AZ, cochise county vacation

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 6:23 pm

lucky1 wrote: Man oh man, they are stunning indeed.
I'd be out there pruning the skirts...

Barb

A trimmed elata just dont look like an elata to me, but when they are trimmed they look nice.

Wickenburge AZ

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 8:18 pm

Aaron, yup.

But last year I found a black widow spider in my Yucca rostrata.
You probably heard me yell from there.

So now it's OFF with every old branch PRONTO so the buggers can't hide easily.

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:01 pm

lucky1 wrote: But last year I found a black widow spider in my Yucca rostrata.
You probably heard me yell from there.

Barb

I dont blame you, everything here is welcome in my yard, except yellow-jackets and black widows (and one badger I could'nt move). Further south you go the more widows you see. I love wildlife but them two I just cant keep up with.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:08 pm

A cool vid of people hikking in the Dragoon Mountains east of my place. It is only 2 days old 1-25-11. I wish I could hike around this time of year without freezing.

Lots of cool plants.
http://www.youtube.com/user/PrestonTheY ... Me2tDpgqP0

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 8:39 pm

Wow did you see those yuccas up there?

While it was 7500 feet elev., there weren't any sheer cliff-faces, looks like a great hike.
Except for having to smash through that brush.
Would've been easy to carry a small shovel and a burlap sack or two...(who said that????)

Thanks for the link, Aaron.
Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 5:28 am

It would be nice to try some seed off the yuccas, agave, dasylirions from that elev. The market needs some higher elevation plants.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 6:55 am

from that elev

Yes, for sure, plants usually do better at a lower--rather than higher--elev than the other way around.

What would be the best time of year to collect mature seeds from up there?
November?

How far away from your property is that mountain?

By the way, what's the elev of your property?
I learned that Bisbee AZ is at nearly 6,000 feet so it's only 1,000 ft hike.
Those pics didn't look like those guys were climbing Everest

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 5:43 pm

lucky1 wrote: What would be the best time of year to collect mature seeds from up there?
November?

How far away from your property is that mountain?

By the way, what's the elev of your property?
I learned that Bisbee AZ is at nearly 6,000 feet so it's only 1,000 ft hike.
Those pics didn't look like those guys were climbing Everest

Barb

I think any time after August? I was surprized to see most everthing had already turned to seed when I was down ther in late May.

I did a google measurement as the crow flys and it seems that mountain top is about 8.5 miles from my place, but the Dragoon mountains themselves are only about 5.5 to the peaks from my place.

I'm at 4500 Ft. The mountains there are not big compared to Idaho and Canada mountains, but the dragoons do have world class rock-climbing. The stronghold area has many shear rock walls to climb. I only have one pic that shows that area's rocks well. The bushes in between the rocks are oak trees and are much larger than they look.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 5:58 pm

So about 3 months for seed ripening.
Memo to the trip planner: .....

There's that heart-stopping gorgeous pic again!
Yup those Dragoons must be a challenge, I believe it.
Just wouldn't want to put my hand up on a ledge...

(no rattlesnake icon)

The mountain those guys in the video climbed would be a great hike, if you didn't have to go through the dragoons at all.

Oaks...strange, growing in that obviously non-acid "soil".
I've got a Q. rubra, finally doing well in drastically amended pH to 5.5.
Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 7:15 pm

lucky1 wrote:So about 3 months for seed ripening.
Memo to the trip planner: .....

There's that heart-stopping gorgeous pic again!
Yup those Dragoons must be a challenge, I believe it.
Just wouldn't want to put my hand up on a ledge... (no rattlesnake icon)

The mountain those guys in the video climbed would be a great hike, if you didn't have to go through the dragoons at all.

Barb

I was thinking about the seeds in the mountains, I guess I did not see any at the higher elev. so you a probably right about November?

Thanks for the compliment on the pic.

The whole mountain range is the dragoons, but the area of the range with the big rocks is the cochise stronghold.

Man...if they had a rattlesnake icon I would use it all the time.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 7:25 pm

Oct/Nov would be a good time to go before winter really sets in.
Good time to transplant some little ones from the wild too as long as the truck is nearby.

Sheesh...I'm halfway there!

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 7:31 pm

lucky1 wrote: Oaks...strange, growing in that obviously non-acid "soil".
I've got a Q. rubra, finally doing well in drastically amended pH to 5.5.
Barb

I think it may be more acidic in the mountains.
SE Arizona has many different sp of oaks, I belive more than any other area in the West.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 7:49 pm

SE Arizona has many different sp of oaks, I belive more than any other area in the West

And in Canada it's interesting too.
Ontario is filled with native oaks, I've heard.
Yet in B.C. oaks are planted, no native ones.

The glaciers sent them to Arizona

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 3:34 pm

lucky1 wrote: The glaciers sent them to Arizona

Arizona might get some glaciers if they dont stay warm.

Some pics of O. ficus and other from Cohcise county AZ
I hope they are still alive.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 4:26 pm

At that age, they've seen bitter cold before.
Stunning.

The folks almost don't need a fence...

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 5:11 pm

lucky1 wrote:At that age, they've seen bitter cold before.
Stunning.

The folks almost don't need a fence...

I think the cactus in the first pic will be ok, but for the rest only time will tell. I have some O. ficus at my place I planted, sorry no pics. They grow fast so if they are dead I will replant.

The sad thing is it takes over 1100 miles and a once a year vacation to do any replanting in my yard. Not complaining just worried. I dread the idea of the county with rotten agave, palms and cactus. But as negative as I sound, I have high hopes

.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 5:53 pm

I hope yours make it Aaron...probably planted against the wall, which provides a nice microclimate.

1100 miles? What would be the closest, heading northwest to Washinton state?
Spokane must have some great nurseries, but with their heavy rainfall, maybe they don't stock desert stuff which I know you prefer.
I know you want to head south though...

I'm sure you'll keep an eye on great specimens in your area to see if they make it.
Now those are the seeds to grab!

Thought you had lots of seedlings on the go?
Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 6:54 pm

lucky1 wrote:I hope yours make it Aaron...probably planted against the wall, which provides a nice microclimate.

1100 miles? What would be the closest, heading northwest to Washinton state?
Spokane must have some great nurseries, but with their heavy rainfall, maybe they don't stock desert stuff which I know you prefer.
I know you want to head south though...

I'm sure you'll keep an eye on great specimens in your area to see if they make it.
Now those are the seeds to grab!

Thought you had lots of seedlings on the go?
Barb

I'm not worried about my plants in Idaho, I'm worried about all the cactus, barrels, saguaros, and other things I planted in Arizona last summer.

It would be a miracle if they survived the 0F/-18C they had down there this winter, 2ft high saguaros are not cheap to replace. My place in AZ is over 1100miles away, not as easy as planting something in the back yard of my house.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 6:55 pm

lucky1 wrote: Thought you had lots of seedlings on the go?
Barb

I used to grow alot seedlings before I got married, but now only grow a few for my yard.

Barb,
Thanks for always being so positive.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:53 pm

I had forgotten that your Arizona place was that far away...
You can tell I don't travel much anymore
Just live vicariously through other folks' wanderings

I can well imagine what a 2-foot saguaro would cost...they're not fast growers.

Maybe we should start liking the cheaper stuff

When we bought our Okanagan property (many moons ago), we would drive the 600 mile round trip from Vancouver on a weekend just to get a look at the place (while we were paying off the loan, before house construction started). We hated Vancouver; in those days all it did was rain rain rain. Our house's driveway had a "dip" in the pavement, which with successive rainfalls became a small lake that would stall your car if you went too fast.

One weekend in spring I took with me some young fir tree seedlings (they grow wild everywhere on the Coast...in ditches, in eavestroughs...yup!). Also brought jugs of water and some bark mulch and tools to plant them. H was pretty amused as I hiked all over the 15 acres picking first this spot, then that spot, then back to the original for seedlling no. 1, and so on with the rest of the 6-inch tall "trees". He dug the holes for me just so the job wouldn't take too long. All the seedlings were planted and had a half-inch covering of bark mulch after being watered. I still remember him exclaiming: "look at that beautiful dry black soil", remembering our boggy Vancouver yard and mold growing on the house exterior.

Well you guessed it. We came back mid-summer and couldn't find where we had planted them. Three-foot tall green knapweed covered the place. We found bits of bark mulch here and there but not even sticks in the ground remained. Deer must have pulled them up for a snack.

The real work began when we finally moved and we realized just how hot the ground became in summer on a south slope. And no lake on the driveway.

My mistake was bringing rainforest seedlings to the desert. Naive as a post!

You selected plants based on the destination environment, they stand a much better chance than mine did.
Heck mine were probably already dead as we drove out of town that day...

Too bad streetview isn't passing by your place this week...
Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 5:24 am

lucky1 wrote: I can well imagine what a 2-foot saguaro would cost...they're not fast growers.

Maybe we should start liking the cheaper stuff

Barb

Thanks for the neat story, I can relate.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 4:39 pm

Headed out friday night.

I hope to bring back some seed to pass around, as easy as that sounds I always seem to be too busy or its too hot to leave the wife in the car while I look around.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 6:01 pm

I bet Mrs. Aaron would do very well with a seed picking bag in her hand, knowing how much you love the hobby.

Pictures, too, please Aaron.

Have a safe trip.
Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 6:37 am

lucky1 wrote:I bet Mrs. Aaron would do very well with a seed picking bag in her hand, knowing how much you love the hobby.

Pictures, too, please Aaron.

Have a safe trip.
Barb

Thats sounds like a nice dream, wife helping me pick seeds.

Who knows this trip could be different.

She is more the shopping kind of wife, I hold her hand bag while she trys on things.

I will bring back lots of pics, even if they are of dead palm trees. That was negative, even if they all lived.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 8:59 pm

Hi everyone, I'm down here in southern AZ/Cochise County and I don't think I have seen any truely dead palms as of yet? The robustas don't look good, but even the few that look dead have small bits of green at the crowns.

The palms that look the worst here are the med palms.

and I think I see one of them dead, but could have been from the drought here, some places have not seen any precip sence last year, and yes every thing seems to be on fire down here.

Hard to take a good pic with all the smoke, and I so pray for all the wildlife here.

Another shocker is all the barrel cactus seem to be dead or burnt very badly. All the golden barrels I have seen are dead and the native barrels dont look much better. But the saguaros all look alive, some burn, but alive. It could be that they are hurt worse than they look, but....who knows, I think they will live.

PS I have found some seeds for everyone, but most seed pods are empty. Sorry no palm seeds yet.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 10:38 am

Aaron, ah....you're home (where the heart is, in Arizona!)

Saw the fires on TV last night, can't imagine 100,000 acres ablaze above a desert

Look forward to your next update.

Barb

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 12:38 pm

Arizona Fire video:

http://geology.com/news/2011/arizonas-w ... ogy.com%29

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 9:39 pm

Thanks for the AZ fire link.

Today was about the first day you could see the mountains except for the Chirichuas. It was nowhere a normal day for here, but was nice to see most everything.

We headed south to Bisbee, then north to Tombstone, and then the last stop for the day was St. David. I took as many pics as I could and finaly found a couple of small dead robustas, not bad for places that may have seen below 0F.

I am also glad to say that I did not find one dead agave in the Bisbee area, if there was I could not find them. But on a sad note almost every giant prickly pear (O. ficus) I have seen here has killed or burned very badly. Some of these were huge! and have been here for years, almost all that is left is big trunks that look like old tree trunks, I hope my pics show up well.

I will keep a look out for any new finds.

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 6:09 pm

Just saw these! EXCELLENT PICS! Thanks!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 6:24 pm

Mike, where are Aaron's pics?

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 8:06 pm

lucky1 wrote:Mike, where are Aaron's pics?

I don't have pics up yet, I think he is talking about the fire link you put up?

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 8:08 pm

Could be from the pics from last year?

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 8:13 pm

OK of all the things I've lost (palms), I miss my mind the most

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 8:25 pm

Headed back home early in the morning.
I tried to find more seeds but everything here is in such a bad drought that most plants did not set seed this year. They have the biggest Y. elatas here but I could only get a couple of seeds off them, and I do mean just a couple. I did see some nice seeds but the yuccas were in a yard in the country. However I did get lots of seed off some very big Dasylirion wheeleri not far from my land here. I have lots and will share with anyone that wants them.

PS. I dont want the Y. elata seeds so I have just enough for a couple of people.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 8:31 pm

Aaron, I'd love one or two Dasylirion wheeleri seeds.

Your trip was over too quickly I bet.

Barb

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 3:44 am

Sorry guys I'ma bit late here. i still do not get updates on anything so i always miss posts, replies etc...I wish I could figure it out!!!! I would love updates.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 10:57 am

Mike, re your missing email notifications of posts, log onto your Profile page, copy 'n paste the URL into a PM to me and I'll see if I can fix it.

We just don't want you to be late for dinner...

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 9:45 am

lucky1 wrote:Aaron, I'd love one or two Dasylirion wheeleri seeds.

Your trip was over too quickly I bet.

Barb

I have lots, I'll give you a few to try.

I think the trip was just right, however I miss it already. I was so excited to get home and share pics and visit with friends, but now I wish I could go down there and do some landscaping.
I hope to buy a house down there within the next few years, that way I can work around the yard for a week.

I'm also posting pics on my blog so I can post a link of the vacation later.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 9:51 am

Thanks, Aaron.

I wish I could go down there and do some landscaping.
I hope to buy a house down there within the next few years, that way I can work around the yard for a week. icon_biggrin.gif

There'll be plenty of landscaping to do, great that you're considering a house there.
It might even have palms and yuccas planted already...then you'll want them moved to a new spot.

Looking forward to seeing your pictures...you have a blog?
Would like to see it.

Glad you're home safely.
The Arizona fires are awful, heading into New Mexico. How sad.
Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 11:56 am

lucky1 wrote: then you'll want them moved to a new spot.

Looking forward to seeing your pictures...you have a blog?
Would like to see it.

The Arizona fires are awful, heading into New Mexico. How sad.
Barb

That is so true, I may never be completely satisfied with where ever I live.

I hope to share it soon.

It is very sad, burning lots of good wildlife habitat.