High Desert Food

http://www.cals.arizona.edu/ma.....n/pubs.htm

Be aware that Arizona's climates differ greatly from the mountains to the low desert.

I had a look at Ten Steps to a Successful Vegetable Garden and it hasn't been updated since 2008.   l like the listing of veggies we could be growing, but I read the section on soil preparation and fertilizing and it is not how we grow.  Growing "organic" as in certified organic is not even mentioned in the article.  I wish I had the time to put together comprehensive instructions.

The publication FAILS to explain that the "organic mulch" they mention refers only to organic matter and that store bought mulch (compost) likely contains sewage sludge (medical and industrial waste and toxins) and it doesn't mention that the glyphosate in Roundup causes all sorts of problems for humans, animals and of course our soil (see my posts at GMOs, Roundup and other toxins).

Universities get a lot of funding from biotech companies and I've read about University of Arizona GM cotton trials in Mohave Valley.  9/1/15 NYT: Food Industry Enlisted Academics in G.M.O. Lobbying War, Emails Show

During the growing season fertilizers may be needed. Applying bands of fertilizer, usually only nitrogen, is called “side-dressing.” Apply ½ lb./100 feet of row of 21-0-0 or equivalent fertilizer, three inches deep and about four inches to the side of the plants. Alternatively, spread nitrogen fertilizer on the soil surface about 4 inches from the plant and water it in. However, too much fertilizer too close to the plant may injure plant roots. ...

Apparently they don't even know that there are different kinds of nitrogen and that veggies need MUCH more than nitrogen.  I searched for "mineral" and it's not in the publication.

That said, the Extension provides a lot of good info about native plants, pests and diseases and you just need to be aware of what's NOT in the publications and that there's a LOT more than NPK to growing nutrient dense food.