Channel Title: Enlightenment Garden Channel Description: This channel captures my journey of creating an urban edible landscape or food forest out of my 1/2 acre backyard in the Phoenix, Arizona area (zone 9B) in the US. I'm growing over 100 edible and medicinal trees (tropical, subtropical, stone fruit trees) along with clumping bamboo, plumeria, and roses. I'm also a fig addict and have trialed over 80 varieties. This channel is for fellow gardeners in a similar hot desert climate who want to grow a garden and produce their own food. It offers tours, plant highlights, and instructional videos. For a list of plants I am growing, when I planted and where I purchased it from as well as my plant failure list, click the linked "plant" list. <video> Emitter Types and Maintaining Landscape Irrigation Description: The most asked questions on my channel are about my irrigation system. While I have been successfully using polytube to direct water to my plants, the style of emitters has evolved over time and differs based on plant. In this video I share what I’m using currently and their advantages and disadvantages. I also share with you what tools and materials you will need to have on hand to make DIY repairs to a drip system like I have. I also demonstrate how easy it is to make a repair like a leak in the main line or changing out an emitter. My Irrigation Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsqSEUyMFGjTgdLOngYGTJAhf5sjfzVtk Drip Depot is where I primarily purchase all my irrigation supplies: https://www.dripdepot.com/ This is an excellent video from @HomesteadandChill that goes into detail on how to set up an irrigation system from scratch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpepVAi1YkA Check out @edibles_and_exotics: https://www.youtube.com/@UCfXQjLj-J9lAhXRJ56C7VIw Spectrum Sprayer 360 degree on 5” stake - https://www.dripworks.com/spectrum-sprayer Bowsmith Non-Clog Dripper 2GPH - https://www.dripdepot.com/item/bowsmith-non-clog-dripper-flow-rate-2-0-gph Pro Punch - 1/4 Inch Hole - https://www.dripdepot.com/pro-punch-quarter-inch-hole 1/4 Inch Polyethylene Tubing - https://www.dripdepot.com/polyethylene-tubing-size-quarter-inch-0-170-inch-inside-diameter-by-0-250-inch-od-length-50-feet 1/2 Inch Main Line Polyethylene Tubing - https://www.dripdepot.com/polyethylene-tubing-size-half-inch-0-600-inch-inside-diameter-by-0-700-inch-od-length-100-feet Irritec Perma-Loc Tubing Fittings - https://www.dripdepot.com/irrigation-supplies-fittings Primerus Spot-Spitters Regular - https://www.dripdepot.com/primerus-spot-spitters-regular 1/8 Inch Punch - https://www.dripdepot.com/eigth-inch-punch 1/8 Inch Polyethylene Tubing - https://www.dripdepot.com/polyethylene-tubing-size-eigth-inch-0-125-inch-inside-diameter-by-0-185-inch-od-length-100-feet </video> <video> What's Ripening in November and December | Fruit in the Home Orchard Description: A look at the food/fruit I can harvest in my backyard orchard/food forest near Phoenix, AZ in November/December. 1. Pomegranate (Azadi and many others) 2. Barbados Cherry / acerola (FL Sweet) 3. Figs (many varieties!) 4. Mandarin (Gold Nugget) 5. Tangerine (Dancy) 6. Olive (Arbequina) 7. Lemon (Eureka) 8. Grapefruit (Rio Red) 9. Quince (Smyrna) 10. White Sapote (Suebelle) 11. Lime (Key) Kikhope Fruit Protection Bags, 14"x10" Fruit Netting Bags - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09CKHVGDP/ </video> <video> Clumping Bamboo Failure | Removal Description: Part of life is making mistakes and learning from it. In this video I am sharing how I am correcting an old mistake in my Arizona desert garden where I did not do my research upfront and planted a clumping bamboo variety (Buddha Belly standard) that would grow WAY too big for the planting space and also did not contain the roots. This video shows you the best way to remove a mature clump of bamboo on a homeowner DIY level with minimal tools (trenching shovel and reciprocating saw) and some muscle. Freud Diablo 12" Carbide Pruning Reciprocating Blades: https://www.amazon.com/Freud-DS1203CP3-Carbide-Pruning-Reciprocating/dp/B073WKWJ1R </video> <video> What's Ripening in October Description: A look at what I can harvest in my backyard orchard/food forest near Phoenix, AZ in October. 1. Figs 2. Kumquat (Nagami) 3. Lemon (Variegated Pink) 4. Olive (Arbequina) 5. White Sapote (Suebelle) 6. Lime (Key) 7. Sapodilla (Molix) 8. Asian Pear (Tennosui) 9. Barbados Cherry / acerola (FL Sweet) </video> <video> Ancient Medicinal Tree you Should be Growing | Frankincense Description: Boswellia sacra is a small tree that grows up to 20 feet tall, distinguished by peeling, papery bark prized throughout history for aromatic resin that exudes when the bark is cut. It is native to Ethiopia and Somalia in eastern Africa and to Oman and Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula. Natural frankincense forests are in decline due to over-tapping and are of near-threatened status. While it grows best in warm frost-free climates, frankincense can be grown anywhere in containers and brought inside to protect it from freezing temperatures. Frankincense has been used for thousands of years as a source of incense. Its value as incense and healing properties (most notably anti-inflammatory) have contributed to the demand for the resin. Coupled with its limited availability, frankincense resin commands high prices. It is rare to find frankincense trees outside of their native climate; however, I have been growing the sacred frankincense variety, Boswellia sacra, over the past 10+ years. I also grow b. neglecta in my central Arizona backyard in the US near Phoenix in zone 9B. This video goes through the history of frankincense, its uses, how the resin is extracted, how to grow the plant, how it is propagated, and seeing 4 examples. I highly encourage growing this amazing plant no matter where in the world you live to reap its health benefits, enjoy its rich history, and help prevent this plant from becoming extinct. Miniatree for seeds: https://www.facebook.com/p/Miniatree-Garden-100057144442818/ Cultivation of Boswellia by Jason Eslamieh - https://www.amazon.com/Cultivation-Boswellia-Jason-Eslamieh/dp/0982875118 Frankincense playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsqSEUyMFGjTPJzLXcZiDAm054OuEBao6 </video> <video> Tour a Rare and Exotic Tropical Fruiting Garden in the Desert Description: My yard proves you do not need to be on a flood-irrigated property to have a productive and beautiful edible subtropical landscape in the desert. I live in a typical HOA but was not interested in installing a concrete jungle like my neighbors. With inspiration from other gardeners, hard work, and a lot of love, my tropical backyard food forest / edible garden / fruit orchard / desert oasis was started in 2016 in the Phoenix Arizona metro. Our temps range from as cold as 25F in winter to as high as 120F in summer with low humidity most of the year. While I do not offer in-person tours of my backyard, this video gives you an in-depth virtual tour of my entire collection of rare and exotic fruit trees and plants (100s) growing at year 8. Enjoy and keep growing! This is a list of all my plants growing: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BeyC1NwMzLaGeD2JSfAWIxAxxzEoc0IVFXF0PQzrsNs/edit?usp=sharing Apple Apricot Aprium Atemoya Avocado bamboo (clumping) Banana Barbados Cherry / Acerola Blackberry Blueberry Curry Leaf - Murraya koenigii Eugenia repanda Eugenia Sello / pitangatuba Fig Frankincense Garcinia livingstonei (African mangosteen) Guaburiti (Plinia rivularis) Guava - tropical pink and white, pineapple Ice Cream Bean (Inga edulis) Jaboticaba (red , white, yellow and black) Kumquat Lemon Lime Longan Loquat Lychee Mandarin Mango Mangosteen Mexican Sunflower (tithonia diversifolia) Moringa Mulberry Olive Orange Peach Peanut butter fruit Pear Asian Plumeria Pomegranate Quince Roses Royal Poinciana Sapodilla Sapote Black - Diospyros digyna Sapote White - Casimiroa edulis Starfruit Strawberry tree - (Muntingia calabura) yellow Surinam cherry / Eugenia uniflora Sweet Almond Tangerine Turk's Cap Hibiscus Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) </video> <video> Fertilizing 100 Plants and Fruit Trees | Subtropical Food Forest in Desert Description: I live in a harsh 9B desert climate and am pushing the limits with the 100+ plants I grow (subtropical fruit trees, deciduous fruit trees, flowering and ornamental). In this video, I share the fertilizers (synthetic and organic) I currently use to help my plants grow and support delicious fruit during the year. Fertilizers come in different forms; deciding what to use and when can be overwhelming. I share the fertilizers applied, their NPK ratio, the plants I apply them to, and how often. MySoil - Soil Test Kit (mail in samples) - https://www.amazon.com/MySoil-Soil-Provides-Complete-Nutrient-Recommendations/dp/B084TSNR79 Lamotte Soil Test Kit for NPK and pH (at-home) - https://www.amazon.com/Lamotte-Model-El-Garden-5679-01/dp/B00DBSY6B2 </video> <video> Step-by-Step Guide to Grow a Mango Tree from Seed Description: Just ate the most incredible mango and want to grow your own mango tree? All you need are a few tips, materials, and steps. This video gives a step-by-step guide from removing the husk to planting, environment, and location. I also show examples of monoembryonic and polyembryonic seeds. The shop I bought a fresh box of mangos from: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FruitFarmacy The ebay store I purchased most of my mango seedlings from: https://www.ebay.com/usr/cocotropics239 ***Note**** Monoembryonic seeds are not true to their parent. If you grow one of these varieties, you will be growing a brand-new variety. How awesome is that! Polyembryonic seeds are also not guaranteed to be true to their parent but can produce multiple shoots that have better odds of being true to the parent. All of this goes out the window when you consider cross-pollination. If another variety cross-pollinated the flower that turned into the fruit that you ate, that seed has great odds of being different, even if the parent was polyembryonic. In summary, if you want a guaranteed variety, go get a scion from the variety you want and graft or get an already grafted plant. If you are more adventurous, plant a seed and enjoy the surprise when it fruits in 5-6 years. In my opinion, you cannot go wrong with a seedling as it will do better in the ground in non-ideal climates and conditions (such as Phoenix, Arizona) and can serve as rootstock for known varieties if you end up disliking the fruit it bears. </video> <video> Easiest Way to Prepare and Preserve Quince Description: The secret to easily preparing quince for preservation is to partially bake it first. Here I show you the easiest way to make quince pie filling for freezing so you can use it later in a delicious pie, turnover or other baked good. </video> <video> Merry Christmas from Enlightenment Garden Description: Every day I am thankful to be able to eat fresh vegetables and fruit from my Arizona garden. My pets, like my two hens in this video, love the garden produce also. Merry Christmas and wishing you an abundant 2025! </video> <video> Tasting Coll de Dama Gegantina Fig in a Desert Climate Description: It's Halloween today but this is my treat straight from my yard. Here is an 8-month update on a grafted self-fertile Spanish fig variety I am growing in my backyard orchard near Phoenix AZ. This variety is my favorite tasting fig at the moment. Rich and delicious in every way. It's a winner and has earned a place at the top of my permanent fig collection! </video> <video> Tasting Valencia Pride, Maha Chanok, Cotton Candy, Sweet Tart, Cac and Mallika Description: The mango tastings continue at Enlightenment Garden with these mostly mid-season premium varieties: Valencia Pride, Maha Chanok, Cotton Candy, and Sweet Tart (ordered from FruitFarmacy on Etsy) Cac, Mallika (gifted by my friend John) https://www.etsy.com/shop/FruitFarmacy In this video, I share some basic information about these mango varieties and share my impressions of the flavor characteristics and texture. </video> <video> Planting Young Mexicola Grande Avocado Tree on a Mound | Strategies for Heavy Clay Soil Description: Have clay soil? Avocado trees tend to have difficulty growing in heavy clay soils due to their unique need for high oxygen levels and susceptibility to root rot. Planting on a mound can significantly help the health and growth of many fruit trees, especially avocado plants, by providing better drainage. Arizona is not the only area in the US with heavy clay. Avocado farms in California face the same issue and practice planting on a mound. In this detailed video, I explain the issues with clay soil, the benefits of planting higher off the ground, the items I use to build the mound (peat moss, sand / decomposed granite, and volcanic rock) as well as important additives like gypsum and mycorrhiza. I demonstrate planting a young Mexicola Grande avocado plant I recently received from Four Winds Growers in California. Four Winds Growers https://www.fourwindsgrowers.com/collections/avocado-trees Amendments peat - 1/3 https://www.lowes.com/pd/Premier-Premier-Peat-Moss-3-cu-ft-Organic-Peat-Moss-Moisture-Control/3138855 decomposed granite - 1/3 https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vigoro-0-5-cu-ft-Bagged-Decomposed-Granite-Brown-Decorative-Landscape-Rock-R1DCG14D/206197116 all-purpose sand (an alternative to decomposed granite) https://www.lowes.com/pd/0-5-cu-ft-40-lb-Brown-Pebbles-Landscaping-Rock-for-Decorative-and-Construction-Applications/3685040 Perlite ( type of volcanic rock) - 1/3 https://www.amazon.com/Supreme-Horticulture-Coarse-Grade-Perlite/dp/B08DZWC2J2 Gypsum granules - https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Gypsum-Dihydrate-Amendment-Fertilizer/dp/B09RN41JZJ/ Mycorrhizal Inoculant - https://www.amazon.com/Xtreme-Gardening-RT4402-Mykos-2-2-Pound/dp/B003STB5N6 </video> <video> Ultra High Density Mango Experiment Update - 9B Arizona Desert Description: Mango trees are not commonly grown in my hot desert climate but are one of my favorite fruits and one I have always wanted to successfully grow and fruit. Mango trees can be challenging to grow in non-tropical climates (like arid deserts) if these elements are overlooked: rootstock vs soil structure, irrigation, and sunlight exposure. I’ve had failures over the years but have learned lessons and am now seeing positive results. I would like to see more home gardeners in a similar harsh climate avoid the challenges I faced earlier and succeed. I am excited to share an update to the video, New High-Density Mango Seedling Area - AZ 9B from 2 years ago (linked below) of a 100 square-foot planting of mango seedlings in my non-ideal Phoenix Arizona area (one 9B) yard. It also shows progress from the expanded varieties planted in 2023 and 2024. Check out the progress and learn more about this young seedling experiment. https://youtu.be/QBinIVUSv4M My mango playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsqSEUyMFGjSu5nYxnQAKnjxnSh7xaVx5 Tropical Acres sells scions, plants, and mango fruit boxes seasonally - https://www.tropicalacresfarms.com/ eBay seller I purchased many seedling mangos from: https://www.ebay.com/usr/cocotropics239 Mango grafted - Carrie Mango grafted - Kesar Mango grafted - Mahachanok Mango grafted - Nam Doc Mai Mango grafted - Triple Sec/Seacrest Mango seedling - Cac Mango seedling - Coconut Cream Mango seedling - Cotton Candy Mango seedling - Fruit Punch (mono) Mango seedling - Keow Savoy Mango seedling - Lemon Meringue Mango seedling - Lemon Zest Mango seedling - Okrung Tong Mango seedling - Piña Colada Mango seedling - Sinclair/Creamsickle (mono) Mango seedling - Sweet Tart Mango seedling- Manila Mango seedling - Mallika (mono) Mango seedling- Madame Francis Mango seedling - Super Julie (mono) Mango seedling - Venus (mono) </video> <video> Food Forest / Garden Tour in the Arizona Desert After Record-Breaking Summer Description: 30 miles west of Phoenix Arizona (Sonoran desert), I am growing a garden / food forest with 100s of plants (flowering and edible) and trees (ornamental, medicinal deciduous fruit and sub-tropical fruit). It was first started 8 years ago in 2016. While it’s officially fall, it does not feel like it here. The Phoenix metropolitan is experiencing extremely high temperatures around and at times exceeding 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Summer 2024 has brought another record year of heat to the Valley of the Sun. Beyond that, we had drought conditions. Less than 1 inch of rain fell in 2024 in my area. How did the garden survive this summer? In this video, I show aerial footage of my garden and a walking highlight of lessons learned, surprises, and new landscape DIY projects completed this year. Related videos Shade structure build - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oGvSV1nqqs Irrigation - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsqSEUyMFGjTgdLOngYGTJAhf5sjfzVtk Loquat planting - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdwkyW1t_Fc Roots Invading Vegetable Bed - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ucMwBP0kig Products Aluminet shade cloth - https://www.greenhousemegastore.com/collections/shade-cloth/products/70-aluminet-shade-cloth-grommeted-panel?variant=42701343326407 Vita Florence Garden Arbor - https://www.wayfair.com/outdoor/pdp/vita-white-vinyl-arbor-zne1032.html Frames 1 in. x 10 ft. Electric Metallic Tube (EMT) Conduit 1" Flat Roof Corner(F3) - https://canopiesandtarps.com/ff3acc.html 4” x 1” snap clamps - https://www.greenhousemegastore.com/products/snap-clamps Galvanized 16 Inch 8 Pack Rebar Stakes - https://www.amazon.com/FEED-GARDEN-Galvanized-Stakes-Anchors/dp/B085SZXSJT 3/4 in. x 10 ft. Electric Metallic Tube (EMT) Conduit 3/4" Flat Roof Corner(F3) - https://canopiesandtarps.com/ff3acc.html Snap On Clamps, 3/4 inch 10 pack - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BJ1G6KC/ref=twister_B071JSZ5GP Rebar-Stakes-12-Inch-Galvanized J- https://www.amazon.com/Rebar-Stakes-12-Inch-Galvanized-Anchors-Anti-Rust-Landscape-Artificial/dp/B0C178K9GW </video>

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This channel captures my journey of creating an urban edible landscape or food forest out of my 1/2 acre backyard in the Phoenix, Arizona area (zone 9B) in the US. I'm growing over 100 edible and medicinal trees (tropical, subtropical, stone fruit trees) along with clumping bamboo, plumeria, and roses. I'm also a fig addict and have trialed over 80 varieties. This channel is for fellow gardeners in a similar hot desert climate who want to grow a garden and produce their own food. It offers tours, plant highlights, and instructional videos. For a list of plants I am growing, when I planted and where I purchased it from as well as my plant failure list, click the linked "plant" list.

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