Observations: Spring 2011

This spring has been a good one.  Why do I say this?  It is not because of the spring wildflower show, which hardly happened this year.  It is because the weeds have stayed down and the temperatures keep bouncing back to cooler degrees after short bursts of unseasonable warmth.  Last spring was a great wildflower show, but wildflowers also mean weeds.  The fall and early winter rains that cause good spring wildflower shows did not happen.  So instead, this is the perfect spring to get a lot of yard work done.  Things we have accomplished so far are severe pruning (1/4 to 1/3) off of several mesquite trees, removing cholla, creosote, and bursage out of proposed gathering areas, and the building of two out of nine vegetable garden beds.  The lack of herbaceous weeds and the somewhat normal temps have been a big plus during all of this heavy yard work.

Much of this work has been done in the past; however, it has been a few years since some of the areas have been cleared and they had almost fully grown over with plants.  Since I plan to marry on our property and I now have larger gatherings thanks to John’s large family and many friends, it was time to clean out.  The tree pruning should be done every few years to help shape the trees and remove the weighty new growth.  Now we have gathering areas, camping areas, and shade trees to rest under. 

In conjunction with the clearing, I have put in many hours designing and implementing a kitchen garden south of the house.  I plan to use this not only to grow much of our food, but also to act as a test garden.  Below are some of the pictures and renderings to explain my plans.

Early stages of veggie bed build using reclaimed free brick and homemade compost.

Good luck with your endeavors!   I'll keep you posted with how this all goes.

Apples in the desert

Before we get to the trees, I would like to tell you why fruit trees and why this blog.  I have designs to use my 5 acres to homestead harmoniously within the beautiful desert that surrounds me.  There are many strategies I will employ and you will get to know them through other post further down the line.  It is my hope that others can learn through my experiences, for good or bad, so here it goes.

So now, apple trees in the desert.  You might say, Reeaally?!   But it can be done – with the right varieties.  Most people in the west are probably accustomed to ‘apple hills,” orchards of apples around the 4000’ elevation, usually along the foothills of some mountains.  But there are varieties that can grow in warmer climes.  Here, it is the Anna.  The Anna was born in Israel and is the one to choose in my vicinity at the 2300’ elevation.  Known as one of the apple tree varieties with the least amount of chill required to get fruit, it is often used around here.  A neighbor has had one for over a decade and it does fairly well. 

By the way, that is the best way to find out what tree to plant in your part of the desert – start with successful varieties that are growing around you or at least in a similar climate and microclimate zone.  Jim Koweek, in his book, “Just Add Water,” recommends placing trees in a wind protected area, around here that is on the north-northeast side of the house.  Other trees used as windbreaks can also work.   I have decided to place two Anna’s Apple trees on the north side of my house, on the edge of a side wash – an off shoot of a larger wash to the north, that gets flowing water only in the heavier storms.  This placement is similar to my neighbor’s and should help cooler air flow around the trees in the summer as well as add natural rainwater to the diet.  This probably is not a good idea in most areas, but we are on the warmer end of things, with fewer occurrences of hard freezes.  To help minimize freeze damage, I placed the trees on a bench a foot above the wash.  I will also put large boulders near the trees to act as both bank reinforcements and winter heat islands.  In the spring and summer, mesquite and a desert willow will help shade the area to lessen the heat buildup and act as wind breaks. 

Some information about Anna’s: they are prolific bearers, so thinning is needed.  They are also self fertile, although another variety planted nearby is recommended to make the fruit more round and extend the harvest season.  They also bruise easily, which is why you don’t see them in the store.  Anna’s are crisp, sweet, and slightly tart, and are good all around apples.  Another thing about fruit trees in the desert, they may do well one year and not so well for 2-3.  Still, I would love to have some apples and I am willing to have a few slow years.  Follow along to see how they do.