I know nothing of zone 9 where ever you may be in it, but your young plants ( bare root I assume ) are going to put there energy into root growth the first year so you may get very little top growth! not to worry, if healthy and not over or under watered should take off next year. I think the shade idea is a great one! go for it... I also know nothing about Spray N Grow, so its up to you weather to use it or not.What you need to concentrate on is getting them through the summer so the shade is a great idea, make sure they get enough water but not over watered and pray to the Fruit gods that they may bless your young plants and I wish you much success and luck.

Hi Mudflapper,

I live in Phoenix, Arizona. I will definitely take ur advice and set the shade up this weekend. I think I will conentrate more in root development.

Just today I saw that there r some small, white, live worms in the cow manure. The earthworms too have started. Is this good or bad for my plants (fruit plants). I am worried. Do u think I should remove the cow manure and use the regular mulch?

I water my plants everyday as the temperature is above 100 these days.

Padma

Since the cow pie is not composted, yes! get rid of it. Earthworms = good, worms in cow pie; hard to say what they are with out a picture but there presents indicates uncomposted. regular mulch = good, shade in those temps very good. a moisture meter is very helpful but at the temps you are having I doubt you are over watering but you just never know.

Yesterday when I saw the worms, I turned the manure over. The heat just killed the worms. The worms are 1 cm in length. They look like maggots. now that i write about it i think i am seeing some houseflies these days in the yard. Could u suggest some spray to destroy the maggots and not kill the plant?
Padma

I suspected maggots, but couldn't be sure until now. Get rid of the manure! then you need not worry about harming your tree with any spray; fly maggots won't harm your tree in any way, they are just a bother, raw manure could burn young roots and I doubt you could afford to loose any root formation at this point.

Hi Mudflapper,

Thanks a lot for ur advice. I got rid of the manure and am using the regular mulch. I am sure my plants will feel better without the bothering maggots. Am going to put the shade up today. As soon as I get some pics of my garden I will put them up.
I have seen in another link that u have many fruit plants. Do you by anychance know how long it takes for a Sugarapple seedling to fruit? My sugarapple plnat is a year old seedling, I think. Also how long it takes for a Jackfruit seedling to fruit? Jackfruit seeds I put in just a month ago and they have started to sprout (3-4 inches).
Padma

Sorry, but it's too cold here for me to grow these tropical fruit; so I have no clue, perhaps if you post in Fruit and Orchard, someone will know.

Padma -
"how long it takes for a Sugarapple seedling to fruit?" If you can keep it alive through the winters, 3 to four years.
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Annonaceae/Annona_squamosa.html

"Also how long it takes for a Jackfruit seedling to fruit?" 3 to four years, if it survives the winters.
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Moraceae/Artocarpus_heterophyllus.html

They may not survive long enough in Phoenix to set fruit. We are in a "sub-tropical desert", not a true tropical climate. It gets too cold in the winter for most real tropical plants, and too hot and/or dry in the summers for others.

Check the Desert Tropicals site before you start ordering things from the internet, and talk to that nursery on Baseline road - he's really good about what has a chance here versus what's doomed.

Here is a link that might be useful: Desert Tropicals website

Hi Lazygardens,

Unfortunately, i did not google before ordering the plants... :(

But some time back I went to meet the guy on Baseline/24 street (Alex) He said that everything generally fruits here. But we need to have the correct water and soil for it. So I am trying to follow it to my best.

One small satisfaction that I have is that my plants did not grow but they have also not lost any leaves. Just this week I noticed new leaf growth, so hopefully the root is being established. (keeping my fingers crossed.. :) :)

Padma