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Soil, Compost & Mulch

Using mesquite and palo verde to improve soil

10 years ago

I am new to gardening and I live in the Phoenix area. I struggled this past summer with the heat and keeping plants alive. My garden spot gets full sun and most of plants struggled in the hottest part of summer.

I noticed that the volunteer mesquite and palo verde plants that came up all over my yard during the monsoon rains were flourishing - even in the extreme heat! I had an idea to use these native plants as a green manure crop in one of my beds this next summer. They are legumes and supposedly "fix" nitrogen into the soil, they have deep roots with a very long taproot, and they grow in the native soil with very little water. Is this a waste of time? I can sprout the seeds with no problem and I have access to literally thousands of them in the summer time. The seedpods are everywhere!

Just this week I dug up a mesquite and a palo verde that had been growing all summer. Both plants were between 1-2' tall. I did not see and nodules on the root systems indicating that the nitrogen fixing was taking place. Is that something they do later in life? Or perhaps should I try using some commercial inoculants prior to planting? If they are not fixing the nitrogen is there any point in using them in this manner?

I tried calling my local extension office, but I have yet to get a call back. I just like the idea of a low-maintenance crop that helps the soils during the time of year that I hate being outside quite honestly. Anyone have any idea if this could be a viable way to improve the soil in my garden?

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10 years ago
Basically, it's a waste of time. You won't get enough nitrogen to be worth the energy it takes to collect the seeds and scarify them for sprouting. If you just scatter them they won't sprout for years.

What your vegetables need is planting on the Phoenix AZ planting calendar - not the seed company's - drip irrigation, and thick mulch (6 inches of shredded palo verde and mesquite branches) to help retain soil moisture.

I took my dirt patch from digging holes with a pickaxe to being able to dig anywhere in the bed with a trowel with just thick mulch, semi-finished compost, and drip irrigation.

If you want to improve the soil, plant okra. It loves the heat, has deep spreading roots, and it's edible. After the plants stop producing, cut them off at ground level and leave the roots to rot.

You can even use okra to shade other vegetables, such as chilis, that prefer afternoon shade. Plant the okra along the south and west of the bed and the less sun loving plants on the NW side of the okra.

Try the AZ forum for help with our specific arid alkaline dirt problems and hot growing conditions.

Here is a link that might be useful: Maricopa County veggie guide
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