Arizona Chickens

[jubilation]

A few pictures of my porch in summer.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

I cant get anything to grow here... grrr... i came from utah with 50 plants i ordered that are heat hardy.. and ALL died.. even the succulents.. the only thing that survived was my lilies.. and the javalinas ate those.. i gave up on the idea of having a garden... *sighs*

Don't give up, step back and take a breather. We have terrible soil, we have caliche, it varies from a few pounds a square inch (psi) to over 9,000 psi (on a report from the dirt man on a construction site). Most concrete in between 3,000 and 3,500 psi after curing, reaching hard strength in 30 days +/-. We also have soil called Casa Grande, it is a very pure soil. You have to do a lot of work to make AZ bloom. I chose a raised bed, and I composed my own soil. There are a lot of successful gardeners here on AZ BYC. Having chickens is good, the compost, and turning over your bed, they are bad because to them your garden is food also, but what they do not eat they trample.

After your breather, start again and plan it out.

 

[pipemum]

I cant get anything to grow here... grrr... i came from utah with 50 plants i ordered that are heat hardy.. and ALL died.. even the succulents.. the only thing that survived was my lilies.. and the javalinas ate those.. i gave up on the idea of having a garden... *sighs*

Did you bring the plants from Utah? I have a heck of a time with the stuff that my inlaws bring from their house in Texas. Apparently, the plants have to get acclimated to the change in location, and I just don't have time for that, lol. Certain parts of Utah are going to be a lot like Prescott, but they'll still need to be babied, especially through their first summer. I can only grow a few types of succulents, because many of them get sunburned in the middle of summer (I have little shade in my yard) and many are too frost sensitive to make it through the winter. And javelinas!!

When I moved into my now house, I ha a bunch of beautiful potted plants. We didn't have our yard fenced in yet, and within the first week, the javelinas had munched all my pots. That was 8 years ago, and I'm still mad! Does it get that hot in Prescott?

 

[rockmissjess]

Don't give up, step back and take a breather. We have terrible soil, we have caliche, it varies from a few pounds a square inch (psi) to over 9,000 psi (on a report from the dirt man on a construction site). Most concrete in between 3,000 and 3,500 psi after curing, reaching hard strength in 30 days +/-. We also have soil called Casa Grande, it is a very pure soil. You have to do a lot of work to make AZ bloom. I chose a raised bed, and I composed my own soil. There are a lot of successful gardeners here on AZ BYC. Having chickens is good, the compost, and turning over your bed, they are bad because to them your garden is food also, but what they do not eat they trample.

After your breather, start again and plan it out.

Me and my husband tore up the yard and put in potting soil mixed with the natural soil here.. and dug out garden beds in the front yard... and everything died.. we have ABSOLUTELY NO TREES and everything shriveled up and died..and my BEAUTIFUL LILIES that were in the front bed directly in front keep getting eatten up by the javalinas..grrrrr... im afraid the only thing i may be able to plant here is rose bushes..

 

[rockmissjess]

Did you bring the plants from Utah? I have a heck of a time with the stuff that my inlaws bring from their house in Texas. Apparently, the plants have to get acclimated to the change in location, and I just don't have time for that, lol. Certain parts of Utah are going to be a lot like Prescott, but they'll still need to be babied, especially through their first summer. I can only grow a few types of succulents, because many of them get sunburned in the middle of summer (I have little shade in my yard) and many are too frost sensitive to make it through the winter. And javelinas!!

When I moved into my now house, I ha a bunch of beautiful potted plants. We didn't have our yard fenced in yet, and within the first week, the javelinas had munched all my pots. That was 8 years ago, and I'm still mad! Does it get that hot in Prescott?

I ordered all my plants from ebay... had them shipped to my husbands moms house the week we were moving.. then established them as it was JUNE super hot where i lived in utah... then we moved i took them with us.. and nothing survived all died within two months.. and it was cooler here than it was in utah... we also have NO TREES at my home.. im in spring valley.. not prescott... right off the 17..prescott exit..

 

[rockmissjess]

HERES THE HOUSE...when we first moved in.. If you can see the UGLY rose bushes than are there.. i removed all those.. and that big tree is going to have to be removed this year by the front door its breaking the water lines..











AFTER THE RAINS...after removing the rose bushes..you can see my lilies in the front bed there...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^


SOME OF THE PLANTS I BROUGHT WITH ME... ^^^^^
MY BEAUTIFUL STARGAZER LILIES THAT I PAID A ARM AND A LEG FOR I ONLY SAW THEM BLOOM WHEN WE FIRST GOT HERE...THEY ARE STILL IN THE GROUND.. (BELOW)










the blooms are as big or bigger than your hand and they smell wonderful..they are my favorite flower.. (yes these are actual pictures of my lilies) So you can understand when they were about to bloom last year and the javalinas came by and ate them...i was IRRATE!

 

[pipemum]

I ordered all my plants from ebay... had them shipped to my husbands moms house the week we were moving.. then established them as it was JUNE super hot where i lived in utah... then we moved i took them with us.. and nothing survived all died within two months.. and it was cooler here than it was in utah... we also have NO TREES at my home.. im in spring valley.. not prescott... right off the 17..prescott exit..

Now your best bet is to try the local nurseries..and maybe they're aren;t any truly local to you, but prescott area, verde valley, and even Flagstaff might have plants that will work for your area. High County Gardens will probably work as well, though they are expensive.

I have no trees at my house either! the house was 30 years old when we bought it! How can there possibly be a 30-year old house and no trees? Not one of the 3 families that lived there prior planted any? At all? It makes no sense to me at all.

Those lilies are really beautiful!

 

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
Local gardeners can help you find sources of plants and provide gardening tips that are extremely helpful. Check for a gardening club in the Prescott area - especially an organic gardening club. They should be able to help you prep your soil and find local sources of plants. They can also help you time your planting schedule.

I am not familiar with the subtleties of Prescott's weather. The Tucson area has several very short seasons. A lot of heat-tolerant plants will wither in the dry heat of June. But they perk up in the summer rains in July and August. And some plants do the opposite - they mildew in the humidity.

You can always provide temporary shade with shadecloth. 30% shadecloth works well, letting enough light through but blocking the most intense heat. 30% shadecloth can be hard to find. Most people want deeper shade and the shadecloth available in big box stores here tends to be 70% shade or so. I had to order my 30% shadecloth online. My tomatoes and most other garden plants were happier after getting some afternoon relief from the intense summer sun.

Desert adapted plants don't always do well in amended soil. Potting soil amendments can be tricky, as you have found out. Composted chicken manure helps my food garden a lot, but my landscaping plants don't necessarily do well with it. Again, a local gardening group will help more than anything.

Don't give up yet. And don't order plants off of eBay. You never know what you are really getting, and the odds are whatever it is won't be adapted for your local conditions.

 

[rockmissjess]

Local gardeners can help you find sources of plants and provide gardening tips that are extremely helpful. Check for a gardening club in the Prescott area - especially an organic gardening club. They should be able to help you prep your soil and find local sources of plants. They can also help you time your planting schedule.

I am not familiar with the subtleties of Prescott's weather. The Tucson area has several very short seasons. A lot of heat-tolerant plants will wither in the dry heat of June. But they perk up in the summer rains in July and August. And some plants do the opposite - they mildew in the humidity.

You can always provide temporary shade with shadecloth. 30% shadecloth works well, letting enough light through but blocking the most intense heat. 30% shadecloth can be hard to find. Most people want deeper shade and the shadecloth available in big box stores here tends to be 70% shade or so. I had to order my 30% shadecloth online. My tomatoes and most other garden plants were happier after getting some afternoon relief from the intense summer sun.

Desert adapted plants don't always do well in amended soil. Potting soil amendments can be tricky, as you have found out. Composted chicken manure helps my food garden a lot, but my landscaping plants don't necessarily do well with it. Again, a local gardening group will help more than anything.

Don't give up yet. And don't order plants off of eBay. You never know what you are really getting, and the odds are whatever it is won't be adapted for your local conditions.

lol i wanted these two succulents.. they grew ok in the shade.. but when i put them in the sun they died... i was like whats going on.. nothing came back.. the only plant still alive are my lilies.. and they get the shade in front of the house right there.. but like i said the javalinas will come eat them.. and the weeds dont go away.. whoever owned this house took very poor care of the yard.. its nothing but dirt, rocks and weeds in the front and back... hopefully the chickens will at least help with the backyard.. when they are fully grown.. *sighs* im not wasting any more money on plants.. unless i buy rose bushes...and im really not a fan of rose bushes.. i spent hundreds on the plants i had.. and they all grew fine.. until they got put in the sun.. and sadly there is no shade here... and the tiny trees in the yard that you see are those that were put in the by the last owner 4 years ago.. and you can see how well they are growing lol.. the tree by the driveway that is the BIGGEST.. it is NOT a tree.. its actually a bush.. but i dont want to trim it down to one.. cause my kids love to play in it.. lol

 

[pipemum]

Also, I need help in cleaning up my back yard. I have a lot of weeds my girls will not eat, imposable to pull up and I will not poison resort to poison yet. I need to fill the back of my truck with dump stuff, get the chicken pen cleaned up and composting, I have to get my work shop area cleaned up as well. I have been pledged with noise bleeds, go to my profile, the last 3 in FAMILY ALBUM, I will be erasing them in a week or so, to see what I am talking about, inappropriate to post. Trying to clean out and up wreckage left from depression. It is really funny. Anyone that is familiar with it and how it works, it makes no sense at all. I have normal depression right now, anyone normal person would, but I know it has an end, I know why I feel as I do, most of all I can be and am being comforted. The other is like a Steven King Fog Bank rolling in and destroying, you are helpless, only no heart or heroine..

Please let me know if anyone can help.... Bring weed Wacker's, machetes and whatever else you might think to clear the jungle. I have plants going to seed, so I can offer people 'pick your own seeds'. I will be closing in my garden, there may be some salvageable stuff I have you may be able to use. Planing last week end of the month, or the first on April. My mom's memorial is the 13th of April, I have a need to have it done by them. Actually, I am available when you are.

LKD, I'm sorry I'm not close enough to help any time soon. Will your nephew be able to assist you? Depression sucks donkey balls. Glad to see you're coming out of the haze.