Gardening for Hot and Dry Climates
One experience that opened my eyes to the possibilities of growing more in a hot, dry climate was discovering a Peach Orchard in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona. I took my wife and kids to their peach festival to pick peaches and it quickly became …
When I found out all the different fruit tree possibilities for my area, I had a difficult time stopping at just one. I started thinking that the longer I wait to plant a fruit tree, the longer it would be to get fruit. One fruit …
When I planted my first fruit tree several years ago, I had no idea of all the little things that went into maintaining a fruit tree. I had seen citrus trees all over the Phoenix area and just assumed you stick them in the ground, …
I’ve searched high and low for a Canistel (aka Yellow Sapote or Eggfruit) to try in the Phoenix, Arizona area. I’ve been able to find a lot of unique tropical fruits to try at various ethnic markets, but Canistel hasn’t been one of them. Since …
Planting season is an exciting time of the year. Everything becomes a blank slate and you get to prepare for the upcoming harvest. It does take a bit of preparation and some hard work to ensure your bounty will be plentiful. When it comes to …
I had a chance to sample a Loquat off a tree from a local nursery. This was another one of those fruits that I had never even heard of until I began getting more entrenched in growing fruit trees. For us local gardeners, we joke …
I always assumed that Plum trees grew in more temperate climates. I remember climbing into some trees as a kid in Northern Michigan and feasting on juicy plums. When I first purchased a home in Arizona, I discovered plum trees at the local big box …
When I started my gardening hobby several years ago, I had no idea the effects it would have on shaping my life. I really intended just to grow a fruit tree and a couple vegetables. I figured that would be the extent of it, not …
Gardening in hot, dry climates like the desert southwest can present many different challenges. It took a lot of trial and error early on for me to become successful at growing in the Arizona desert. When you get started gardening, you want to be able …
As a kid growing up in Northern Michigan, we had a few mulberry trees nearby. I loved climbing the tree and beating the birds to the tasty mulberries. Mulberries tend to get a bad rap here in Arizona due to the pollens that can cause …
If you’ve never tried a fresh mango off the tree, you’re missing out. The stringy unripe mangos from Walmart just don’t cut it. Grocery stores have started to introduce some better quality mangos, but for the most part, they’re Tommy Atkins variety, which is a …
When growing fruit trees, it generally isn’t recommended to grow from seed. Grafting, air layering, and rooting cuttings are typically the recommended ways to propagate fruit trees to ensure that you get quality fruit. Since a lot of seedlings don’t always replicate the parent tree, …
I’m always looking for plants and trees that will get my kids excited about gardening. I believe that gardening is such a worthwhile experience for kids that teaches so many valuable lessons. If you’re looking for an amazing fruit tree that your kids will love, …
Over the years I’ve spent gardening in the Arizona desert, it’s come with its challenges. I wanted to look at some of the potential hurdles that you may face with keeping fruit trees healthy in hot, dry climates. I hope that through some of my …