5 Ways To Make Your Desert Yard More “Sustainable” Print

Rosie talks about the stars and the sky with the pro who knows.  Dr. Sky

Dr. Sky answers the question, how big is the sky?

Einstein said that you really can't go faster than the speed of light.

The Arizona Sky is a treasue chest of stars and planets at night.

The bluer the star tends to be younger and hotter.  

Fountain Hills has been deemed another Dark Sky City.

Dr. Sky discusses the public events he hosts to experience the night time sky.

Dolly Steamboat Astronomy Cruise With Dr. Sky

 Discussion of an early morning eclipse in a few days and what to look for.

Its a Full Super, Blue, Blood Moon all at once.

Explains why the moon looks totally red during an eclipse.

This is the year for MARS!  It will be the closest to Earth.  With a telescope you can see many surface features.

Mars has a surface area called 'Tempe'!

Talked about a recent Space X launch seen from Phoenix.

Recent flaming object over Detroit called a 'bolide' caused a minor earthquake.

Wraping up our discussion with Dr. Sky & more on our Rosie On The House Sanderson Ford Staycation.  Register HERE.

Greg Peterson of Urban Farm talks about 'urban orcharding'.  Growing fruit trees in your yard!

Keep your fruit trees small.  8-10 feet tall.  Use 'tulle' fabric to keep the birds off.

Successive Riping:  Fruit trees that ripen in order.  

Stone fruits are fruit that have pits.   Deciduous trees lose their leaves annually.

Planting trees in a hedgerow!

3 things you DON'T do growing fruit trees:

1)  Don't plant them in a microclimate where its too hot.  No gravel or rocks.

2)  Don't plant them in grass.  Grass tends to soak up more water.

3)  Don't put your tree on drip irrigation.

Greg's 'Six Six Rule' for planting tree:  Six feet diameter basin, six inches of woody mulch!

Making healthy soil for growing better plants and trees.

Explains why drip irrigation isn't good and what to do about it.  Deep watering the tree is important.  Using a 'bubbler' is the way to go.

What to put in your hole for healthy soil:  60% organic matter and 40% native soil.  

What to plant that works in our desert:  Apples, grapes, peaches, and more. 

What doesn't grow well:  Cherries, pears, avacados.

Get more info on deciduous trees and more on our BLOG

3 things to do growing fruit trees:

1)  Avoid getting your fruit trees at a big box store.  Look for 'low chill' trees.

2)  Make sure the root stocks are ones that grow in the desert.

3)  Get the fruit harvested at the right time before it gets too hot.

Rosie and Jennifer traveled to Washington DC and talk about their visit to some classic and historic homes and buildings.  Some dating back over 270 years.

CALLER: Rosie helps a lady with her garage door which is not working properly.  Opens from inside the garage fine, but not from the outside or remote fob.

Mention:  A Authentic Garage Door Service

Rosie mentions the very first Certified Partner who joined.

CALLER:  Tile floor in the shower has some discoloration.  Wants suggestions how to clean it.

CALLER:  Has a gap in a corner wall in a bedroom that looks like it was fixed with silicon.  Had his foundation checked and its fine.  

CALLER:  Wanted an update on possible rehearing of the APS rate increase.

Rosie congratulates Certified Partner West Coast Roofing In Tucson on their 10th Anniversary!!!!!

CALLER:  Has solar panels installed on her home.  Power bills are still rather high and hasn't seen the benefit of solar.  

Update on another Rosie On The House Sanderson Ford Staycation!

Rosie explains why he doesn't take the Rosie On The House Show national.  Differences between the Arizona homes he has remodeled and the homes he's seen in other parts of the country.

Don't confuse the APS rate increase and the corporate tax break.  Two separate issues.

Follow along with Rosie as he gives you 5 Ways To Make Your Desert Yard More Sustainable.

CALLER:  Has concrete stained cement floors and wants to install tile over it.  Can it be done?

CALLER:  Has a critter problem.  Artificial turf in the yard has areas that feel burrowed underneath.  Looking for a solution.

More on ways to make your landscape sustainable.  Including some rules on saugaro and barrel cactus'.   Some are protected by state law.

CALLER:  Talks about another technique based on super cooling called 'pre-cooling'.  One of the developing techniques on cooling homes efficiently. 

Including Rosie's take on a technology about hydraulic lines from the ground thru the house that keeps your house around 72 degrees.

CALLER:  Wife wants to seal the house to keep bugs out.  Rosie explains sealing is not a good idea, but gives suggestion on what can work.

See the Rosie On The House Home Maintenance Calendar.  Lots of information month to month.  

Check out our BLOG for everything we talked about in the month of January regarding your outdoor living space.  

Rosie talks about rain harvesting and why we don't see a lot of it in the desert.

Watershed Management Group for details on rain harvesting.