Watering Fruit Trees in the Desert | Summer Watering Schedule

[@73elperro]

@Edge of nowhere Farm ,I like how you fly your drone,it shows the beauty of your Farm.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

I'm glad you enjoy that. We don't get it out often, but our goal is to get more of that in our videos moving forward.

[@beadsapp808]

You do such a great job explaining everything. I started watering my trees more and they are doing much better this year then last year.. Thanks to you..and your advice. GOd bless

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Beads! That is great news:) Glad you are enjoying the videos and finding them useful! And thank you for the support.

[@theorangetreehomestead6660]

Your orchard growth is very impressive in that amount of time. Your watering system seems to work great.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Sean! It really is the life blood of the whole operation for us. That's the reason it was the first major project we completed here on the farm.

[@LtBRS]

What a pleasure having a family that has really refined their knowledge through experience and is willing to share it so abundantly. Logos continue to bless you!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Very kind words. Thank you. Interesting KZbin handle btw...

[@LtBRS]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm It's just a subtle contortion mockery of the one of the psychological warfare words to help people deflate the synthetic values that are used to manipulate them. Ironically, I can see where it might have a more direct application here perhaps on the lead critter devouring your perennials and annuals. Please don't name him Latimer.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@LtBRS I'll keep that in mind if we start naming the little rascals!

[@LtBRS]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I have to admit that I've never known anyone that realizes what's consuming their crops on the one hand, and then offers them life-sustaining water on the other. Is that a local ordinance or just a very humane choice preference that recognizes local ecological synergy?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@LtBRS it's the latter. While it's tough right now as the ecosystem is coming together, we're counting on things eventually balancing themselves out. Predators have found themselves a comfortable home as well. The challenge of course is protecting our own animals, so it's an interesting dance we're a part of.

[@desertdanblacksmith1394]

More amazing content from "The Edge of Nowhere University" (Whitmann Campus) ! ......Six days ago I planted some Black Oil Sunflower seeds (bird feed).....They are now 6 inches tall! I learned it all right here!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad you enjoyed this one Dan. Those sunflower seeds are amazing, right?

[@bryum8898]

Trees are very healthy! Thanks for the great info.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Thanks bryum! The trees are all doing fantastic right and can't wait to see the growth through the fall :)

[@ericbowers1620]

Another fantastic video covering likely one of the most important parts of gardening/farming in the desert. I definitely need to lay more water on my plants and get thicker mulch on them. One of these days they will look lovely like yours :)

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Eric. Yeah, this one was specifically for the AZ crew. We get that question more than any other and 9.9 times out of 10 folks are just not putting enough water on the trees during the middle of summer. Especially if we're not seeing solid rainfall from the monsoons.

[@ericbowers1620]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm yeah its so frustrating to watch the bulk of the rain fall downtown toward the east valley. Im going to buy a couple things off your amazon to support the farm once one if off backorder :)

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@ericbowers1620 thanks for using that link Eric!

[@MartinGonzalez-sl2kj]

Thank you! I am learning so much from your educational/comprehensive videos God bless you dear brother 🙏🏾😊

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Martin. I'm glad you're finding these videos useful and God Bless you as well brother.

[@richardryan4765]

Like you, I have never lost an in-ground tree to over-watering. Great episode. Rd

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Richard! Glad you enjoyed the video. They sure can take a lot of water!

[@richardryan4765]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I agree. I give my Fig Trees 120 gal/wk. It appears that the more water I give them, the bigger the figs, with no decrease in taste. By the way, I really like the drone shots.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@richardryan4765 I think you have the right idea on those figs. At 90 gallons I think it's still a bit shy for us. Glad you like those drone shots. Took us a while to finally find the right equipment, but it's definitely a cool vantage point to see things moving along!

[@coyotesden]

We sold out two male goats this morning, broke our hearts watching them go :( But we had to make room for some milking goats.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Sorry to hear that Chris. Then again, milking goats are a consistent source of food and when you breed them you'll also have the option for additional protein from the offspring.

[@AbidAli-bv2gl]

Excellent video, Lot to learns. Lori is great woman

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Abid! Glad you enjoyed that. We too are always learning new things and there is always something to do!

[@nythinggoes]

We're getting some much needed rain in Tucson today which will help the watering.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

That is fantastic! It will definitely help with the watering.... We finally got some rain last night and today, not a lot but we will take it!

[@onemuslim9313]

Build a pond Build a pond Build a pond

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

It is definitely on our plans!!

[@danielfisch655]

Great video, we just got a ton of rain over the last two days, we definitely need a lot more wood chips to help slow evaporation and thanks for sharing.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad to hear you're seeing that rain. It looks like the East side of town has seen most of the moisture. Yeah, you know how it works with those wood chips. It's amazing how much water they retain!

[@TheFatTheist]

Here in south Phoenix we have gotten just shy of 2 inches anger the last three days. It has been awesome.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@TheFatTheist from the looks of that weather map you sent over, it looks like you're right in the thick of it!

[@patblack2291]

Very thorough. Great video!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Pat! Glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@MWinklerBooks]

LOL I feel you on trying to line up a shot by yourself. If your camera has a timer feature you could take a picture before you start shooting. Long as you go back to the same spot you'll be more sure of the lineup. :)

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Yeah, it's a lot easier with 2 people. Usually there's 2 of us filming these, but every once in a while we're solo. Good suggestion on the timer. I don't know if that works with video shots or not. I suppose it's worth finding out!

[@breakingburque2200]

Thank you for sharing. So many great ideas.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Breaking Burque! Thanks so much for the comment, glad you found it useful!

[@jordanrobison1827]

Irrigation question! As we southern Arizonians come into fall and then winter how much do you cut down your watering during those months? Especially the winter. I'm replicating your flood set up with my trees from RSI growers. Thank you again for sharing your amazing wealth of knowledge to the world. Your an inspiration to many including myself. I hope to shake y'all's hands some day and tell you all this in person someday.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Jordan! Just got off the livestream and wanted thank you for joining us! Once we get below 100 degrees we cut back to 1 day a week at about 60 gallons each cycle. From there we play it be ear based on how warm and dry we stay. Even though the winters are colder and water doesn't evaporate as much we still end up watering each week if it stays dry. Even though the trees are dormant in the middle of winter, they're still putting on root growth and you want to encourage that, especially for young trees.

[@user-gc6sb7ie6n]

That is amazing in the middle of nowhere

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad you enjoyed this one!

[@kariiremiriam2266]

Thanks for sharing

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad you enjoyed this one Kariire.

[@kevtom1686]

Thank you.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Kev Tom! glad you enjoyed the video, thanks for watching:)

[@gm2407]

Yeah your watering timing of evening and night is a good choice to stop the plant from using all the water during the height of the sun for photosynthisis and growth. It strains them less.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

You hit the nail on the head with that one G M. It's the best time to get solid moisture on the tree.

[@gm2407]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm In UK if I needed to water garden plants I would do it between 8-9pm in the summer or an hour earlier in spring or autumn.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@gm2407 for some reason I either didn't know, or remember that you are in the UK!

[@gm2407]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm You talk to a lot of people its all good.

[@samuelford9384]

Do you grow jujube trees? It would be interesting if older trees could grow without irrigation.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We actually have 3 varieties of jujube trees here on this farm. They're doing really good so far, so we'll have to see how they do as they mature. We're hoping to reduce irrigation on many of the trees as they get more established and those would definitely be a variety that we would consider at least severely reducing their irrigation.

[@lanejensen455]

Getting ready to plant an orchard. How exactly does your irrigation work? I notice the bubblers on the outside of the mulch ring.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Lane. I'll link to a couple of videos showing how we have the irrigation to each tree. One of these is a bit older, so I apologize for the video quality; How our double ring design works; kzbin.info/www/bejne/epeneIp7oaqobc0 How the bubbler is connected to the main PVC line; kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKqll4R3ps2Zr5o

[@tbjtbj4786]

The water is a interesting thing. You need more water. Right now we been getting water every day for the last 2 weeks. Its great for growing. But now we are where we can't cut the hay. And with all the water we are getting a big over growth in weeds. But some of my grass is as tall as the top of the bed on a dodge Dakota 2x4 pickup.

[@marschlosser4540]

If the hay was overgrown, Dad used to pasture it. That knocks down woody growth and forces new to grow fast.

[@tbjtbj4786]

@@marschlosser4540 your talking about using it as pasture right? Well I have one pasture thats about 14 acers. But we only have 2 horses left. They can't keep up with what they have much less another 50+ acers. I had to sell the cattle a few years back. Just sold one horse and had one die. I would look at buying a few cattle. But mike took down alot of fince when he came through. But it was a good suggestion if I could do it that way. Lol thanks 😊

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

I can't imagine having grass that high. The sorghum gets pretty tall, but I don't consider that grass!

[@marschlosser4540]

@@tbjtbj4786 Mowing, let it dry and them mow again to break up the pieces. Grazing livestock would keep it healthy and make the soil much richer. One great-grandfather, an herbalist, took manure from the barns and spread it in the woods. He said it held diseases for plants and animals. But, he would raise hay in one field, and the old hay field was his pasture. The pasture would be plowed under in spring, while the corn/beans/squash/turnips in the last field would have been planted to cereal rye and clover. He was adamant about cycling fields that way and always had the best farm in the county. He also had great mast crops for the pigs and cattle. they were only allowed in the woods for a month or so after acorns began to fall.

[@marschlosser4540]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Bossy doesn't smoke, but loves it, anyway, once dried (fresh, it contains prussic acid). When your soil gets deep, expect it to get 12 feet high. Ignore the tiger and elephant cries. It's just the neighbor pranking you :) But, I have Tarahumara amaranth. Amaranth is like spinach, but much better. it love the heat and the bloom heads can get close to 3 feet of scarlet red. Everything likes to eat it. I'll try for more Indian Rush seed, but with the rain, even ants can't get much.

[@DeniseVioletta]

Hello! Great video. I've been having some confusion about how much to water my fruit trees. I've got a fruit salad tree with different types of stone fruit, an apple tree with different types of apples, and an Asian pear tree. I believe they're all a couple years old. We bought them from a nursery in pots. They gave us an information sheet telling us to water them each day between 2 and 4 gallons each time (once a day if it's under 90° and then going up to twice a day at 10am and 2pm when it goes over that.) I thought maybe I had been over-watering because I was giving them twice that amount. I cut back the past few days because I started seeing some little orange spots on the leaves and some other signs of either a disease or some watering problems on some of the other leaves as well. But now that I see this video, I'm thinking that maybe it could be some sort of disease and not a sign of over-watering. I live in zone 8 up in Camp Verde, in the Verde Valley. Do you think it would be good to go to a weekly watering schedule and just water a whole lot more each time? We have the really hard heavy clay soil here that has quite a bit of rock in it.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Denise. Sorry to hear your trees are struggling. While it could be a disease issue, usually trees that are stressed are prone to disease that they would otherwise be able to fight off. Irrigation may be part of the issue. As for watering, fruit trees do best with deep, infrequent watering. Watering daily is never a good idea as most fruit trees are on root stock that is designed to withstand some drought (at least root stocks out here in the Southwest) and daily moisture is the opposite. It's tough to say for sure what's happening with that tree of yours as it could be other issues, but I would start with watering more deeply and less frequently (no more than once/week and pretty much nothing during the Winter) and give it a thick layer of mulch to help maintain consistent moisture and absorb some of that irrigation. With hard clay soil it takes a long time for the water to filter into the soil. Hope this helps!

[@DeniseVioletta]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm thank you!! I'll start doing that, and I'll put some thicker mulch on them :)

[@alliedsandblasting9211]

I dug a my first hole to plant a tree , my property was alfalfa fields 30 years ago , I’m going to add some fertilizer to the hole and fill it with water again. How long should I soak this ground before dropping tree in ? It’s caliche , water drains slow , do I need to worry about getting water deep before planting?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great questions. If you're planting a potted tree you don't need to do much as far as amendments (and we plant trees into dry ground if necessary). We put a small amount of fertilizer around the tree at planting time and then water in the rings we've shown here how to build. We have caliche about 2' down, so you'll want a nice, wide watering ring and plenty of heavy mulch to help trap the moisture and allow it to begin penetrating through that hard soil. It will also encourage the tree to send roots out horizontally where it can find moist soil to grow into.

[@brainhunter1000]

Two questions: have you tried reducing the water at all, seems like a ton? And my trees in Tucson are showing signs of Chlorosis (yellow with green veins) which is likely due to alkalinity. Do you get that and how do you deal with it- I hear cooler soil makes it worse which is what your mulch does?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

It depends. This past Winter we only had to water once or twice with the storms. Last year we kept to twice/week during the peak summer months without rain and then backed it down to once/week once monsoon season set in. The root stocks we have for our trees do well in alkaline soils and we have not seen chlorosis issues. Now, I don't know if that's only due to the root stocks or something else, but it has not been an issue for us.

[@adarshakella2259]

Hi! Could you please advise how to deal with termite infestation of the mulch using organic methods. Regards.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Adarsh. We don't treat termite infestations in our woodchips. They are a natural means of decomposition and they actually help with the soil structure once the wood chips have broken down. I'm not aware of a natural means of stopping that from occurring. Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance in this regard.

[@anbfinancial7987]

Amazing Job, you just inspired me a lot to grown trees on desert, Thank you, just quick questions, it is 24 trees per zone but how many Gallons per minute did you got on your pump?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

It's always good to grow fruit trees if you're a fan of eating them fresh. Our well pump can give us 13 gallons per minute and we tested the water flow after the valve for our irrigation and it's testing right about the same. With that, we have 1/2 gpm bubblers on 24 trees which keeps us under that 13 gpm number.

[@cheef1765]

Did you paint those sticks? The beginning of peach trees? I just got one with some small roots but otherwise just stick. Should I paint it? 😅

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We always paint the trunks of small trees until their canopy can shade it. Usually it's the first year or two only. Here's a little insight as to what we use and why; kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYfLkHynfceLqZI

[@cheef1765]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm awesome you guys rock

[@tonisee2]

Nice results! Have you also experimented with something that could enchance condensation?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great question and no, we haven't. The biggest challenge we face in the Sonoran desert is the extreme and consistent lack of moisture. It's not uncommon to go many months with low double digit humidity (sometimes dipping down into single digit humidity at certain times of the year) and absolutely no rainfall. That being said, we are adding moisture into the mix with irrigation, so there may be something there. Any suggestions?

[@tonisee2]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Unfortunately not from my own experience. I have here the oposite case - a very humid and cool climate. What I have learned recently at Geoff Lawton's PDC, in some arid places stones are used to condensate moisture during the night. And that trees itself can be the source of condensation drip as well. I wonder if in your location, with very dry air, do tree leafs or shiny/smooth surfaces (e.g. tractor or metal structures, smooth stones) get even moist during cool nights or just before sunrise? If that should be the case, *maybe* it's feasible to collect some amount of water passively to add a bit more moisture to the mulch.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@tonisee2 if it can done in the desert, Lawton would know how to do it! The only time we see any condensation is for a few days after it rains. Occasionally we see some during the Winter, but that time of year we irrigate very little anyhow. To give you an idea. We hit 31 degrees this morning just before sunrise. Current humidity is 24% and the dewpoint is 1 degree Fahrenheit. Completely dry out there with no moisture on anything. With that, we focus on holding moisture when it does occur. We have "mini" swales around each of our fruit trees that hold irrigation water under 8-12 inches of woodchips. We have passive catchment from the roofs of our buildings that is directed into mulch covered swales around fruiting trees and vines. One thing you mention is what I'm curious to see. That's how much impact our trees will have on relative humidity once they're larger. As you know, they can drastically change the microclimate in and around the area. With that, I'm hopeful many things will change.

[@tonisee2]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Couple of days ago KZbin suggested a video about SW USA drought situation (kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZ7bnKR3qNiBsNk). Is that general long-lasting drought affecting your water availability as well?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@tonisee2 not directly. We're on a protected aquifer (limiting how much water we can pull at a given time) where we live that helps to ensure we have adequate water supplies. That being said, they can only be sustained for so long without adequate rainfall, so we're hopeful things turn around soon.

[@jamestnguyen2165]

do you plan to do annual pruning for stone fruit tree? How do you control the weeds in area not cover by the wood chips?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great questions James. We definitely do winter pruning on all of our fruit trees, except for citrus. So, stone fruit will have that annual pruning done to them. Weeds outside of the wood chip areas are taken down by either string trimmer or the ride on mower when we have issues. Unfortunately we don't see much rainfall, so not much of an issue for us most years, but we're hoping that actually changes over time!

[@camitubbs]

Do you get a lot of wind? We’re in Pima, AZ and the wind knocks the fruit off each storm. Any tips to help that?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We do get a fair amount of regular wind, but only the monsoons bring strong enough winds to cause fruit drop. That being said, growing in multiple rows (or guilds) can help as the surrounding trees cause a natural wind block. You could also use trees planted specifically as a wind block which is commonly done in areas with high winds. To protect semi-dwarf fruit trees you could use common mesquite or palo verde and keep them shape like a bush.

[@marschlosser4540]

Now I have a craving to go out and water everything! do you think I should wait till the rain stops? Seriously, no rain up your way? You usually get more than we do! I catch AZ Family (Phoenix area) and half the stories are complaints of flash floods. We in the San Pedro canyon, have been getting everything from mists to major t-storm almost every day. We're under flash flood warning almost daily. I'm praying you get it good! And, that all of Arizona does, as well.

[@rhysf.505]

Some kind of unique weather event. Temperatures low, constant rain, very low cloud level, at times only a few hundred feet above surface. This isn't monsoon rain, there's no wind or lightning. Curious to see how things develope, the levels have been insane out here as well.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Yeah, we've been a little frustrated with the lack of rain here as well. We watch it build all around us, but never materialize into rainfall. We did get some last night and through this morning, but nothing major. I'm glad to see the rain throughout the state. We need it SOOO badly!

[@marschlosser4540]

@@rhysf.505 Monsoon weather can be anything it wants, at least as far as I'm concerned. Just as long as the rains come. We've been getting a few t-storms, but mostly showers. Be blessed with rain.

[@TheFatTheist]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm the whole state really does seem to be getting it good. I subscribe to text alerts for the little Colorado river so that I know when the time is right to go see chocolate falls. Just 1 hour ago I got a text saying that it is flowing at over 8000 cfps (that is cubic feet per second). That river is normally dry, so yeah the whole range that feeds that river is getting drenched.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@TheFatTheist wow! If you get pics or a video you'll have to send them over!!

[@cherylbishop7657]

Can you use pine wood chips on food crops.? GOD BLESS FROM CHRISTMAS VALLEY OREGON, HIGH DESERT

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Cheryl. I don't see how that would be an issue. We see pine chips from time to time in our deliveries here. Had to look up Christmas Valley. Your East of where I (Duane) spent every summer as a child. Do you see similar weather conditions to us down here?

[@pdaniel8]

on over 100F of temperature, how many times a week you suggest watering? thank you for sharing this information

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great question. We're still on the same watering schedule for these trees now with the 100+ degree temps we're still seeing. For these, that's 45 gallons, twice a week for a total of 90 gallons per week. We'll be reducing that over the next couple of weeks assuming we stay closer to the 100 degree mark and will keep that for most of the Fall. That will be 60 gallons, once per week.

[@ahmadomais1380]

Another great video and information. God bless you for sharing all this wealth of info and detail. I have mature orange trees. Do you use the same schedule and amount of water for those trees as well?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Thanks Ahmad! We do use the same schedule for the citrus. We just backed down to once a week at 60 gallons. We should have waited until we were under a 100 degrees, but hopefully that will be this week.

[@ahmadomais1380]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Thanks. I really appreciate your attention and replies to all emails. That is commended. That schedule is for mature trees as well right?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@ahmadomais1380 eventually we're hoping to be able to back down on the watering of more mature trees, but 60-90 gallons per week is still a good amount of water for a full size tree in the Fall growing season. That's assuming you're spreading the water as evenly as you can around the drip line.

[@DLittle82]

Thanks for the info. I am not as successful as you here in Cave Creek. Would you mind letting us know where you get your bubblers and what controller that is? Thanks for the videos!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We know the area you're in really well. Almost bought land there before moving to Wittmann several years ago. Are you up in/near the mountains? Just wondering because our first house had solid rock about 2' down and we were at Cave Creek and Union Hills up against a mountain. The controller is the Hunter Pro HC-24 (24 stations). The bubblers are from Sprinkler Warehouse and their sku number for the .50 gal/minute is 1402. I'll try to link it for you here; www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/rain-bird-1400-series-pressure-compensating-trickle-bubbler-0-50-gpm-1402

[@DLittle82]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Thank you. I am by Carefree highway and some areas of our property do have caliche real bad to where I have to jack hammer it out. I have no issues with pomegranates or Mulberries. Been struggling with our tangelo and apples. Thanks for info.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@DLittle82 ok, I'm familiar with that area. Caliche is no joke, but root stock will be critical for you if it's pretty shallow. We always use RSI Growers for our Pome and Stone fruit. Reid grows his rootsocks here in AZ and they are as good as it gets for our soil. A nice, wide ring will go a long way at promoting that horizontal growth for you and his root stocks will be able to handle the high mineral content.

[@BrettBoyer-os6us]

I’ve always been told to not put mulch right up to the tree but your trees look like the mulch is all the way to the trunk right?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

For us here in AZ it's so dry that it won't really cause any issues. In fact, when trees are young it actually helps keep the tree cool until the canopy is large enough to shade the root crown. During very wet winters we will sometimes pull that back from the trunk and eventually the woodchips will break down and we don't replace them up against the trunk.

[@rosaliepurvis4910]

What kind of mulch do you use for your trees?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We use wood chip mulch that we get from local arborists. So it's a mix of many different types of trees with plenty of leaf material in addition to the chipped branches.

[@joankirby1944]

I think the trees should be closer for shade and different kinds of fruit trees too. I dont like the straight lines its not naturally how plants grow. But its working anyway but taking a lot of water.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

We have many reasons for the spacing we keep on our trees. The primary reason is to allow for maximum production and keeping the fruit lower to the ground for harvesting (not to mention, we have a LOT of visitor traffic on the farm). Many of them are nearly grown into each other after only a few years and essentially shading the entire area. Over time they will completely grow into each other thereby shading the area between them fully. We also use woodchip mulch heavily which, almost, completely eliminates water evaporation. As for straight lines, that's necessary in order to get irrigation to the trees. PVC doesn't play nice with anything other than 45 or 90 degree angles. Here in the desert irrigation is a necessity. Sorry for the long response, but you have some solid points that we did take into consideration when we originally designed the farm and also as we continue to expand.

[@WanderingWonderer808]

Look into soil regeneration

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Faith. Great suggestion and that's actually what we're working towards. I'll link a video here for you showing one of the ways we're trying to do just that; kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIfbipqifrmErNE Still a long way to go, but the crops we're growing in this area now are doing fantastic as we both grow topsoil and regenerate the ground underneath.

[@davidhorst9203]

Do you utilize grey water on your farm, raineater?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great question David. We don't use grey water on the farm...at least not officially. Arizona has very strict rules when it comes to grey water usage, so we were not able to put any kind of grey water system on our building plans for the house. Silly if you ask me, but it's my understanding. Now, we do have plans for an outdoor kitchen and we also have an area set aside for processing chickens, so that area is a different story. We do have plans for that..

[@richardryan4765]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm An outdoor kitchen is an Excellent idea. Many of my friends in Africa have an outdoor kitchen: it does not heat up the house! (Plus, it does not smell up the house.)

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@richardryan4765 Our thoughts exactly!

[@muskepticsometimes9133]

question: you say watering "builds soil" ? how does this work ? I thought building soil required adding amendments

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

The combination of wood chips, fertilizer and irrigation will create wonderful soil around your trees. It also does wonders for blackberry beds. I'll link to a video we shot here that shows what can be made from wood chips and water; kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y56tq4R8d7qJeKs

[@muskepticsometimes9133]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm thanks I see. Not just water but added material. Makes sense

[@briankinney2295]

I’m looking into a 6 acre property in Pima County. I want to know how much did it cost to tap a well. How much are the electricity bills ?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Brian. Keep in mind these figures are from 3 years ago, but the drill and cap was just over $17k to go down 600'. The rest of the above ground equipment and well pump was right at $18k. Total was just over $35k. Our electric bill is not bad at all. Our home is just under 2k square feet and our highest bill this year was around $230. Just keep in mind, repairs on a well can be very costly and with the amount of time the pump kicks on with our irrigation needs we expect to have repairs more often. For that it would be wise to set aside $100/month or so if you don't have existing savings to cover a costly repair. Our piggy bank for well repairs is usually around $5k.

[@yaima0901]

I bought lots of mulch from Lowes and only AFTER we poured it in the trees we noticed they were FULL with termites 😭😭😭 do you any remedy I can use to kill them?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Don't do anything with the termites! They're actually beneficial as they help to break down the woodchips and they only eat dead wood. They won't hurt your trees, they can only help!! Now, your house is a different story. We don't use woodchips anywhere near our home and we also treat our house for termites, which is pretty much a necessity here in Arizona.

[@muhammadalhammad4018]

Thanks for the information. I'm not a farmer neither a farm owner, but I like what you are doing. Kindly if you add measurements in m, aqr meter and cubic meters; because it is difficult to imagine measurements. Hoping ALLAH help you achieving your goals.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

I'm glad you're finding the content useful Muhammad. We have a lot of viewers overseas, so we really do need to start converting that more often when we give measurements. Thank you for that suggestion!

[@RichBurris2]

While you're talking at about 19 minutes a bunch of Quail run across in the background. Just thought it was cool and adds to the video.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Good catch on that Richard. Birds are really starting to call the place home. It brings a different set of challenges, but to see life thrive in the desert is something we really enjoy being a part of!

[@williammclean4080]

loch ness black berry thats the scottish variety? we only had 25 percent of our normal rain over here this year , need to get the heavy mulch going again.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

That's a good question on the variety William. It does sound Scottish, right? Maybe you need to see if it lives up to the name and can thrive for you over there!

[@williammclean4080]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm ok deal i will get one and plant it for next year!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@williammclean4080 looking forward to the video updates!

[@timmytrimble4069]

Are theses not massive amounts of water to each tree ? Not many people have such huge amounts available.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

For fruit trees to thrive in the desert, you'll need this much water in our experience.

[@brm1279]

Do you recycle your laundry water?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great question. We're not recycling any grey water from the farmhouse. In order for us to pass inspection in Maricopa county we would not be able to use our grey water (it legally has to be put into the septic system). Crazy as that sounds, it's my understanding.

[@aaroncarling7652]

Where do you get your mulch?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Aaron. The wood chips you see here were delivered through Chip Drop. It's an online resource that matches arborists with gardeners to divert wood chips from the land fills.

[@slamboy66]

In your county are you allowed water catchment? 🌧️

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great question and yes, we can do water catchment. We are using passive catchment from the buildings right now, but that may expand as we continue to add new systems on the farm.

[@eddeddesc3717]

👌🏽

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Eddeddesc! Thank you so much :)

[@putinhynes3848]

How far apart did you plant your trees and why.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Putin! Most of our trees are 16ft apart. For the most part they are semi-dwarf trees that grow about 15ft tall and wide. So about 8ft on each side of the tree which will meet to the next tree. Hope that makes sense.

[@gm2407]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Should create a lovely shaded canopy and cool the ground underneath even better. Good for your woodchip breakdown from the top of the ground. Are you worried about autumn when the leaves fall as to fire hazards?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@gm2407 we're concerned about fire hazards pretty much year round. The wood chip mulch pile alone would burn pretty strong with a single spark!

[@gm2407]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Recently in Northern England we have had weather consistantly in high 20s and early to mid 30s which is unusual until the last couple of years. I don't know how you handle it all year round.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@gm2407 it's all a matter of design based on the climate. For you guys it's normal to see regular rain and cooler temps, so you design for that. We have the opposite (much warmer and very dry), hence our first project on the farm was running massive amounts of irrigation lines!

[@erichaskell]

How have you dealt with your caliche soil?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great question Eric. Our irrigation ring design is one of the ways we deal with caliche. In combination with the correct root stock it encourages roots to grow out rather than down to establish the tree. Over time the more mature tree will eventually punch through that caliche layer.

[@erichaskell]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm are your outer rings at the drip line and if not are you going to broaden them? I widened the watering basins under my trees to six or seven feet diameter and do not plan on making them larger. My fruit trees are now five years old and are mostly semi dwarfs. Also, we have different watering methodologies. I water each tree with a half inch bubbler head on a one inch poly pipe. I have six trees on each zone. I can fill the basin under each tree in about fifteen or twenty minutes and I water once a week. My two almond trees, I have learned this hot summer, would prefer twice weekly but my walnut and pecan trees are happy with once. You have a great farm going. My rule is never stop learning and never stop improving.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@erichaskell the outer rings are just past the drip line for most of the trees at this point, but we don't have plans to widen them anytime soon. We're going to eventually have wood chip mulch that spans between each of the trees that should soften the soil up over time to allow the trees to strech a bit further. I like your setup allowing the rings to fill quickly. I would prefer to do the same here, but given the number of trees we have and the water flow that we're limited to we can't use that much water at any given time.

[@jeffpearson2645]

I know in a previous video you mention your water guy (the one who set up the tank, and exterior pump and such...Are you able to provide his contact details to me? Im also located here in Wittmann...

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Jeff. If you're looking for a well guy, the outfit we used for the house build and well is out of business. If you're looking for irrigation you'll want to reach out to our irrigation guy. His name is George and he runs Sprinkler Dude (he also lives here in Wittmann). I'll link his website for you here; www.sprinklerdude.com/

[@VikramKumar-ve7em]

Hii bro. I am from india i need pistachio rootstock seeds how can i buy any idea.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Vikram. I'm not sure where you can source those as we don't have any experience with pistachio. It might be worth reaching out to Reid at RSI Growers to see if he has a suggestion. I'll link his website for you here; www.rsigrowers.com/

[@alliedsandblasting9211]

Do you have avocado?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

No, we won't try that out here. It takes quite a bit more care than we're willing to give a single tree. For us that would be shade in the summer and cover in the winter (sometimes with supplemental heat on our sub 30 degree nights).

[@alliedsandblasting9211]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm way too much work

[@kmac4124]

why are your tree trunks white ??? never mind , I found out why .....to "prevent sun burn "

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

You got it Kenneth. That and we also use IV Organics trunk paint that deters the rabbits as well.

[@larryconover3925]

why are your grapes (on bottom)surrounded by chicken wire. never seen that before

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Larry! We have a rabbit issue out here and these were on so they didn't get to the trunks as they were developing. They have now come off since the trunks are big enough that the rabbits won't mess with them.

[@larryconover3925]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm just planted a few vines here in So Cal, so might try this. We have gopher and squirrels, but likely will see rabbits now that I've planted grapevines, haha.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@larryconover3925 it's amazing how quickly green attracts the little buggers!

[@sharronminter4161]

I’m just wondering why you would go into this horrible climate to grow things that nature has wisely decided not to grow. It seems a huge waste of a natural resource. Am I missing something? You are very efficient but what’s the return on investment in terms of product when considering the enormous amount of your time and a precious resource like water? I’m sure you have good reasons but I’m just not seeing it.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great question Sharron and thank you for being polite in wording this (most folks are much more "polarizing" when asking this). Unless you've lived in the desert, I'm not sure I can explain it in a response to a comment. It's a lengthy conversation. That being said, people have been living in the Sonoran desert and growing food for centuries. The water we use comes from an aquifer that is refreshed by local, AZ rainfall and recharges at roughly double the rate of the current discharge which is protected by regulations put in place several years ago to ensure we don't exceed that. Would I rather be in a climate like Southern CA where I'm from, sure. Can I afford to? No, thanks to many factors. Hence the desert we call home.