Tour a 7 Year Old Sub Tropical Food Forest in Arizona Desert (Fall 2023)

My tropical backyard food forest / edible garden / fruit orchard / desert oasis was started in 2016 in the Phoenix Arizona metro. Our temps range from as cold as 25F in winter to as high as 120F in summer with low humidity most of the year. While I do not offer in-person tours of my backyard, this video gives you an in-depth virtual tour of my entire collection of fruit trees and plants growing. Enjoy and keep growing!
This is a list of all my plants growing:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Apple
Apricot
Aprium
Atemoya
Avocado
bamboo
Banana
Barbados Cherry / Acerola
Blackberry
Blueberry
Curry Leaf - Murraya koenigii
Eugenia repanda
Eugenia Sello / pitangatuba
Fig
Frankincense
Garcinia livingstonei (African mangosteen)
Guaburiti (Plinia rivularis)
Guava - tropical pink and white, pineapple
Hog Plum/Mombin (Red)
Ice Cream Bean (Inga edulis)
Jaboticaba - Red and black
Kumquat
Lemon
Lime
Longan
Loquat
Lychee
Mandarin
Mango
Mangosteen
Mexican Sunflower (tithonia diversifolia)
Moringa
Mulberry
Olive
Orange
Peach
Peanut butter fruit
Pear Asian
Plumeria
Pomegranate
Quince
Roses
Royal Poinciana
Sapodilla
Sapote Black - Diospyros digyna
Sapote White - Casimiroa edulis
Starfruit
Strawberry tree - (Muntingia calabura) yellow
Surinam cherry / Eugenia uniflora
Sweet Almond
Tangerine
Turk's Cap Hibiscus
Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides)

[@AlanP_916]

Excellent backyard food forest tour. This is hands down the best and most informative channel from a suburban yard perspective in Arizona(and possibly all of youtube since the other guys either went to live offgrid, or became a backyard retail nursery, or sells his plants from a nursery and doesnt provide much from a typical suburban homeowner perspective ). This channel is a hidden gem of youtube. I appreciate that this channel is just purely experiences/observations/information without all the monetization garbage of other channels. Keep the videos coming, they are great, informative, and very inspirational. I always look forward to these annual updates since finding this channel years ago when I started planting my own backyard orchard forest. So awesome to see the progress of fruit trees and plants year over year that I dont have the space for here in northern California, and the effort you put into this to find the best varieties, graft, and take chances on fruit trees that are marginal/difficult to grow in dry/hot summers and cold/wet winters. Personally dont have the time nor space to do it here in my suburban Sacramento lot, but awesome to see it being attempted in your yard. Keep up the great work. Totally appreciate the use of scientific method and using observations dictated actions, rather than follow online parroted information. Ive found the same observations you have about frequent shallow watering, and planting in a bed near a large established tree, among others.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks so much for all of your kind words. I appreciate the encouragement!

[@Moochy999]

Such a wonderful environment you have created. Love your style, you are analytical and detailed but with a gardeners passion.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks so much!

[@Molewii]

This is incredible!

[@AmzBackyardOrchardandVineyard]

We love your property, we have always been inspired by what you do. thanks for the tour!

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Hi Aaron! Thanks for the kind words

[@alaskanprideseafoods1766]

Really appreciate your efforts both in growing and making the videos!

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks!

[@dunedainmom]

Thankyou so much. These tours help us so much, have an idea of what's possible, and how to get there. Really appreciate the time you put into making these videos for us desert dwellers!

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

You are welcome! Happy gardening!

[@paulm965]

Everything is looking great, and I really like the overall plan/design. It must be nice to wander around those paths at the end of the day.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks! It's very nice to have a piece of paradise in the backyard...working in it hardly ever feels like work.

[@culbinator]

Incredible work friend. It’s really nice.

[@butterflyj685]

Thank you Natasha! I love your food forest garden.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks so much!

[@monsurbanpatch]

I have so many potted fruit trees and live in subtropics in QLD, Australia. I'm finding it difficult to keep up with the watering etc. I want to plant some in the ground but having a tough time deciding on which ones and where as I only have a townhouse with a tiny backyard. 🙁 This video has helped a lot with what not to plant in the ground such as mulberry lol. I have a dwarf mulberry varieties but I think it will stay in its pot.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Glad it was helpful! You may want to rig up some automated irrigation for your containers in the summer for consistency and to save you time.

[@FarminginDiaspora]

Thanks for the beautiful tour - very informative - can you tell me which is the best Bamboo for privacy screen that is not invasive

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks--glad you enjoyed it! If your extreme low temperature doesn't go below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, I recommend Seabreeze (bambusa Malingensis) for a privacy screen. It is not invasive as it's a clumping variety

[@shrimuyopa8117]

I really enjoyed watching this and it gave me some ideas for my own backyard. I have heard that Mango trees can be very aggressive like your Mulberry trees are. I am very curious to see how they handle winters over the next few years. I really would love some Mango trees myself (I am in hardiness zone 9a), I am just afraid of the cold destroying them.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Glad you enjoyed it. In my climate, mango trees don't grow aggressively like mulberry trees given they dislike our high pH, clay soil, and winters. 9A may prevent in-ground growing but you can always container grow and protect from winter in a garage and still enjoy some fruit. Asimina triloba or American papaw is likely better suited for your zone. I couldn't get them to work here because it's too hot but it could be a good fit in 9A and has a mango-like taste, albeit different.

[@helnbak08]

This is wonderful and such an inspiration for me as I have a food forest garden in semi arid Western Australia. Not as hot as you (110 max and 30 min however our winter lasts for 3 -4 months. So things grow slow. I have learnt heaps from your videos thanks so much your garden is incredible.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thank you for the kind words! Best wishes to you and wishing you an abundant 2024!

[@paradisusAZ]

You got a great collection of trees. Maybe one day you will get into date palms ;) Meiwa kumquat is my favorite I've tried. I wish we had easier access to kumquats here in AZ

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks so much! I do enjoy dates but when I saw Jake Mace's video from 8 years back in Arcadia and saw the lady use a power lift to harvest dates from her mature palms, it dissuaded me from planting them. If I ever trade up to acreage, I would grow date palms without hesitation.

[@paradisusAZ]

Haha, i think it will take at least 25 years to get to that point where you need a power lift That would be exciting if you get some acreage and do this on a larger scale going in with the knowledge you learned from your current place@@EnlightenmentGarden

[@samo-xt2rv]

Pineapple guava are pollinated by birds that eat the petals of the flowers which taste like candy floss (worth tasting) so make sure your plant is not to bushy then little birds can fly in and out safely and lock up your cat during flowering season , I’m in New Zealand we have lots of little birds and pineapple guava crop heavily

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks! The petals are delicious! I think the issue with our lack of fruit set is due to our intense heat. We often get over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in summer which may affect the pollen viability. No worries about cats. Cats are not welcome in my yard. Birds are always welcome!

[@keithswalley5340]

I really appreciate this particular video (and your others as well). With so many plantings in a close area, do you fertilize, generally or plant specific? What is the green piping that you use to build your shade structures? I have a half acre backyard (facing south) and I have a a 40x32 area, formerly grass (mostly weeds now) that I have converted all of the sprinkler heads to manifolds for poly tubing. I plan to make this area into a dense mini fruit farm that can be supported by the surrounding area, which is granite covered and previously planted. There will be some early morning and later evening shading that currently exists. I am in the area of Litchfield Rd and Peoria.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Hi! Glad it's helpful! I have two hens and primarily use their manure for feeding the citrus, stone fruit, and fig trees. I simply drop it on the mulch in different areas of the yard during the year. The bugs and microorganisms break it down when watered in and kept moist. The tree roots are everywhere at this point so I just spread it around the trees and don't target any specific tree. When it comes to tropicals, I do something very different and feed a high-acid synthetic mix (Peter's foliar special) since most are in containers and require more regular feedings. I feed the bamboo manure and supplement it with ammonium sulfate to provide the high nitrogen it needs. The structures are made out of emt conduit. This video provides the details on the build and the parts in the description, "Hot Arizona Summer 2023 | Shade Strategies to Help your Plants" Hope that helps and sounds like you are on your way to starting a great food forest of your own.

[@rachelpruett5984]

Your explanations and sharing of your growing experience is so valuable !! Your channel is one of my favorites ❤ I’m starting a food forest here in northern Ca zone 9b. Our winters are quite mild and we get up to 110. I’ve been watching some people growing sapote, mangoes, guavas and other tropical sun in sac and Modesto. I do not want to have to protect anything so I’m trying to choose wisely I’m really interested in the ice cream bean you’ve mentioned And the acerola cherry ! Do you have a favorite? I’m going to plant a million mornings this spring 😅 Can you recommend your favorite guava variety ? Do I need to protect it at first ? Have you grown pigeon pea? Seems to be a permaculture darling ? Thank you so much 😊

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

That is so great to hear! Wow--110! That is close to us. I would definitely plant ice cream bean (inga edulis) and moringa for your upper canopy trees. Perhaps also Jamun if you have the space. Barbados (FL Sweet) cherry is a fantastic shrub layer that wants the hottest part of your yard and is very productive once established. I personally love Pink Barbie tropical pink guavas and they do not need protection in winter. I've never protected any of my guava trees and they all survived winter (hardy 25F+) even when small. Ruby Supreme is also highly regarded but I am not growing that one. I have grown pigeon pea but it surprisingly did not do well for me but encourage trying it as many find it grows well in the heat. Mexican sunflower, clumping bamboo, sweet potato, and vetiver are a few support plants I like to plant around the food forest. Hope that helps!

[@rachelpruett5984]

Super helpful ! Thank you so much 😊 thank you for the mulberry tip ~ you just saved me from some heartache

[@marisaphoenix1893]

Fantastic tour, thank you 🙏🏼 Does your curry leaf tree get affected by the Winter frosts at all?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

You are welcome! Curry leaf is unaffected by winter here. In winter 2019, my yard went to the 20s for a whole week and it was unscathed. It's an underappreciated plant here but should be planted more as it takes summer and winter in stride and can protect other sensitive trees.

[@marisaphoenix1893]

@@EnlightenmentGarden oh wow, I’ve been falsely led to believe that it can’t tolerate any frost. The lowest temperatures we get some Winters is 24-25 so it sounds like it’s worth trying here 👍🏼

[@tessalia87]

Love your mini food forest! Where did you get the pipe frame structures to hang frost cloth on?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks! They are made from EMT conduit from the hardware store and canopy flat roof connectors at the corners--very sturdy. I have a video on the structures in more detail along with the product links if interested ("Hot Arizona Summer 2023 | Shade Strategies to Help your Plants").

[@FocusOnGod]

Excellent video! Do you plan to give any tours in person this coming year? If so, how would I be notified?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Glad you enjoyed the tour. I have no plans for giving in-person tours but do my best to post regular content on the garden. Wishing you an abundant 2024!

[@SlimDreadhead]

Love your yard! I'm in Surprise AZ. Growing somethings slowly, but surely. If you don't mind me asking... What do you do for a living? I know all the land, house, pool, greenery cost some $$$. How do you make a living?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks! Everything was way more affordable 11 years ago. I work in IT.

[@azsunburns]

Maybe I missed it, do you have canna lilies in your pond? They love it!

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

They do indeed! I initially had some but went with irises instead in the past few years on the ledges for less litter/maintenance. I have canna lilies planted in the ground behind my pool (30' long area). My chickens love snacking on the leaves

[@azsunburns]

@@EnlightenmentGarden well that was wonderful to read. I did not know chickens would eat canna lily leaves. I've raised thousands of chickens but life took a turn a few years back. I've finally been given a rooster and picking up pullets..we always have a ton of canna and I refuse to buy conventional feed. Thank you!

[@champagnegardening5182]

I'm in my first year of developing my food forest. Do you have a before and after video? Awesome food forest and beautiful pool.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks! The first year is usually the hardest. It will get easier each year with lots of production and change in year 4. Yes, I've made over 200 videos and have a playlist just on garden tours which I do at least once per year. My 1st year tour back in 2016 is in my videos and tour playlist.

[@champagnegardening5182]

@@EnlightenmentGarden thanks! New sub! I'll watch some other videos

[@rynophiliac]

very nice yard! but I'm curious what the black plastic ring is around each tree trunk in the ground? Do you plant the tree with the pot still on it? Or do you cut the plastic ring from the pot and put it around the base of the tree to hold water and nutrients close by?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

What you are seeing is a strip of 6" plastic edger that I've joined with wire to help keep mulch from sitting on the root crown. They are essentially mulch barriers to help prevent issues with girdling roots as I found if mulch is up near the trunk, roots will grow up into the mulch and start circling the trunk versus staying in the soil.

[@larrypollman5243]

Hi Natasha. Thank you for the tour. And thank you for sharing your experiences with us. You’ve helped me out a lot with my young fruit tree forest. I was curious how your watering schedule changes for the fall in the winter?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

For in-ground plants, the run time is now 1/4 what it was in summer (at around 5 mins) and I'm finding that I can go about 3 days in between waterings. The days in between waterings will just increase as we get cooler. Container plants vary. I go by the weight of the container. Once the container feels 60% dry, I tend to water. Container plants like my figs in full sun can drink everything up in 1 day where as plants in more shade don't require as much..

[@larrypollman5243]

Thank you. @@EnlightenmentGarden

[@hellsinger]

​@@EnlightenmentGardendo you just use standard irrigation for most of the in ground trees? I'm trying to decide whether to get an pro over to install lines now or if I'll be good to get everything planted first and hand water for a while until it's done

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

@@hellsinger Yes, initially I had 3 zones for a huge lawn and converted the sprinkler heads to poly runs. This video breaks down the system I have if interested in more detail, "Irrigation System for Backyard Fruit Trees in a Desert Climate." I hand watered for the 1st 2 years. If you have a lot of plants, hand watering is time-consuming and can get tough in summertime. I'd recommend getting the lines done before summer next year, especially with young trees that will need more frequent irrigation.

[@hellsinger]

@@EnlightenmentGarden thank you very much for that information, and I will check out the video. I have a decommissioned sprinkler system I thought was a goner, but I have been poking around at it recently and I'm pretty sure the main components are salvageable with some repairs. I think I'll be able to do similar to what you did; been struggling thinking about where to start for months (if not years). Always appreciate your videos and engagement with the comments, so thank you

[@marioatc]

Do you feel like your soil has gotten better over the years? Do you feel like temperatures have dropped within your property? How large is your property, beautiful food forest.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thank you! Yes, the mulch and life in it have created rich topsoil. Shade is key. The natural canopy is beautiful in the yard but even shade cloth brings the temps down by 15 degrees or more in summer. I'm growing on about 9,000 sq ft out of the entire yard

[@thegardeningartist5386]

Besides eating fresh, how do you use all the fruit you grow, or what do you do with it?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Hi! I dehydrate, can, and freeze the fruit for later consumption. I also give away fruit to friends and neighbors.

[@benlabarre8072]

I planted 6 dwarf mulberry in the ground last year and this year. Never have grown the big ones.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Wise choice! Dwarf trees will be easier to manage and usually top out at 12-15'.

[@benlabarre8072]

@@EnlightenmentGarden That is why I got them, but I heard the Shangi-la and Pakistan mulberry taste way better.

[@shehnazpathan432]

Hi Natasha, I was very skeptical about moving to Phoenix since I love greenery but your channel changed my mind. Would like to know what part of Phoenix are you located?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

While I live in the desert, greenery is possible and necessary to create shade and mitigate high heat. My property is not in Phoenix city limits but west of Phoenix; my property is a 30-minute drive from downtown Phoenix. There are quite a few of us garden enthusiasts in Arizona zone 9B successfully growing from the far east such as as Queen Creek to the far west like Buckeye. It's very hot here in summer but offers the unique ability to grow fruit and vegetables year-round. Water is key of course. Without it, nothing would survive here.

[@tinkerbelllittlesister8950]

Outstanding forest, looks so beautiful and organized, am also starting my fruit forest here in California. May I buy some of the moringa seeds from you . Like to grow a moringa tree in my backyard thanks you for your reply

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks so much! I didn't harvest any seeds from pods this year but there are many choices for Moringa seeds. Perhaps try Etsy as there are many gardeners selling quality plants and seeds there. I recommend starting the seeds indoors and planting them in the ground in spring as they are frost and cold-sensitive when young.

[@tinkerbelllittlesister8950]

Okay thanks you

[@0anant0]

@@tinkerbelllittlesister8950 'Seeds of India' website has a variety of moringa seeds, including dwarf varieties.

[@danielfaulkner7638]

Hi, I have a couple of questions for you. Have you had any issues with the RP root wise? We have one and it's about 7-8 feet from a pool. It gets watered well and pruned back some but not sure if it will eventually cause an issue. We also have a white mulberry which I cut all the way down to the main trunk and drooping branches to try and control the root system. The others are all dwarf variety in their first year. I got these since they are a lot smaller but wondering if the roots were just as bad for you as the white?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Mulberry are popular because they are easy (nothing knocks them back). I certainly fell for it as a beginner gardener. After several years (4+), they will take over underground. I found very thick aggressive roots (the thickness of my arm) from my white and other non-dwarf varieties in the top 2' of soil despite pruning hard and deep water; they go after any water nearby. Even the dwarf varieties can be a problem in backyard culture eventually. I don't recommend growing mulberry here in the ground unless you have acreage or don't grow anything else nearby. On RP, 7 years later, I do see a few buttressed anchoring roots in my chicken run extending the length of the canopy but nothing crazy. Winter keeps them in check. I personally have my RP a good 15'+ from the pool but if you keep your RP trimmed, a pool shell (concrete/rebar) should be ok.

[@ArizonaGardenOasis]

Nice tour! Do you frost-protect your Acerola? I did protect mine last winter (Tucson Westside) but as frost-protection can become a pain I would like to cover only what really needs a protection. Last winter we dropped once for a short period of time down to 26F.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks! No--I have never protected the acerola bushes in my yard. January 2019 was the worst winter in my 7 years of growing. It brought a week of lows in the mid-20s and the acerola were fine exposed. They only dropped some foliage. My plumeria and soursop on the other hand died to the roots and my Royal Poinciana died to the main trunk.

[@ArizonaGardenOasis]

@@EnlightenmentGarden Thanks. I will probably skip covering them this winter.

[@RaniVeluNachar-kx4lu]

So you chose to use crushed stone a lot around the plant clusters. I also notice you have a lot of hoses on the ground. So, you still augment with tap water. I have seen other Tucson horticulturalists using a heavy chip wood mulch layer all through the property and they don't water externally, but retain water in the soil from the Spring rains. Is that really possible?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

I started with typical landscaping in my area--crushed rock and grass. I later changed portions of that out by planting fruit trees once I learned we could grow food here. While I kept the rock in the paths, I mulch the plants with leaves, wood chips, grass, and ground cover. In the Phoenix area, we get very little rain annually; 4-5 inches if that per year. I absolutely rely on irrigation from city water for my plants and not rainwater. If I was growing cactus, I would not use much water but still would need to water them at certain times of the year to keep them alive. Tucson gets far more rain than we do and is cooler. I've yet to see someone grow over 100 fruiting plants including subtropicals on pure rainwater in Tucson. Spring is usually dry in Arizona. We tend to get rain in winter and in summer (if we are lucky during the monsoon season).

[@epigeneticnerd4244]

I’m surprised you got a sapote from Lowe’s. I’ve never seen that option there!

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

I can't say if La Verne (CA wholesale nursery) still sells to Lowes. For the past several years, I have been able to spot avocado, cherimoya, guava, and white sapote at very select times at my local Lowes beyond the more usual suspects. I have not seen much available in the past year. My white sapote was an impulse buy in 2014 and fortunately, it stayed alive despite that I knew nothing at the time about care.

[@epigeneticnerd4244]

@@EnlightenmentGarden I just got a sapote from a nursery in queen creek. Any advice? I have two big pine trees I could plant beneath if you think shade is crucial

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

@@epigeneticnerd4244 In my experience, a windbreak is the most crucial element to supply a young white sapote. They are very slow-growing and brittle initially. I would not plant a slow-growing tree next to any mature trees unless the root systems of those mature trees are not going to compete for water and food. Otherwise, they will starve the tree and it will never take off. Since white sapote actually will take sun later once it matures and needs some light for fruit production, I’d suggest shade cloth overhead the first few years until the tree strengthens/matures and the canopy comes in. They are surprisingly tough trees once established and don’t require cold or sun protection. They are after all related to citrus.

[@haiderali-yw8of]

Wonderful Garden. Have you harvested any sap from frankincense? Can they survive in subtropical climate?Do shed some light on frankincense tree. Last but not least.How do you handle the produce of your garden as it is way beyond the need of a suburban family?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks! Frankincense is not supposed to tolerate 32 degrees and below but I have found at least in the Phoenix AZ area (zone 9B) that once established, they will survive in ground. Once 3 years in the ground, it was sizable and I no longer protected from frost. Brief periods of frost did sometimes damage the upper top of the canopy but it comes back in spring with new growth. I have harvested the sap left from pruning but have never practiced wounding my trees to extract it. I have used it on cuts and insect bites. You can also add the sap to distilled water and drink it; I've done that in the past also. Much of the fruit is eaten by the wildlife, composted and given back to the trees, and I give away fruit to friends and co-workers. I do preserve a lot of the fruit by freezing and canning.

[@epigeneticnerd4244]

Do you feel it makes much of a difference what fig variety is used to graft others onto? I have a lot of Panache, would that work fine?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Ultimately you want a vigorous variety for rootstock. Panache checks that box. Having said that, the key to strong grafts is to continuously cut your rootstock branches off so they don't out-compete the grafts. Your Panache will want to take over so it will be a regular maintenance task to cut those branches off as they sprout.

[@paulm965]

Hi. What would you suggest to fill the time between ripened apricots and figs? Have you tried peaches or plums? I'm in Tucson 9b. Thanks!

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Hi. Citrus (oranges, limequats, kumquats, mandarins, tangerines, etc) will ripen from January into March. In March, I start to get ripe tropical pink guavas. In April, we can get loads of ripe mulberry, loquat, guava, and star fruit. In May, we are loaded with tropical cherries, peaches, apriums, and apricots. June is mainly apple season and plum season. Early crop figs will start ripening end of May and will last into December if you have enough variety. I have a Florida Prince peach (end of the video). It's a great variety and early. I used to have a Hollywood plum and pluots but find they are poor producers and prone to gummosis (on standard rootstocks) at least in my growing conditions so quit growing them.

[@paulm965]

@@EnlightenmentGarden Thank you. This is very helpful.

[@HelpmeLordJesus]

Hello are you still growing boswellia

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Yes, I grow two types in my yard; sacra and neglecta

[@stuartgross162]

How do you harvest all the fruit and what do you do with it all?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

The wildlife and trees get some of the fruit back as compost. I freeze and dehydrate fruit where I can. Keeping the trees trimmed up and fruit thinned does help make the harvest manageable. I've tried to get better about preserving like making jams, but as I work full time, sometimes life gets in the way and it does not happen.

[@guadalupe7827]

Beautiful backyard food forest! Watch this guy videos ‘ Real Life Fruitopia ‘ He has same zone like you he lives in Australia

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks so much! I am a current subscriber to Real Life Fruitopia.

[@jeffconboy7146]

How do the ice cream beans do in the winter ? I have also been considering deleting my mulberry . I originally planted it in the hottest most exposed to the sun part of my yard in a corner that just get blasted but I did notice the surrounding trees and grass starting to suffer also.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

I can't say from personal experience yet but researched inga edulis a lot. Tropical Central Valley gets as cold as I do and has sizable trees as does Jay Barringer in Mesa. I will frost protect the first year or 2 and believe they can grow enough to handle the frost after that. Once I learned that ice cream bean is planted in Florida and the tropics on rows with sensitive crops to protect and feed those crops, I was sold on cutting out the mulberry and bringing these trees in. I get why mulberry is pushed so hard by nurseries as they are tough as nails but that's also the reason they can become a problem when you are many years into growing them especially when practicing polyculture and dense plantings.

[@paulm965]

@@EnlightenmentGarden I'm catching some heat from planting a mulberry in the yard. Got to give it credit: it's a fast-grower in all-day Arizona sun. But it has the look of a gangly teen, putting out long branches in awkward directions. The plan is to multigraft with some M. nigras, Himalayan's, etc. I know the vigor of the rootstock might be a problem but there's always the sawzall if things go sideways.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

@@paulm965 I tried grafting dwarf varieties onto my Shangri La this past spring and it did not work out. The tree directed most of its energy into growing new branches instead of supporting the graft. If you take care to remove rootstock daily during the growing season, grafting will succeed.

[@paulm965]

@@EnlightenmentGarden Good tip. Thank you. I'll be especially vigilant about channeling the tree's growth. (I'm pretty lax with the figs and poms, thinking that any native branch is just another opportunity for a graft.)

[@jeffconboy7146]

Thank you for the tips love your videos and look forward to seeing them .also your yard is an inspiration and just beautiful!

[@paulsmith1411]

You must have big yard

[@AmzBackyardOrchardandVineyard]

Can i fairly assume the generator is gone?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Yes; I had to sell it back in January to free up the space. Wish it would have worked out for you but the timing was not right and I could not hold it any longer. You may want to look into the EcoFlow Delta Pro. They start at 2.5K but are a nice scalable portable solution and can be hooked up to solar.

[@AmzBackyardOrchardandVineyard]

@@EnlightenmentGarden exactly, timing is everything in life.. we just finished putting the roof on our tiny cabin south of Prescott and definitely needed a generator. We got one from the Costco up there. If anything else comes up let us know!

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

@@AmzBackyardOrchardandVineyard Glad you found one that worked out! And congrats on the milestone. Sounds like much progress has been made on your cabin.

[@HelpmeLordJesus]

Can I buy a cutting of the boswellia tree from you please please

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Sorry I don't have any for sale.

[@HelpmeLordJesus]

@@EnlightenmentGarden do you know a reliable seller where I can buy one? I have been unsuccessful in buying one.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

@@HelpmeLordJesus Are you located in the United States? I don't know of any reputable sellers firsthand. Miniatree was my source and is no longer in business. The plant is so very rare there are only a few stores in the country that sell plants. Paradise Found Nursery has a large plant available for $3,000. I will have some available next year in spring. I expect to have small seedlings ($150) and 2-gallon plants ($400) plus shipping. I only sell to destinations in the contiguous US. Alternatively, you can buy seeds from Man of Letters on Etsy or elsewhere and try to sprout some plants but germination is very poor. Hope that helps.

[@PatriotMango]

why are the dragonfruits in pots?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Because I find it's easier to grow them in pots in my location; they don't do well in our native soil and are prone to rot in heavy clay soils. I can control the media / drainage, ph and nutrients better in containers.

[@marisaphoenix1893]

And does the Moringa die back in Winter?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Once in the ground for around a year, I do not find that moringa dies back in winter. It will lose foliage and some small branches but needs a heavy prune in spring anyway due to the amount of growth it puts on during the growing season.

[@marisaphoenix1893]

@@EnlightenmentGarden thank you 🙏🏼

[@troyhutcheon2982]

Check mimosa plant absolutely awesome tough 6hr sun

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks! While not an evergreen, definitely a nice nitrogen-fixing tree. My neighbor has one right up against the wall and the puffy pink flowers fall right into the garden bed towards the end of fall. Free nitrogen and antidepressants for the veggie garden!

[@luisgarcia-gn7wo]

No peaches.???

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

I have a young Florida Prince peach tree. It's the last in-ground tree I show towards the end of the video.