As in the case of lawns, home vegetable and ornamental gardens can benefit from the use of fertilizers.
Soil testing is costly for a home owner since home test kits are of little value for Arizona soil.
To obtain an accurate soil test a soil sample must be sent to a certified soils laboratory. County Extension offices have a list of labs for your use. In general, soils in Arizona will be lacking in nitrogen and phosphate. Regular applications of these two elements should prevent the majority of problems due to nutrient deficiencies. To avoid over application of nitrogen it is best to apply small amounts of more frequently.