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cherig22

Anyone in NE Arizona?

cherig22
18 years ago

I see that most of you all are in Tucson or Phoenix.....I will be moving next year to a place just north of St Johns, and was wondering if anyone out there is around that area.

I will be in AZ zone 4, Sunset zone 2, USDA zone 6a or 6b. And I have no idea how to plan for plants! I want to grow a regular garden, and also add some native stuff to the yard.

I checked out the map that desertSol put up, and I noticed no one in my soon-to-be new home. Just looking for some high desert ideas here!

Thanks, Cheri

Comments (11)

  • Pagancat
    18 years ago

    Hey Cheri-

    I'm afraid you're right; most of us are in the 8-10 zone, subtropical sort of stuff. The population of your new home is not huge - in fact, much of Arizona (other than the two cities you mentioned) is pretty sparse, it's kinda neat. But it will definitely be a gardening change for you.

    The best thing I can think of suggesting is seeing if the county you'll be moving into has a Cooperative Extension Service (I think they all do, I'm just not positive) and if so, check to see if they have a website. If not, you might have to either write or wait until you get there.

    The best place that I can suggest on the Garden Web would be under the Southwest Forum - they tend to take care of the Nevada-New Mex- etc. folks who are at a higher elevation or latitude than we are.

    Good luck, I hope this helps!

    P.S. Take a look at the High Country garden dot com on-line catalog, they might have some of the stuff you will be planting...

  • cherig22
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks Cat, have started reading the threads in the other forum, hope to get some good info while I wait to move.

    Now if only I can get H. Wilma to stay away.....

    Cheri

  • adp_abq
    18 years ago

    Also take a look at plantsofthesouthwest.com

  • Pagancat
    18 years ago

    Oh my, yes - please Wilma, keep your distance! The SE states have be traumatized enough for 2-3 summers at once. Hope you and your's remain safe.

  • dawnarose
    18 years ago

    I have lived in NE Arizona for many years (Sunset zone 1, the coldest) and have found it to be a very rewarding challenge. Most annuals (including vegetables )LOVE the higher altitude and relatively long growing season. Wind and dryness will be your biggest problems. Fruit trees don't do well in my zone but if you check the variety carefully and order appropriately there are lots that should grow in your longer growing season(zone 2)--apples, apricots, plums, peaches, etc. For my area I don't buy anything that doesn't say zone 3 (USDA)or lower but you could go one or two numbers higher and be OK. My husband was raised in St. Johns and his family always had a wonderful garden--tomatoes, corn, peppers, green beans, melons, potatoes, etc. and flowers--roses, peonies and on and on. Have fun experimenting.

  • cherig22
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thank you, Dawnarose! At last some good news, lol.

    I am reading up on 'dry farming', it is a fascinating read on how to till and maintain a water pocket for plants. Also interesting how some plants the we have always considered shallow rooted will grow extensive roots looking for water.

    Thanks again for the good news.

    Cheri

  • lindamac
    17 years ago

    Hi Cheri,
    We are moving north of St Johns also as soon as our home in vegas sells. Are you moving to Woodland Valley Estates? I have been researching what grows at 6000 ft in our area. I have a lot to learn. Maybe we will meet sometime!
    Linda

  • cherig22
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Lindamac,

    We bought 5 acres in Witch Wells Estates. It is mostly sand over rock and some clay. It is going to be an intensive job to bring some of the land to grow gardens. We plan to start with raised beds, lasgna beds, and massive amounts of organics to work in. Many years before we will see anything like what we want to have (eventually!)

    But the area is beautiful, the summer weather is nice, and we are way out in the middle of nowhere, just where we want to be! Moving next year....

    Cheri

  • DrynDusty
    17 years ago

    We moved a few months ago from the NE corner to mid-Arizona, just south of Payson. Chinle, where we used to live, has a similar climate to St. Johns. We grew anything we wanted, pretty much. Peaches did very well. Apples usually don't live more than a few years.
    Now we're at 3000 feet, Zone 8, and are heavily challenged: hard pan, rabbits, javalinas, temps of 110 and above. Lots of our plants are asking to come inside, where it's cool and protected from THEM!!
    I just finished putting up a fence around the garden and hope it does the trick. I might have to set up machine gun nests here and there. All strickly organic of course.
    The trick to growing things is lots of organic matter. In Chinle, we used alfalfa hay for mulch. It has lots of nitrogen, lots of weed seeds. It quickly rots. Here we have straw, which has little nitrogen, not many weeds. It doesn't seem to give the plants any boost, even with extra nitrogen.
    Another potent foe here is Bermunda grass. It makes a fine lawn, but don't let it get into the garden. It loves to come up through foot of straw.

    Good luck in St. Johns.
    Norm

  • lindamac
    17 years ago

    Great to hear from you Cheri and DryNdusty also. Our soil is sandy loam and I haven't seen any rocks on our property yet, just small pebbles. We have 40 acres 12 miles out of St. Johns on 191. There is a great article in Mother Earth News this month on making your own fertilizer using all natural stuff, bone meal, etc. . Cheri, it sounds like you will have to have a load of top soil hauled out to your area for gardening. We still haven't sold our house in Vegas so don't know when we will get to move. Gives me lots of time for gardening research but I want the country life NOW!!!! I am looking forward to being able to go outside in the summer without getting heat stroke which I have had twice. 5 minutes outside in the summer just about does me in. Good luck on your move Cheri, lets race to see who gets there first!
    Linda

  • larry-gard
    17 years ago

    My wife and I will be visiting our 10 acres in Witch Wells this Spring-Summer for the first time. I will start composting, and look forward to a crop sometime!

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