Growing Bananas in the Desert Posted on February 23rd, 2010
GOING BANANAS IN PHOENIX
Banana trees, although sparsely populated, are growing in
practically every section of Phoenix and surrounding areas.
Their broad leaves peeking over back fences and adorning
sheltered enclaves in front yards are not hard to find.
Although these are mostly unknown, or unnamed, varieties,
it can be accurately assumed for the purpose of this
discussion, that many of their titled cousins of the kind
sold at supermarkets will flourish here quite as well.
Temperatures over 100 and an occasional frost can take a
toll but with a little luck and a bit of acquired know-how,
you can enjoy beautiful, tropical foliage growing next to a
saguaro cactus and later treat yourself to a banana split
made with a homegrown banana.
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Growing Avocados in the Desert Posted on February 23rd, 2010
THE APPLES and ORANGES of AVOCADOS
The following guidelines for growing Avocados were paraphrased from a
presentation by Julie Frink at the California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc.
Festival of Fruit in September 1998 at Balboa Park in San Diego,
California. My own observations are in Italics. Her title, “Avocado,
Cultivars and Care” reflects a long association with the industry in
Southern California. The data presented are germane to avocados of any
variety in any locale where the fruit can be grown. A small number of
healthy avocado trees presently growing and producing in the Salt River
Basin are evidence that avocados, while probably not a commercial
viability, can survive in home landscapes in the Phoenix area.
AVOCADO: CULTIVARS AND CARE
The many cultivars of avocado have been divided into three
“horticultural” races, West Indian, Guatemalan and Mexican. Numerous
other varieties are hybrids of the three. Mexican fruit is smallish,
smooth skin, large “tight” seed with leaves and flesh that have an
anise odor and taste. Seeds generally do not run true but the Mexican
variety has a better chance of doing so.
Mexican is the hardiest rootstock to use to graft other
varieties. We don’t yet know if that is true for this area; we
believe it is.
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