Conversation Between Backyard Permaculture and J-Bird

Before getting divorced 4 years ago, I lived at Guadalupe road and Country Club Drive, on the border with Chandler. In fact, I lived with my backyard backed up to the SRP canal that is at that location the dividing border between Mesa and Chandler. The next houses south of me, on the other side of the canal where in Chandler.

There I had Guavas, Passion Fruit, Sugar Cane, papayas, all producing, and was trying to get established with avocado and mango.

My dad, who lived on Hobson (The street on the east side of the Temple), just barely south of Broadway, had direct planted avocado pits on the south side of his house and had about 5 beautiful trees growing about 6 ft above the eaves of his house.

Sadly, after his passing about 6 years ago, they were neglected, and never got to the age of fruiting, and are now gone.

Ron

Thanks Ron.
Sorry it took me so long to respond. I had my own taste of the economic melt down and needed a few weeks to clear it up.
Thank you for your recomendation on the tropical fruits. I've been looking at Avacado, mango and passion fruit.
What did you grow?
~Justin

hey Justin

just a thought.

have you ever tried tropical fruit gardening?

I was a member of the AZ chapter (azrfg.org) of the California Rare fruit Growers(crfg.org) for about 8 years. They mostly grow tropical fruits, avocado, bananas, papaya, mango, passion fruit, and others not as well known.

You might find them interesting.

Ron

I have 2 sisters and thier families that live in Gilbert, one in Tempe, and 2 brothers in Mesa.

Yes, I am SE of Tucson, live right on Highway 80 which is the highway that goes from I10 at Benson south to get to the town too tuff to die - Tombstone. I am about 16 miles from the OK Corral.

Main water source here, at my house is the Saint David Domestic Water District. There is also a Saint David Irrigation district, kind of a micro SRP, but unfortunately, nearly bankrupt. The water for the system comes from the San Pedro River, which runs north from Mexico through St David to the Gila River or pumped from groundwater when the river is not running.

Most of the farms in the area also have wells. Water table is pretty high here for Arizona. There is a well on the property I rent that right now is artesian, now that the farmers are not pumping as much water as is done in the summer. I use a 3/4 HP Harbor Freight shallow well pump to pump water for my garden purposes. It will only pump from 24 ft down, and has never gone dry at the well, so the water lever has been pretty good.

Unirrigated terrain around here is mostly Mesqite or grasslands. We are the upper sonoran desert.

I am sure we can attract with time other AZ gardeners. It will come

Ron

Nice to meet you Ron.
I'm in Gilbert. I have alot of family in Mesa that have been there for a few generations as well. The area sure has changed though.

Mentally I erred thinking you were up north to begin with crossing Cochise County with Coconnino. So you are about 45 miles SE of Tuscon?

I'm curious what your main water source is Ron. You appear to have a more moderate summer than I but appear to be just as dry and without the "luxury" of the SRP and Roosevelt water systems.

On the gardening network note. I've found that the majority of avid gardeners around here are quite adverse to useing comuters. It will take time to build this but thatnkfully, there is a growing trend for gardening out there among the computer saavy.

Perhaps we just need to create an annual event or two to get it started where we can celebrate our years progress and attract new contributors...

I welcome your thoughts,

Justin

Actually I am native to Maricopa County, more specifically to Mesa, 3rd generation born and raised there, 5th to live there.

It is just too big for me, so 3-1/2 I moved down here. So I know Maricopa County's weather well.

Here in Saint David, Cochise County, I'm at 3600 ft elevation, substantially cooler at night, freezing almost every night this time of year, USDA zone 8.

I started the Cochise County Arizona gardeners group hoping to find others I could network locally, but I am still the only member, so maybe expanding would be fine.

Ron

I'm not in Cochise count but I AM in Arizona! And I have family up there near you. I'm also curious if you would like to expand the reach of your social group posting to Arizona or even the "Desert Soushwest" I understaind the you and I (in Maricopa County) do not share the same sub-climates but we do share drought Let me know what you think... I'm fine either way.