Cherokee Purples are the only ones I absolutely will have every year - best tasting tomato I've had, though yield can be erratic even for an heirloom. If I could trust them more, I'd have them taking up half my garden. When I have a good year, I can really pass on anything else I planted and just eat those.

Arkansas Travelers tend to be in my garden as well because whatever else happens, I know those will produce. I do a Pink Girl every year for similar reasons - sturdy, productive and predictable.

I went off the rails a bit this year and tried a bunch of new stuff. An Ivan (Missouri Native), a couple Sgt. Peppers, a Parker's Whopper, a Lemon Boy, the aforementioned pink girls, cherokee and ark. travelers, an Abe Lincoln (I have no idea what this is) and a Campbell 33 (an early season determinate so it'll fruit early and then I'll pull it to leave a little more sun/space for late season growth from the surrounding plants).

I used to have a Jet Star in there pretty regularly but I liked the Ark. Traveler's a little more. I never really do any of those massive guys that make the 1lb fruits anymore - just too much to eat too quickly. I want something I can throw some vinegar on with a little basil and fresh mozzarella and eat for lunch. I'd love to try something like an Amana Orange but those things will make 2 lb tomatos...eh, pass.

I should've done something like an atomic grape but my wife won't eat the cherry/grape tomatoes. They're a little tart and purplish/green colored so they're just an interesting complement for things.

Over time I've essentially turned mine into a salsa garden, even though I don't make salsa. 10ish tomato plants, 6-8 various pepper plants (Ghost, Nepalese Bell, Numex Centennials and Fish peppers this year), a row of cilantro and a row of basil (always look forward to pesto season).
[Reply]

Side note - any of you guys deal with this damn annual blue grass this year? You see it called Poa Annua as well. Goes to seed about 2 days after you cut it - seeds incredibly short and it's just spindly, ugly grass.

I'm pretty sure there's not a damn thing I can do about it apart from deal with it this year, slam the yard with pre-emergent and not overseed like I do most years. It's an annual so it won't come back if the seeds it drops don't germinate. But since it's a grass, I don't think there's any treatment for it that won't kill all the perennial kentucky bluegrass I WANT to have around it.

I've just never seen anything like what I have this season. Something new every year man. Got awful nut sedge last year, the year before that it was prostrate spurge and before that a crazy bad crab-grass year. My old place I had the yard on lock in a couple of seasons and never got as much as a single dandylion but being on water with no wind breaks behind me, I think I just get more seeds blowing into my yard.

Every year I'm convinced I've addressed the last problem and then something else shows up.
[Reply]

Took on the challenge of growing Plumerias here. They take a decent amount of care, drop leaves in winter but LOVE heat. Perfect spot for Phoenix if provided enough water. Got my first flowers off my Plumeria cutting called Nirvana, that a lady in Mesa sent me graciously. It smells more amazing than anything I can describe.




[Reply]

I was super interested in this before I saw the word Nirvana, and now I'm even more so.
[Reply]

Best residual pre for grass is pendimethalin. The stuff labeled for turf is Pendulum. But if you can get ahold of Prowl H2O it’s the same chemistry for 1/3 the money because it’s labeled for corn/bean post.

It will turn everything infuriating yellow, but if you get it watered in within 48 hours the shit really works.
[Reply]

can he overseed in the fall? Put it down again a couple of times in spring and not hurt the
new grass?

Remember most sod is put over Sorghum quality clay and never gets manure spread over it, Just Scott's.

I overseed bluegrass with thin blade slow growth drought resistant tall fescue known by some as "no mow seed"
[Reply]

Yeah there’s thousands of varieties of plumerias. This was just sent to me and it’s absolutely beautiful. Very interesting that these stick looking plants produce these amazing flowers.
[Reply]

Not specifically this category but....

My deck is 4 years old.

The first pic is the original color, which we like.

Two years ago, I put Thompsons on it. It has since become dirty and grimy.

Today I hit it with the power washer. Took a lot off. But still have some white areas.. pic 2.

If I took off some of the Thompsons with the power washer, that is ok.

Should I hit it again and strip as much of the white stuff off as possible or light stain from this point?


[Reply]

get a real power washer, use deck wash and spray every inch with the wand the same distance from the wood, then after drying use a real deck stain sealant like



this is what you should use


[Reply]

I've recently learned that peach trees do well in AZ.
[Reply]

I planted one in January! Along with a nectarine, which grows similar. Peach trees seem super easy and grow quickly.
[Reply]

First time in 5 years that I have a backyard. Its on the smaller side, but average for city life.

Wanting a bit of an urban lodge feel and put some emerald green arbs and smaller junipers in the ground. Thinking about sprinkling in some pollinators as well. I know fuck all about landscaping and growing though.
[Reply]

I didn't hit it real hard with the power washer until I thought I was taking off the seal. Still was ok for me.
[Reply]

Do yourself a favor and find someone that knows something about trees before you plant anything.

A lot of conniferous trees drop their needs and create a super acidic environment and you can’t grow shit for grass or whatever. Another example is there are a lot of maple trees around (including one in my yard :-) ) but it turns out they don’t handle high pH environments very well and get iron chlorosis really bad which really shortens their (including mine :-) ) lifespan.
[Reply]

i planted a thornless blackberry bush (shrub) 3 years ago this spring/summer. last year i had a really good yield. had berries out the wazoo. this year it appears that i have at least twice the amount of berries as of today. also have a ton of new shoot going in several directions.
this started as on small bareroot plant the size of a coffee can. it appears to be around 20 feet long, 3 feet in depth now. i don't know if you're looking at that, but ive literally done nothing except water it early in the spring. and pick berries in summer.

also, i do a ton of salsa. ive got roma tomatoes everywhere in the garden. i plant in straw bales. yup, straw bales. if you have time to look at pictures and testemonials (sp?) look up on FB straw bale miracle garden site.
[Reply]