Abstract
Gardening in Las Vegas faces significant challenges due to its arid climate, limited water supplies, extreme temperatures and special soil conditions. This article combines practical approaches for sustainable residential gardening in arid environments, emphasizing the importance of appropriate plant selection and irrigation management. Based on the literature, we found that gardeners can achieve maximum water efficiency and enhance plant growth by choosing drought-resistant plant varieties and using precision irrigation methods. Our findings indicate the benefits of drip irrigation and weather-based irrigation controllers that significantly reduce irrigation volumes while maintaining plant health. Soil management practices, including adding organic matter and mulching, are emphasized to improve soil quality and moisture retention. This study examines shading and interplanting practices that moderate environmental stress and promote biodiversity. These practices promote sustainable gardening, enable food production, and sustain ecological balance in arid cities. This review article summarizes a guide for backyard gardeners in Las Vegas and similar arid climates to overcome environmental barriers while promoting sustainable urban agriculture.
Introduction
In arid locations around the world, challenges such as extreme heat, poor soil quality, poor water quality, water scarcity, pest infestations, strong winds and limited growing seasons (due to water scarcity) pose significant obstacles to thriving agriculture and gardening (Naorem et al., 2023; Lewandrowski et al., 2021). These environmental factors, characteristic of desert ecosystems, create a complex web of constraints that impact plant growth, crop yield and overall ecosystem functioning (Golla, 2021). An ecosystem is a community of living organisms which, interact with their environment. For instance, in regions such as Las Vegas and Nevada, where annual rainfall averages about 4 inches (10 cm), water management becomes a critical concern for urban landscaping and agricultural practices (NIDIS, 2025). The combination of these factors necessitates innovative approaches to land management to achieve sustainable food production and maintain gardens in desert cities.
The extreme climate conditions of Las Vegas generate multiple restrictions that affect plant growth and ecosystem operations. Organisms with specific adaptations survive in environments with high temperatures and strong solar radiation (Schafer, 2016). The poor soil quality (high salinity, pH greater than 8.0 and elevated boron levels) with low organic matter content and limited nutrient availability, complicate the gardening efforts. These challenges are compounded by climate change, with Las Vegas experiencing a temperature rise of 5.6 F, since 1977, with frequent extreme heat events (McAfee et al., 2021). Also, intense and less recurrent rainfall further complicates gardening practices (McAfee et al., 2021; Yu et al., 2023). Las Vegas’s average annual rainfall of about 4 inches (10 cm) provides a negligible contribution to plant water needs in most gardens. The decreased flow of the Colorado River alongside falling Lake Mead levels directly affects regional water availability. Even with existing difficulties, sustainable gardening proves both practical and essential for strengthening urban biodiversity and food security while reducing the urban heat island effect (EPA, 2016). Sustainable gardening can thrive in this challenging environment, even as Las Vegas recorded temperatures of 117 F for three consecutive days in 2024, peaking at 120 F. This article demonstrates the best options for arid-thriving plant species and irrigation systems, along with soil amendment strategies suitable for Las Vegas's arid climate. We can adopt sustainable gardening to thrive in this challenging environment by focusing on these key aspects.
The following sections will cover:
- Selecting drought-tolerant and native plant species suitable to Las Vegas's climate
- Adoption of water-efficient irrigation systems and management practices
- Enhancing soil quality using organic amendments and mulching techniques
- Utilizing innovative gardening techniques such as interplanting and shading
By addressing these aspects, this publication aims to provide a comprehensive guide for residents, urban planners and horticulturists in Las Vegas and similar arid regions to create and maintain sustainable gardens that are both environmentally friendly and resilient to the challenges posed by the local climate (Zeynoddin et al., 2023; Bramley et al., 2008).
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