Three pictures of my Moringa Tree. These trees could rival bamboo as for fast
growth. If I could get them to germinate more easily I could easily
have a great screen of Moringas. The first picture was the seedling
this Spring. This picture was taken today. Next to a three year pome-
granate it is stretching up and starting to look down on them.

I am posting two photo's for comparison of the bamboo planted by the chicken
yard. The bottom picture is this Spring and the top picture is as it is today.
I planted 4 plants last year in the late summer and this is how they have
filled out and grown tall. The bamboo makes wonderful screens. I have not
trimmed out last years growth as you can see the brown. If it is kept prunned
it stays green and beautiful. It is edible, and has many uses. I'm currently
making fireplace bundles of 18" pieces of dried bamboo and wrapping them
in freebee newspapers. I bind them with a small piece of florests wire.
I haven't tried these as yet but I'm hoping that they will give me a bit of
warmth and cheer on cold mornings and evenings this winter and supplement
the other wood I have.

I have planted a 100' row of bamboo along the property line where I have
new neighbors and they are building some very large buildings. Hopefully
in a year it will be tall and providing the screen necessary for privacy.

Tree Economy

We're facing troubled times. People are worrying about finances. Over the past years I have been investing in trees. Food bearing trees and foraging trees for the animals. Recently I was sick with pnuemonia and I found it very hard to water my trees so I had to hire someone to water. I am now investing in soaker hoses to make it easier just in case.

Think about the benefits trees give us, especially the food bearing ones. Yesterday I ate a few almonds from my new almond trees, last week I ate a pomegranite from the bushes I planted two years ago. I'm making fireplace logs from my harvested bamboo and tree trimmings. I've eaten Indian figs, regular figs, plums and apricots this year from my plantings. Each year these plantings will produce more and supply more mulch. I went to my favorite restaurant for a day off, Luchias, there are pictures farther down in my blog, and I gathered mesquite seeds and palo verde seeds that I scattered in the back open desert. Perhaps they will grow and produce a crop of good seeds that are edible. Each day I am now eating a leaf or two of my young Moringa trees. These are high in protein, calcium, vitamin A, Potasium and other vital minerals. Hopefully next year I will have the beans and seeds from these trees.

If you have space for just one or two trees make them food bearing trees. I remember as a child making apricot jam every year from an apricot tree in our backyard and eating the wonderful sweet orange fruits fresh. The leaves went into compost and made a good garden. With the stock market going like crazy, an investment in food bearing trees makes sense to me.