What to do in your desert yard, month by month.

January is the coldest month in the low desert — a quiet, dormant stretch that's perfect for pruning deciduous trees and roses, planting bare-root stock, and guarding tender plants against frost.

February is the turning point — the last frosts pass, deciduous plants wake up, and it's your last clean window to prune and feed before the spring flush begins.

March is prime planting time in the desert — warm days, cool nights, and soil that's finally warm enough for tomatoes, peppers, and summer color to take off.

April is your last comfortable planting window before summer — get heat-lovers established now, dial in irrigation, and mulch to hold moisture ahead of the heat.

May is the ramp into desert summer — planting slows, watering ramps up, and the focus shifts to keeping what you have healthy and shaded before triple digits settle in.

June is the hottest, driest stretch before the monsoon — a survival month where smart watering, shade, and storm prep matter far more than planting.

July brings the monsoon — heat, humidity, and sudden storms. It's a month for storm cleanup, watching for fungus, and using the rain to establish desert-adapted plants.

August is late summer — still hot and humid, but the light is changing and it's time to start the fall vegetable garden and prep beds for the best planting season ahead.

September is another transition month in the desert. We feel like the worst of summer heat should be over — but it isn't.

October is the best planting month of the year in the low desert — mild days, warm soil, and cool nights make it prime time for lawns, trees, winter color, and cool-season vegetables.

November is when the desert garden finally settles into its cool season — time to plant winter color and vegetables, and to start watching for the first frost.

Prepare for frost now. It is not uncommon to have up to 20 frosty mornings in December, so be ready to cover frost-tender plants throughout the month.