hills (I can just turn the regular hose on at the back of the house and turn it off when I have watered enough). You don't have to have an irrigation system to have gardens or plants. I do all mine with one spigot in from and one in back. The one in the back has one of those double faucet ends put on it, one for the soaker hose and one for the regular hose that I fill my jugs with, I just switch it to whichever hose I want to use at that time.

    • Vworz Vworz on Jul 23, 2018

      Hi Nancy, thank you for your thoughtful response. When I lived in Wisconsin, a garden hose and soaker hose did the trick quite well. If I were to allow gallon jugs of water go to air temp, it would cook the plants. It's currently 105 or 106 outside now. Water that is within the hose is hot enough to do dishes. It's too hot for a shower. Having said that, irrigation in the desert becomes more of a necessity. I am currently growing in pots, which I water every morning before the sun gets into the back yard. In heat like this, I water in the evening around sundown as well. To facilitate irrigation for pots or a garden, I will need to install another valve on my irrigation system. I'm hoping to create a garden that can survive when I go on vacation without having to hire someone to come here and water. Thank you again for your helpful thoughts.


  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Jul 23, 2018

    Vworz, you could put a timer on your hose and set it for the times you want to water your plants. I have heard of many people doing that. I, too water my pots that are in the sun in the morning and the evening, a lot of them are veggies and herbs. It can easily have feel like temps in the nineties to over a hundred with the humidity here in Minnesota, too. I have watered my tomatoes up to three times a day when it is really hot out, that is why I always have gallons of water nearby if necessary. I keep my jugs in a shaded spot. The water that comes out of the hose once the hot is out, is freezing cold here, that is why I let them sit before I water with them. I have watered the really big tomatoes and pepper pots up to three gallons a day, it was so hot for days in a row. If I was going to be gone for a while, I would use the timers for my veggie garden, the kids could easily water the pots for me, hopefully they would remember!

  • Oliva Oliva on Jul 23, 2018

    Whatever you plant will require vermiculite to retain water, as well as mulch atop soil, and if in ground, a drip irrigation system to reduce evaporation. Shade sails may be needed for some areas/plants. If your plants are in containers with casters, it will facilitate moving them. Resin planters will take heat better than clay and plastic.(dries out too quickly).

  • Chubby58 Chubby58 on Jul 23, 2018

    Check out this link. I ordered some of these and they worked fantastic, you just have to make sure there is water in the bottom tray. They come with the fertilizer sheet and everything. Worked really great for me for what I needed. Since using these I had a few trees taken down and have an in ground garden. Usually did very well, but this year was terrible. I'm going back to container gardening. I put them on my deck.

  • Vworz Vworz on Jul 24, 2018

    Thanks! I didn't think of these. My cousin uses them and likes them.