2024 summer rain volumes in Dunbar/Spring neighborhood
2.25″ on 6-22-24,
0.20″ on 6-23-24,
0.15″ on 6-28-24,
0.04″ on 7-2-24,
0.32″ on 7-11-24,
1.40″ on 7-14-24,
0.04″ on 7-16-24,
0.15″ on 7-18-24,
0.05″ on 7-20-24,
Total thus far 4.6 inches
Did you catch that rain or lose it?
For a great study on how much more rain you and your plants get when you have passive water-harvesting earthworks or rain gardens see:
https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/2022/11/new-study-finds-the-pooling-effect-of-rain-garden-topography-essential-to-drought-proofing-water-conserving-water-harvesting-landscapes/
For a video on the effectiveness of such water harvesting see
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUSm5ng2Hdk&t=191s
Storm damage
On 7-14-24 we had a violent storm with 70 to 80 mile per hour winds and quarter-sized hail, plus 1.40 inches of rain within about an hour.
A large number of non-native and hybrid trees blew down in the storm.
Some of the most commonly blown over trees include:
Hybrid south american mesquite trees
Mexican palo verde trees
Desert museum palo verde trees (a hybrid of Mexican and blue palo verde trees)
Tamarisk trees
I saw only a few native trees that blew over in the storm, of these the most common was the blue palo verde tree.
How to avoid storm damage
Well done passive water-harvesting, irrigation, and planting strategies significantly improve your trees’ hardiness in storms by encouraging roots to grow wide and deep.
For more on recommended strategies, and what to avoid, see the vegetation chapter of the full color edition of Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Volume 2, 2nd Edition which you can buy direct from me, the author, at deep discount at
https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/product/rainwater-harvesting-for-drylands-and-beyond-volume-2-3rd-edition-new-2019/
For recommended tree list for Tucson, Arizona and Sonora desert see
https://dunbarspringneighborhoodforesters.org/plant-resources/recommended-native-tree-understory-plant-lists/
Storm damage clean up
We in the Dunbar/Spring neighborhood are lucky in that Brush & Bulky pick up of prunings and such is scheduled for our neighborhood July 22 (but the pick up sometimes occurs a few days late).
So get your storm damage – pieces no longer than 5 feet long – on the street curb for pick up NOW!
Be sure to clear all public pathways to a minimum clearance of at 7 foot height and 5 foot width, so people of all heights, widths, and ages are comfortable to walk side by side within our communal neighborhood forests.
See here for photos and story on past public path way clearings in the neighborhood, and how to nudge neighbors blocking public pathways to do their part and clear the pathway.
Want to help neighbors help neighbors with storm damage clean up and public pathway clearing?
Email us at NeighborhoodForesters@gmail.com.
We’ll be doing more of such work this morning.
Sign up for our next planting of rain, trees, and understory plants in our neighborhood’s public rights-of-ways
https://dunbarspringneighborhoodforesters.org/event/deadline-to-sign-up-for-installation-of-rain-gardens-and-plantings-with-the-29th-annual-dunbar-spring-6th-annual-west-university-neighborhood-rain-tree-native-food-forest-planting-tu/
We plan to have a hands-on pruning workshop in September.
Check our Events page in the coming weeks for more details.
If you are in another neighborhood, remember you are always welcome to Dunbar/Spring Neighborhood Foresters events and work parties. And consider starting your own neighborhood foresters group.
– Brad Lancaster
DunbarSpringNeighborhoodForesters.org