Permaculture attempt in high desert of California

Is their pricing like the airlines? Buy your ticket on a wednesday? Phase of the moon?

Marco Banks wrote:Great thread.  I live southwest of you -- LA county.

I've seen olives and apricots do well in the high desert.  Apricots are surprisingly tough little suckers.  They are drought tolerant and fast growing.  If you can find someone in the area who has an apricot tree that has done well, get as many seeds from him or her as you can, and use them as pioneer species.  Start them in pots, and then get them in the ground as soon as they are viable --- able to stand up to the wind, dry conditions and the many things that will want to munch of them.  You could make a little cage around them with chicken wire until they are established.

kevin stewart wrote:Hi jon
So sorry, I gave sam half of what I had left over and just planted the rest. I'm always collecting bags of seeds so if I come across some more I will send them to you. I will collect more in a couple of months.
Yesterday I thought I saw what looked like thirty or fourty palo verde trees.
I was careening down the 405 freeway at the time so maybe today I'll have a closer look.

I just got my shade cloth from amazon. Did you know that their prices change?
Three months ago $50.00
Two months ago $63.00
Last week $33.00
Same product, same company.
Is their pricing like the airlines? Buy your ticket on a wednesday? Phase of the moon?

Jon Snow wrote:

kevin stewart wrote:Hi jon
So sorry, I gave sam half of what I had left over and just planted the rest. I'm always collecting bags of seeds so if I come across some more I will send them to you. I will collect more in a couple of months.
Yesterday I thought I saw what looked like thirty or fourty palo verde trees.
I was careening down the 405 freeway at the time so maybe today I'll have a closer look.

I just got my shade cloth from amazon. Did you know that their prices change?
Three months ago $50.00
Two months ago $63.00
Last week $33.00
Same product, same company.
Is their pricing like the airlines? Buy your ticket on a wednesday? Phase of the moon?

 Thanks Kevin. I'm going to my cabin this weekend. Ill be on the lookout for some mesquite seeds.

I have 2 Australian Bottle trees (Brachychiton Populneus). I hear great things about this tree. Very drought tolerant. I have one planted in my yard in LA and the other in a 15 gallon pot. I will plant the other on my property in the High Desert.  I rarely water them and they are doing well. They produce pods with seeds similar to mesquites. Ill keep you guys updated on how well it does. Here's a link with info on the tree

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57651/

Kevin Elmore wrote:Sam,

The pods look like they might be from a Chilean Mesquite.  For positive ID you will probably need to see some leaves too.

Kevin

Mike Snyder wrote:Hello fellow Hi desert enthusiasts, decided it's time to join the forum.          I skipped thru this thread but will be rereading again great thread ,and info . We're near Victorville on with 3/4 acre + lot . we're using shade cloth for shade ,and windbreak . we are trying to grow pistachios ,mulberry ,apricot ,peaches ,apples almonds ,grapes ,fig , pomegranate and pear so far . some success some failures . watering deep 1 time a week seems to work really good here (lots of clay).We seem to be having more success after adding worms . i'm very interested in some bamboo along fence ,and mesquite ,moringa or anything that will grow and provide a benefit ...Mike

Jon Snow wrote: I was in Yucca Valley and came across a nice looking honey mesquite. Seed pods all over the ground. Ill send you some Sam. Will mesquite seeds germinate during winter or should I plant them in the spring?

Mike Snyder wrote:Hey Sam , that fig is looking good . there is a big fig out by itself near here ,it looks really healthy . i need to try its fruit and try to clone it if its any good .[/quott

There were actually two praying mantis in the picture too! Not sure if anyone noticed them.

Jon Snow wrote: I just bought a small cabin on 5 acres in Johnson Valley, not too far from Barstow. The high desert is AWESOME!!  I'm also looking to plant some native Mesquite trees. There is a nursery that sells plants and trees in Yucca Valley called Unique Garden Center. I have never been there (but will soon) all the locals say this place is the best.  Search for these helpful facebook groups: Joshua Tree Permaculture and Eden Regenerative Design. Here is a pic of my shack, I just bought it 5 months ago.

Sam Fel wrote:

There were actually two praying mantis in the picture too! Not sure if anyone noticed them.

Sam Fel wrote:   Picture updates


                 

Kevin Franck wrote:

Sam Fel wrote:   Picture updates


                 

I would suggest planting directly into the soil where you wish the tree to be established permanantly from the start. I once did an experiment when i was in my late teens. I acquired some seed pods from Cat'sclaw Acacia from hiking in the Santa Rosa Mountains just above Palm springs. I did the old paper towel in the large jar trick with presoaked seeds inserted in between towel and glass at the top of the jar. Then I filled the bottom of the jar with 3 inches of water. The capillary action of the paper towle drew up moisture which in just a couple days triggered the seed germination of the Cat'sclaw Acacia. For some few weeks there was not leaf sprout, only a single taproot growth from one seed. At the third week a single stem with leaf emerged. So I decided it was time to plant on the mountainside above my parents property. What was fascinating about this taproot grwth was the fact that when it reached the bottom of this large tall jar, it merely kept growing and spiraling around the bottom several times. When I finally planted, I had to dig a hole that was almost a meter in depth. What all of this told me was that the blueprint instructions within the DNA of this Cat'sclaw Acacia was programmed to survive within a harsh hot dry desert environment. The programming cause the plant to put all it's resources into developing a very long deep taprooting system because that was the only way this plant would survive a life under those conditions.

I've since done other desert tree seed experiements with the same results. Very rapid germination and development equally as rapid with deep taproot infrastructure. Most of the native desert plants believe it or not actually germinate in the middle of summer during the monsoon rainy season. That doesn't mean they may not germinate if there are winter rains, but I've just never seen them like summertime monsoon rains a week later. If you do not have a Groasis Waterboxx Planting Cocoon, then simply deep soak the planting hole, refill it with soil, plant the seed, water again and mulch as you've done in the black pot container, then find some large flat rocks to place around where the plant will germinate. Roack are a perfect desert muclh which will not allow any water to escape. The seed itself will take surface water and move it downwards as the taproot moves deep as well. The seed drilling mechanism is very similar to mechanical human constructed drills for water or oil wells which also pump water down and spit it out ahead of the drill for easier soil penetration with less frictin. Of course the taproot will no doubt have other enzyme it uses along with the water for a disolving type of penetration. Mycorrhizal fungi do the same thing when mining for nutrients in solid rock particles.

Below is one of my more recent experiments when I brought back seed from the pea family from our visit to Tennerife in the Canary Islands a couple of years back. (Seed from Paloverde, Cat'sclaw and Mexican Red Bird of Paradise) All experienced same rapid germination and taproot growth. Container systems stunt that deep root infrastructure and set the plant back. Hope this makes sense.

Jon Snow wrote:My groasis waterbox just arrived in the mail a few days ago! Can't wait to use it. I definitely need it since I don't live in the high desert. I'm only there a few weekends a month. I'm also thinking of making something similar to a groasis waterboxx with 5 gallon buckets. The groasis waterboxx are pretty expensive. I paid close to $60 for one shipped to L.A. I'll keep you guys posted.

kevin stewart wrote:Sam

In the ground is nice but how are you going to protect those seeds? Individual wire cages?
I considered long tubes of wire but then the trees will be too close together.

This trip I have planted thirty siberian elm in a half circle around my future house location.
For the moment they are just sticks. I expect to see growth on march/april and then I will have to cough up the money for welded wire fencing to circle each one.
In june each one will need it's own shade cloth cover.
The picture is of a siberian elm (so I've been told) at an abandoned homestead. At least, in five years no one has seen the owner...

Bart Wallace wrote:Interesting topic and I do not have the water issues you all have. We had a dry year this year and still received over 40 inches of rain but did have two months of no rain. The reason I am commenting and asking here is that I am looking to go towards more drought hardy plants. I have heard that pomegranates are very drought hardy. Would they work in the desert?