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2024 November Preparedness – Storage & Fruit Trees
Hello Gilbert Stake!
November 2024 is here. Along with our winter gardens, trees are another consideration. Citrus trees and several varieties of fruit trees will grow in our area. And, in case your were wondering, we live in planting zone 9b. If you don’t know what a planting zone is, this explanation is from Moon Valley Nursery’s website:
“The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is a useful tool that provides information about the climatic conditions in different regions of the United States. The map is based on average annual minimum temperatures and divides the country into 13 different zones, each with a unique set of temperature ranges.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is essential for those who want to select the appropriate plants for their location. Each zone is assigned a number, from 1 to 13, with Zone 1 being the coldest and Zone 13 being the warmest. Plants are labeled with their corresponding hardiness zone, indicating the minimum temperature they can tolerate.”
Knowing the planting zone is important if you want to be successful in growing fruit trees. Attached is a guide for the varieties rated for our area. There are several varieties not listed in the list, but if your local nursery is selling them, they should be fine. We have a couple of tangerine trees, orange trees, and a grapefruit that have done very well for many years.
Here is a link again, for the planting guide for Maricopa County:
Vegetable Planting Calendar for Maricopa County (arizona.edu)
Here’s a thought from Elder D. Todd Christofferson from our last General Conference:
In the end, burying our weapons of rebellion against God simply means yielding to the enticing of the Holy Spirit, putting off the natural man, and becoming “a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord.” It means putting the first commandment first in our lives. It means letting God prevail. If our love of God and our determination to serve Him with all our might, mind, and strength become the touchstone by which we judge all things and make all our decisions, we will have buried our weapons of rebellion. By the grace of Christ, God will forgive our sins and rebellions of the past and will take away the stain of those sins and rebellions from our hearts. In time, He will even take away any desire for evil, as He did with those Lamanite converts of the past. Thereafter, we too “never [will] fall away.”
Burying our weapons of rebellion leads to a unique joy. With all who have ever become converted to the Lord, we are “brought to sing [the song of] redeeming love.” Our Heavenly Father and His Son, our Redeemer, have confirmed Their unending commitment to our ultimate happiness through the most profound love and sacrifice. We experience Their love daily. Surely we can reciprocate with our own love and loyalty. May we bury—very, very deep—any element of rebellion against God in our lives and replace it with a willing heart and a willing mind. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Burying Our Weapons of Rebellion
To help in your quest to follow the Prophets council, here are suggestions to help build your storage in November:
Week 1: Vitamins & Minerals: Get extra C, B complex, calcium, vitamin D and E< & iron. Multi-vitamins are great, too..
Week 2: Treat for baking! Cocoa, nuts, coconut, butter, chocolate chips, etc. Watch for sales on sugar (tis the season, holiday baking brings good sales).
Week 3: Rolled oats, corn meal, cream of wheat, instant oatmeal. Stock up on boxed cereal too!
Week 4: Emergency auto Kits! Update it or make one, remember food, water, night & warmth along with car repair items.
AND… since we missed last month, here is the list for October:
Week 1: 72 Hour Kit Week. Start it, update it, or complete it…just do something. Be sure to check clothing sizes.
Week 2: Wraps & bags…aluminum foil, garbage bags with twist ties, freezer bags, saran wrap, wax paper, etc.
Week 3: Do something with those apples! Pie filling, applesauce, juice, apple butter, jam and jelly, or dehydrate.
Week 4: Stock up on vinegar, powdered eggs & powdered cheese.
May the Lord bless you in your endeavors to increase your personal spirituality and live providently.
Need help with any or all of these topics, no problem. Just reach out to your ward’s Preparedness Specialist. If you ward does not have a specialist, contact your ward Elders Quorum President and/or your Relief society President.
Citrus Fruit
Zone 9 is a marginal climate for citrus, as an unexpected cold snap will put an end to many, including grapefruit and most limes. However, there are a number of cold hardy citrus trees from which to choose, including the following:
- Owardi satsuma mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata ‘Owari’)
- Calamondin (Citrus mitis)
- Meyer lemon (Citrus x meyeri)
- Marumi kumquat (Citrus japonica ‘Marumi’)
- Trifoliate orange (Citrus trifoliata)
- Giant pummelo (Citrus pummel)
- Sweet Clementine (Citrus reticulata ‘Clementine’)
Tropical Fruits
Zone 9 is a bit too chilly for mango and papaya, but several tropical fruits are hardy enough to tolerate the area’s cool temperatures. Consider the following choices:
- Avocado (Persea americana)
- Starfruit (Averrhoa carambola)
- Passionfruit (Passiflora edulis)
- Asian guava (Psidium guajava)
- Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa)
Other Fruits
Zone 9 fruit tree varieties also include several hardy varieties of apples, apricots, peaches, and other orchard favorites. The following have been bred to thrive without long chilling periods: Apples
- Flora Gold (Prunus armeniaca ‘Flora Gold’)
- Tilton (Prunus armeniaca ‘Tilton’)
- Golden Amber (Prunus armeniaca ‘Golden Amber’)
- Craig’s Crimson (Prunus aviam ‘Craig’s Crimson’)
- English Morello sour cherry (Prunus cerasus ‘English Morello’)
- Lambert cherry (Prunus aviam ‘Lambert’)
- Utah Giant (Prunus aviam ‘Utah Giant’)
- Chicago Hardy (Ficus carica ‘Chicago Hardy’)
- Celeste (Ficus carica ‘Celeste’)
- English Brown Turkey (Ficus carica ‘Brown Turkey’)
- Desert Delight (Prunus persica ‘Desert Delight’)
- Sun Grand (Prunus persica ‘Sun Grand’)
- Silver Lode (Prunus persica ‘Silver Lode’)
- Warren (Pyrus communis ‘Warren’)
- Harrow Delight (Pyrus communis ‘Harrow Delight’)
- Burgundy Japanese (Prunus salicina ‘Burgundy’)
- Santa Rosa (Prunus salicina ‘Santa Rosa’)
Hardy Kiwi Unlike regular kiwi, hardy kiwi is a remarkably tough plant that produces clusters of small, tangy fruits not much larger than grapes. Suitable varieties include:
- Hardy red kiwi (Actinidia purpurea ‘Hardy Red’)
- Issai (Actinidia ‘Issai’)
Olives – Olive trees generally require warmer climates, but several are well-suited for zone 9 gardens.
- Mission (Olea europaea ‘Mission’)
- Barouni (Olea europaea ‘Barouni’)
- Picual (Olea europaea ‘Picual’)
- Maurino (Olea europaea ‘Maurino’)
Information retrieved online from: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/gardening-by-zone/zone-9-10-11/growing-fruit-trees-in-zone-9.htm