Need fruit and vegetable ideas for Rim Country gardening? Use the EWG’s (Environmental Working Group) “Dirty Dozen” list. According to EWG’s 2023 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™: “nearly 75 percent of non-organic fresh produce sold in the U.S. contains residues of potentially harmful pesticides… In this year’s guide, blueberries and green beans join our Dirty Dozen™ list of the 12 fruits and vegetables sampled that have the highest traces of pesticides.” The good news? We can easily grow almost all these foods here in Rim Country (acidic-soil-loving blueberries will require some extra effort).
Strawberries grow like weeds. Bees love their white flowers, and their leaves provide spectacular fall and early winter colors.
Cool-weather crops spinach and kale grow well in Spring and Fall. Nutrient-dense kale does well in Summer if you provide it with partial shade.
Warm-weather crops collards, mustard greens, bell & hot peppers, and green beans love our summer heat.
Peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, grapes and cherries all grow well in Rim country. Check with Plant Fair Nursery’s staff to see which varieties are best-suited for our particular climate.
If you’re up for the challenge, try blueberries. They’ll do best in a container or their own raised bed where you can better control the soil pH. Most Arizona soils are alkaline. Blueberries prefer acidic soils.
Seeds for spinach, kale, bell peppers, hot peppers, and green beans can currently be found in the Payson and Pine/Strawberry Seed Libraries’ inventory.
Note: The Environmental Working Group is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment.
