SOIL PREPARATION AND BUILDING
The best soil should be deep, well drained, and fertile, and should contain plenty of organic materials and retain moisture well. The preservation of a good level of organic matter in the soil solves a lot of common desert gardening problems. Here in the Southwest you will need to add a great deal of organic matter–compost to your gardens.
Creating a Nutrient Rich Soil Makes it Possible to Grow an Abundant Vegetable Garden in the Desert Southwest
The garden should be easily worked and free of large stones. Remove any grass or ground cover with a shovel. Till the space with a tiller or hand spade to a depth of 12 to 18 inches.
Mulch and Composting – See The Art of Composting
Good dirt is a living, breathing collection of materials. It is mainly composed of minerals, but it also contains air, water, organic matter, and microorganisms. In the proper proportions, these ingredients create a soil that is healthy enough to meet the needs of a vegetable garden.
Organic matter is a crucial ingredient for a robust soil. Because most desert soils lack in organic material, it is very important to add organic matter to the soil.
One of the easiest ways to add organic stuff to your garden is to apply well-rotted manure. Fresh manure should only be applied in the fall, so it has the time to break down in the soil.
Common sources of organic material are farm animal manures. Horse, steer, goat, rabbit, and sheep manures are all suitable for the garden.
Horse, goat, sheep and rabbit manures are the best choices because they break down quickly.
Heat-treated or composted manures are preferred because fresh manure can introduce weed seeds into the garden.
A 2-inch layer of well-decomposed compost should be added into the garden before planting.
Most of the soils in the Southwest tend to be alkaline, which makes some soil nutrients like phosphorous, iron, and zinc unavailable for plant uptake. Decomposed compost or humus when added to alkaline soils helps to make these nutrients more available for plant uptake.