Vegetable Gardening in Las Vegas

The city of Las Vegas was discovered by an eighteen year old Mexican scout Raphael Rivera. In earlier days the Spanish travelers traveled through a large desert to get from Utah to California. In Spanish Las Vegas means ‘The Meadows.’ Due to the harsh weather there were very little residents at this place. Octavius Decatur Gass was the first rancher in the city and he grew apples, peaches, figs, wheat and oats which were very important food for the travelers and the residents. This was the beginning of vegetable gardening in Las Vegas.

The city of Las Vegas, Nevada has a hot and dry climate. This desert area requires special needs while cultivating a vegetable garden. It is a misconception that planting gardens filled with tomatoes, watermelons, cucumbers, leafy vegetables and other vegetable plants will be useless in a desert. You can grow just about anything in the valley provided you learn how to work with the soil and the climate. The soils in Las Vegas are virtually dead as there is no rain and due to this there is no vegetation so nothing goes back into the soil. If you want to be a successful gardener in Las Vegas valley then you have to learn to improve the soil condition and learn how to work with the climate.

Vegetable gardens can be planted in a variety of climates, and can be grown in a variety of soils. There are some plants that grow only in certain regions, but your basic vegetable garden can be grown almost anywhere. Vine crops are some of the most successful performers in Las Vegas gardens. Melons, squash and cucumbers love the heat, bright and clear days. Most of these crops came from the deserts. Researchers have found ways to dwarf the vine crops so that they do not occupy a lot of garden space. There are new varieties that also do well in containers. Watermelons, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, casaba melons, Crenshaw melons, pumpkins, cucumbers, summer squash like zucchini, winter squash etc are some of the most popular vegetables grown in the valley. Tomatoes are one of the favorite vegetables of the United States. Growing tomatoes can be difficult in the valley due to the summer heat. To overcome this problem people of Las Vegas have to produce short season varieties such as Patio, Early bird, Cherry and Better Boy.

When you grow your own food, it adds to your satisfaction associated with self confidence and a feeling of accomplishment. They do not cost very much to plant, and they can save you even more money down the road, when you buy less produce from the grocery store. Picking up the best plants, planting the crop, handling the pests and watering the plants are the many factors that can affect the success and manageability of your vegetable garden. So those of you who think vegetable gardening in Las Vegas is impossible, you couldn’t be more mistaken. You can grow just about anything!

Indoor gardening shelving