Vining / attractive / edible plants for the run fencing

[Wifezilla]

I have grape vines that go up and over the duck run. Not only does it provide shade, I got over 50lbs of grapes from ONE VINE the other year. Not only are the grapes edible for you and the ducks, they can nibble on the leaves too. They keep the vine trimmed about 3 feet up from the bottom

It is hilarious watching them try to hop up and get leaves just out of their reach.

 

[GiddyMoon]

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How long do they take to grow?

 

[GiddyMoon]

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No, for now I just put dirt in it, since I have an endless supply thanks to the dogs digging all the time. LoL. As for the Yams, I have a weird maybe 1 foot strip of ground between the concrete pan of our shed turned coop/run and our fence, so I put em in there. Hence the reason I'm not to worried about even squeezing back there to try to dig em up

. And no, no squirrels here.

I love the idea of rosemary and/or lavender. I actually have a rosemary plant out front I love. Looks like Im going to hit up the mid summer plant sales this year! (\\FYI, if your cheap like me mid or late summer sales at like walmart, homedepot or lowes etc, are great, cheap plants with a little love they come back wonderfully from the store "treatment". Oh, I also grow pots, yams and carrot tops for the girls by using old ones I bought from the local grocery. Carrots you can cut the tops off, stick in cool dirt and keep damp and they will sprout. Not sure if they ever grow carrots or not, but I use em in my mini barn salad bars

<Onions and Garlic will do the same but I dont feed em to the animals>

Right now, we have the typical desert wasteland backyard. When we bought the house last year the yard grew nothing but dirt. Luckily I was able to save a butchered Palo verde tree, a few baby sage bushes and some weird berry thing. No idea what it is, with bright orange egg shaped berries, the wild birds love em tho, and my girls ate all they could reach with no ill effects.

Love this thread. Keep the desert ideas coming! My chickies love you for it.

<Oh PS! Rosemary helps keep flies down! I have been cutting sprigs and hanging em in the mini barn and its working so far, my next plan is to make a wire enclosed hanging planter and just put one inside to grow.>

Hhoky, we are in the same boat..one big dirt acre but I do have a narrow wash running thru and about 6 palo verde trees...and check Lowe's!! They put plants on clearance all the time..I have bought a lot there for under $5!

 

[Wifezilla]

It did take a couple of years to get them really going. I have had them for about 7 years now. 3 years ago the ducks took over that area for their run. If you plant grape vines you could also plant some annuals to get you by until the grapes had time to grow.

 

[sunshineyarns]

Love the grape vines! I just planted some silver lace vines outside our fence... but, am looking to plant something against the house too in the run. What have people had success growing IN the coop area/run?!

 

[GiddyMoon]

I think this is a wonderful idea and I was told grapes do really well here in AZ> I think I will save this idea though for when I own my own home LOL We are renting..so everything has to be cheap and fast growing

 

[Kudzu]

Possumhaw or Kudzu, take your pick

 

[dewey]

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The first time I experienced one..I swear people probably thought I thought I was 5.

Omg

Monsoon! I cant wait for my Ohio born hubby to experience one. Its. . . stormgasmic!

That it is.

I don't know the dates anymore but there used to be mesquite pod milling events with big portable mills provided...you take in your harvested beans and get them milled, for next to nothing. Loaded with high quality nutrition for both humans and animals. The county extension office should have updated info.

Some others are okra, devil horn, maize, amaranth, chilis, and so on, and some common "weeds" and/or native ground covers that take little water...purslane, wild mustard, bermuda and shoots, thistle, so many...plus you guys have Native Seeds right there in Tucson. Great source of info and seeds.

That grape photo is beautiful. They do very well here.

 

[GiddyMoon]

You guys are so helpful..thank you so much!

 

[SunnyCalifornia]

Hi! I'm actually a nurseryman (woman) in San Diego area, and I have lots of oddballs in my garden, as I like to take home the "rescues" LOL.
I've never been to Phoenix, but I am assuming you'll water these plants, and mulch around them to keep the roots cool... but here's some things/tricks you can do:

Plant things in 15 gallon buckets, and put the bucket into a large hole, surrounded by mulch...then if you move, you can take the bucket with you!

Wine barrels are also quiet handy, and more attractive above ground. You can mix those in with planted things too.

My chickens love to eat in my garden:

Strawberries,
Cilantro,
Parsley,
Broccoli flowers,
Blueberries,
Mint,
Cherry tomatoes
Grapes,
Blackberries,

They don't eat my lavender, and occasionally bite a rose bud.

Things on my list to try..... (edibles)
Nasturtium,
Pansies & violas
Daylilies
Melons i.e. cantaloupe which likes to climb
Millet grass



Also, you can espalier fruit trees against a fence. If you do the "bury the bucket" method, its totally transportable.