Desalination

Desalination, also called desalinization, is the removal of salt from seawater to make available more freshwater for human consumption.  Since only a tiny percentage of water on Earth is freshwater, and most of this is locked in glaciers, some arid areas bordering oceans or salt lakes view desalination as a necessity.  Israel gets over a third of its drinking water from desalination, and the amount of drinking water obtained from desalination worldwide is expected to almost double by 2020.

Desalination is possible through three main mechanisms.  First, simple solar distillation of seawater uses the different boiling points of pure water and salt to separate the two.  Water boils (evaporates) at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, while NaCl (sodium chloride, or the main salt in the ocean) doesn't boil or evaporate until 2,575 degrees Fahrenheit.  Since the sun warming seawater can get some water molecules to evaporate at a temperature lower than 212 degrees, water is collected on a clear plastic or glass pane.  This pane is sloped, and the pure water drains downward into a trough, awaiting drinking.

Solar distillation or desalination clearly does not produce a great deal of fresh water quickly, so other more expensive but more productive methods were developed.

Vacuum distillation decreases the pressure in a container of seawater to near that of atmospheric pressure.  This causes the pure water to boil at a lower temperature, allowing it to be separated from the salt (which is very difficult to boil as noted above).  This pure water is again separated and collected.

The most recently developed method is reverse osmosis, where seawater is pumped at very high pressures through a semi-permeable membrane (which only allows water through).  The salt remains.  This method is generally cheaper than vacuum distillation.  The biggest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere is now being built outside San Diego.

Both vacuum distillation and reverse osmosis use electricity, making them both expensive and polluting.  They also leave an unwanted byproduct of very salty water which must be discarded.  If this brine water is just mixed in with ocean water again, many animals in the area of the brine will die.  Also, the costs of desalination preclude it from being used for any purpose beside drinking and cooking water.  Irrigation would clearly be far too low value a purpose for this water.

So, if desert countries do increasingly come to rely on desalination for drinking water, how can they grow trees and other plants for food production - especially since desalination is expensive?  The answer is - they can use the Groasis Waterboxx.

The Groasis Waterboxx doesn't use salt water at all, but rare rainwater and condensation to grow plants.  Unlike most types of desalination, it doesn't use electricity and doesn't have any moving parts.  A tree or other plant is planted with the Waterboxx, water is poured around the tree, the Waterboxx is filled with water, and the grower's job is done.  The Waterboxx will maintain its water supply from condensation and refill completely with 4 inches of rain.  See a video of how the Waterboxx works below (from Groasis):

The Groasis Waterboxx allows trees and other plants to be planted in deserts and other very dry areas with high survival rates.  88-99% of trees planted in a Sahara planting trial survived using the Waterboxx, versus only 10% that survived without the Waterboxx but with weekly irrigation.

The Waterboxx has been used throughout the world, and Dew Harvest® is now distributing the Waterboxx within the United States.  The Waterboxx allows land owners and gardeners to plant all types of trees and many different garden plants.  We document our success with pear, cherry, oak, and sequoia trees as well as cantaloupe and pumpkins elsewhere on this site (click the respective plant for links).  Be the first to in your area to start growing with the Groasis Waterboxx.  Buy the Waterboxx here.

You can see all our blog posts about planting trees with the Waterboxx here.We would love to hear your comments below - to leave one, please click on "Comments".

Where is Earth's Fresh Water Stored?

The Stephens Glacier - From USGS: Glaciers hold about two thirds of all the world's fresh water

Most people know that most of the Earth's water is salt water in the oceans (almost 97% in fact).  Many people assume that fresh water is mostly found in rivers and lakes.  This is not the case.  Two thirds of all fresh water is in glaciers and ice, not readily accessible for human use.  As we see many glaciers in the northern hemisphere recede (even while they may be getting thicker in Antarctica), some of this ice may become available in fresh water lakes, but right now it is largely inaccessible.

Of all fresh water, 0.26% (or one quarter of one percent) are in fresh water lakes.  Over eighty percent of  all the fresh water in North American Lakes is in the Great Lakes region. (Incidentally, these lakes were formed by glacial melt after the last ice age, so glacial melt today could potentially have similar effects).. So, there is not much available to the Western part of the United States that most needs the water for irrigation and other uses.

What about rivers?  Well, all the rivers in the world only hold 0.006% (that is six hundredths of one percent) of all water.  We frequently use rivers to irrigate crops, but their main advantage is that they are self refilling, not that they hold significant water.  If fact, we use so much of the water from the Colorado river that it doesn't even reach the sea anymore.

The Colorado River drying out before it reaches the sea - from USGS

With drought becoming more prevalent, and ground aquifers becoming depleted, isn't there another renewable source of water that could be tapped to grow plants?  Yes, there is.  0.04% of all fresh water is held by the atmosphere.  This is over six times what is available in rivers.  The problem, up until now, has been there was no effective way to harvest and store this water for use by growing plants.  The Groasis Waterboxx has changed all of that.

The Groasis Waterboxx is a self refilling water battery, an ingeniously designed dew harvesting device that pulls moisture from the air at night, and stores it to slowly distribute to the roots of a growing plant.  It also captures rainfall and stores this for later use.  See how the Waterboxx works in the video below:

The Groasis Waterboxx pulls water from the air, funnels it to a reservoir using its unique lotus leaf inspired lid,  and slowly distributes it to the soil beneath.  This allows the tree roots to grow to deeper capillary water (also called soil moisture, where another 0.05% of all fresh water is stored), making them drought resistant once the Waterboxx is removed and reused.  See the root growth with the Groasis Waterboxx at this link.  Contrast this to what is normally done when planting a young tree - drip or sprinkler irrigation means water stays in the top of the root zone, causing the roots to grow more shallowly and making them more likely to dry out during drought.  The Groasis Waterboxx has suddenly made this atmospheric fresh water, squeezed out in condensation most mornings, available for the growth of the plant.

We at Dew Harvest® LLC have used the Waterboxx to grow cherry, pear, oak, and sequoia trees, as well as annuals like pumpkins and cantaloupe.  Be the first in your area to begin planting trees the way nature intended with the Groasis Waterboxx.  Buy the Waterboxx today.

You can see all our blog posts about planting trees with the Waterboxx here. We would love to hear your comments below - to leave one, please click on "Comments".

Growing Cantaloupe with the Groasis Waterboxx

The Groasis Waterboxx was developed to grow trees in very dry areas without irrigation or other continued watering.  For this purpose, it is superb, with 88-99% survival during a Sahara desert planting trial.   The Waterboxx has been less well known until recently as a way to plant fruits and vegetables, especially vine crops, without any continued Watering.  We had had very dry summers here in Indiana recently so we wanted to test by planting pumpkins and cantaloupes with the Waterboxx.  It is also best to start seeds of a new plant outside the Waterboxx to ensure the most light initially.  We planted several cantaloupe seeds in a peat pot, and transplanted these into the ground.  We placed the Waterboxx over this new cantaloupe, and filled the Waterboxx as well as pouring about one gallon of water down the central opening of the Waterboxx.  Below you can see the cantaloupe on July 28, 2014.

It was a cold spring here in Indiana (as well as a remarkably cool summer) and we may have gotten the cantaloupe in the ground late, but we saw good growth within a few days of the leaves of the cantaloupe reaching the top of the Waterboxx.  Below you see the Waterboxx on August 2, 2014.

The cantaloupe continues to grow very well now.  The Waterboxx usually has one wick, releasing approximately 50 mL (10 teaspoons) of water daily to the roots of the growing plant.  We inserted a second wick after drilling a 3/16 inch hole opposite the original wick hole.  This has given the cantaloupe roots more water, and with our amount of rainfall in Indiana, the Waterboxx has stayed completely full.  In drier climates, a second wick may mean the Waterboxx would need to be refilled.

Below you see the cantaloupe on August 16,2014, with several small yellow blooms.

The cantaloupe has grown significantly by August 24, shown below.

The Groasis Waterboxx allows a means to grow plants in very dry areas.  Areas where cantaloupes are traditionally grown (like Southwest Texas) have very irregular rainfall, but the Waterboxx can counteract this by providing daily moisture to the plant.  The Waterboxx has also been used to grow many other plants, including pear and cherry trees, oaks, sequoias and pumpkins.   You can buy the Waterboxx here from Dew Harvest® LLC.  We will continue to update this post with the progress of our cantaloupe planting in future years. We would love to hear your comments below - to leave one, please click on "Comments".

Ocean Acidification - The Real Threat From Increasing Carbon Dioxide

There is much controversy over whether human carbon dioxide emissions cause global warming.  Warming has come in fits and starts, and the warmest summer in years in 2012, has been followed by one of the coolest this year.  Global warming predictions are based on computer models, and are not readily falsifiable (a hallmark of all other scientific inquiry).  Also, both scientists and governments stand to gain power and money (through research dollars and carbon taxes) should the belief in global warming become more widespread.  The French philosopher Voltaire once said "If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him".  Perhaps, for those in power, the same is true of global warming.  Thus, anthrogenic (man caused) global warming is controversial.

What is not controversial is this.  Carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere is increasing.  We have objectively chronicled this rise over the past decades.  We know this is from human activity, releasing millenia of stored carbon in coal, oil, and natural gas into the atmosphere.   Below you can see the slow but steady increase carbon dioxide levels as measured at Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii.  

From NOAA

So, carbon dioxide increase is easily and objectively measured and uncontroversial.  Why does this matter if global warming is unproven?  Because rising carbon dioxide has other negative effects.  First, rising carbon dioxide can raise the acidity of the oceans.  We are observing this happening right now.  When carbon dioxide comes in to contact with water, it frequently forms a chemical reaction by which a hydrogen ion (or proton) is released.  The equation is shown below.

Also from NOAA

This loose hydrogen ion is actually what makes things acidic.  The scientific abbreviation pH even stands for "power of hydrogen".  The exact same process happens in the body, which is why you will see people with certain conditions (like diabetic ketoacidosis) breathing very fast in order to decrease acidity of blood.

For most of recent history, the oceans have been slightly basic.  However, with increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the above chemical reaction is happening more and more, and the ocean is becoming more acidic.  It is believed that the ocean absorbs 30-40% of all carbon dioxide, and that the acidity of the oceans has increased 30% as well. This can have negative consequences for the many ocean creatures that pull other chemicals out of water.  

This ocean acidification also is slowing the growth of other organisms that pull calcium out of the water, like coral.  If these grow more slowly, the entire ocean food chain may be adversely affected, meaning fewer fish and fewer marine mammals.  The economic cost alone, not to mention the ecologic cost, would be very large should this process continue unabated.  For those who have the inclination, there is an excellent PBS documentary on ocean acidification here.

Most of the proposed solutions to increasing atmospheric carbon aren't solutions at all, but draconian restrictions on affordable energy and unrealistic targets for emission reduction.  Such policies are so bad economically that Europe, previously a leader in decreasing carbon emissions, has reversed itself and now loosened its emission guidelines.  The same is happening in Japan.  Clearly, decreasing emissions is not a viable solution currently.

If you look at the graph at the top of this post (carbon in the atmosphere), you will see that it actually is saw toothed in shape.  This is due to seasonal variation, or the decrease in carbon dioxide in the air during summer because of uptake from plants undergoing photosynthesis.  Plants pull carbon from the air, use it during photosynthesis, and store it in sugars and wood (cellulose), potentially long term.  If we planted enough trees, even if we then harvested these trees for timber, we could dramatically reduce or even stop the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  This would slow or stop ocean acidification, in addition to making moot the debate about global warming.

How can plant more trees?  Isn't most land with enough moisture to grow trees already growing crops for food?  This was the case, there way little more arable land, until the invention of the Groasis Waterboxx.

The Groasis Waterboxx was invented to plant trees and other plants in very dry areas without irrigation.  The Groasis Waterboxx collects dew and rain water using its lotus leaf inspired lid.  This water is stored in a reservoir, and slowly released through a wick to the roots of a growing plant.  This allows the plant (usually a tree), to develop deep roots that reach underground capillary water.  When the tree reaches this water, it is drought resistant and the Waterboxx can be removed and reused.

The Groasis Waterboxx

Dew Harvest® LLC was founded because we saw the value of the Waterboxx, and were upset that it was not more widely used in the United States.  We began selling the Waterboxx, and you can buy the Waterboxx at our website.  We truly believe that trees are the solution to many of the world's ills, including increasing carbon in the atmosphere and ocean acidification.  Be the first in your area to start growing trees with the Waterboxx.

You can see all our blog posts about planting trees with the Waterboxx here.  We would love to hear your comments below - to leave one, please click on "Comments".

How to fertilize tomato plants with coffee grinds?

Coffee grounds added to compost and used in the garden as organic fertilizer give your plants a boost, attract earthworms and may deter both slugs and insect pests in the garden. However, the notion that the acidity in the coffee grounds will lower the pH of the soil, making them ideal for acid-loving plants, doesn’t always hold true, says Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D. Master Gardner, editor and associate professor from the Washington State University Extension. While some coffee grounds are acidic, some are neutral to alkaline. Soils treated with coffee grounds actually increase in pH for the first three weeks and then gradually decline.

1. Add used coffee grounds to the compost bin, but don’t over do it. Keep coffee grounds to no more than 20 percent of the material included in your compost. Coffee grounds are considered green material, like fresh grass clippings and kitchen waste, and must be balanced with brown material, such as dried leaves, to compost properly.
2. Spread a one-half-inch layer of used coffee grounds around the base of your tomato plants and top with 2 to 3 inches of organic mulch. According to Washington State University Extension, coffee grounds compact easily and prevent good air circulation when used in thicker layers, but a thin layer gives your tomatoes a boost of nitrogen.
3. Sprinkle 1 cup of used coffee grounds around the base of your tomato plant and work it into the top 2 to 3 inches of soil with a trowel or claw. This encourages the coffee grounds to begin decomposition and prevents issues with soil compaction.Add well-composted coffee grounds to the planting hole when transplanting tomato seedlings to improve soil composition and provide a source of slow-release nutrients to your plants.
4. Mulch around tomatoes with composted coffee grounds throughout the summer to conserve moisture, prevent weeds and add nutrients to the soil.
5. Till coffee grounds into the soil in the fall and allow them to decompose right in the soil. The University of Florida Extension recommends amending the soil with organic matter such as compost, manure or coffee grounds twice a year.
6. Mix one part coffee grounds to one part soil for container-grown tomatoes.

How to use egg shells as fertilizer for tomato plants?

Rather than spending money on fertilizers for tomato plants, you can make your own at home with egg shells. Egg shells will add nutrients like calcium to the soil to keep your tomato plants healthy. The calcium carbonate in egg shells is similar to the common soil additive lime. Calcium aids in the growth of the plants by balancing the pH level of highly acidic soil. Organic fertilizers like egg shells are also eco-friendly and help reduce waste in landfills.

1. Rinse the egg shells under cold water and place them on a towel to dry completely. Store them in an airtight container until you are ready to add them to the tomatoes.
2. Place the egg shells in a food processor. Crush the shells with the pulse setting on the food processor until they have a fine texture. If you do not have a food processor, place the shells in a plastic storage bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
3. Sprinkle 1 cup of egg shells over the soil around the base of the tomato plant. Work the shells into the soil with a cultivator, but avoid touching the roots. Water the soil to moisten it.

How to make tomato food - organic fertilizer?

With the right tomato food, you can grow terrific tomatoes. Many people spend a lot of money on store-bought fertilizers which are full of chemicals. These fertilizers are not only expensive; they're bad for your tomatoes as well as your health. There are simple ways however to make your own healthy, low-cost, and effective organic plant fertilizer at home. You can make organic liquid fertilizer out of seaweed, earthworm compost, rabbit droppings or other vegetarian animal manure, coffee grounds, etc.

Here's how to make a wonderful organic tomato food out of seaweed:

1. Go to the store and purchase a large container to hold the natural fertilizer. A 10 gallon plastic garbage can with a lid, works great.
2. Collect the seaweed. You can use either use fresh or dried seaweed for your natural fertilizer but fresh will have more nitrogen in it. You can either purchase your seaweed at a local grocery store, oriental store, or if you live by the ocean; you can go and collect some on your own. Some of the more touristy beaches actually pay people to get rid of seaweed once it is washed ashore.
3. Wash out the container that will hold your tomato food and also wash the seaweed if it's fresh to get rid of the sand and extra salts.
4. Chop the seaweed up and add to the natural fertilizer container. Fill the container half full of seaweed and fill the rest with water. Put the lid on.
5. Stir the natural fertilizer every 3-4 days.
6. Let the fertilizer sit for 3 months and then dilute with water before using. This is so you don't burn the roots of the plants. Dilute the tomato food to a mixture of 2 fl ounces of seaweed water to 1 gallon of freshwater. You can also add a little bit of fish emulsion to your natural fertilizer mix which will add extra N to the soil.
7. Spray the tomato food onto your crops and watch them flourish!

How to make organic tomato fertilizer?

In order to grow delicious, plump healthy tomatoes, it is important to use some sort of fertilizer. If you want to ensure that your tomatoes are organic and grow without the chemicals of store-bought fertilizers, concoct your own at home. People use a wide range of organic tomato fertilizers, from rabbit droppings to seaweed. But there are also easier things to obtain that you can mix together to add to the tomato plants, such as eggshells, coffee and human hair.

Tomatoes need special attention to grow and produce well. One of the main requirements of tomato plants is that they have lots of water. In addition, they need to be fertilized frequently because they absorb a lot of nutrients from the soil. If the nutrients are missing, the plant will not produce well. Although chemical fertilizers are available, it is better for the earth and the people who eat the tomatoes to use organic fertilizer. Fortunately, common household waste can be used to provide important nutrients for tomatoes. In addition, using these items regularly reduces the amount of waste going to a landfill.

1. Collect human and pet hair from brushes and combs. Line the holes with it before planting tomato seedlings. You can also put a layer of hair on the ground around more mature tomato plants in your garden to provide sulfur and nitrogen to the plants.
2. Collect and dry eggshells, crush them and sprinkle them around the tomato plants. Egg shells are a good source of calcium for the tomatoes.
3. Save used coffee grounds and tea leaves and let them become dry. Spread the grounds around the bottoms of the tomato plants. Dried coffee grounds and tea leaves can also be combined with crushed egg shells then sprinkled on the garden.
4. Dissolve a tablespoon of Epsom salts in a gallon of water. Use the solution once a month to water the tomato garden to provide the plants with magnesium.
5. Collect the water from cleaning an aquarium and use it to water your tomato plants. The fish waste and other natural nutrients in the waste water helps nourish the tomatoes
6. Combine a few tablespoons of molasses with a gallon of water and use it to water the tomato plants.
7. Mix rabbit or chicken manure with a little water and spread around the tomato plants.
8. Start a compost pile. Add green lawn clippings and leaves. Also add vegetable peelings and other organic matter from the kitchen, stirring the compost regularly. Use this compost as fertilizer for the tomatoes and other garden plants.
9. Fill a bucket with water and put in a handful of compost. Let the bucket sit in the sun for several hours, stirring occasionally. Use this water for watering your tomato plants.

What type of fertilizer should you use for tomato plants?

Tomato plants are heavy feeders, requiring copious amounts of nitrogen for optimal growth. You'll need to fertilize your tomato plants throughout their growth period and even before you plant them when you're preparing the planting site. You have some options for the types of fertilizer you can use as well.

Site preparation
Tomatoes prefer a soil pH of 5.8 to 6.5. In the absence of a soil test, you can come close to achieving this soil pH by preparing the planting bed and fertilizing appropriately while your tomato plants are growing. Choose a planting site in full sun and with well-draining soil. When you prepare the site, loosen the soil to a depth of about 12 to 15 inches using a garden fork or rototiller. You can then spread a 2- to 4-inch-thick layer of organic compost on the soil bed, mixing it into the soil to a depth of about 12 inches. The organic compost will provide extra nitrogen for your tomato plants, slowly degrading and releasing nutrients into the soil.

Starter fertilizer

When you transplant your tomato plants into the prepared soil bed, apply a starter fertilizer. Starter fertilizers will help to promote healthy root growth and establishment, and they're widely available in most garden centers. A typical starter fertilizer formula is a 5-10-10 or 5-10-5 NPK -- nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium -- liquid product. You'll need to first mix 2 tbsp. of the starter fertilizer liquid with 1 gallon of water. Then pour about 1 pint of the solution into the soil around each tomato plant right after you transplant it into the soil bed.

Side dressing
After the first tomatoes appear on your plants and grow to about the size of quarters to golf balls, side dress the tomato plants with 1 1/2 oz. of 33-0-0 fertilizer per 10 feet of row, or about 1 tbsp. of ammonium nitrate per plant. If you cannot find ammonium nitrate or 33-0-0 fertilizer, you can use about 3 tbsp. of 10-10-10 fertilizer per tomato plant. "Side dressing" means spreading the fertilizer along the row beside the tomato plants, so that the tips of the outside roots can absorb the nutrients from the soil. Apply another side dressing about three weeks later, and then a third application six weeks later.
 

Options
Instead of a commercial fertilizer, you can instead use an organic compost or mulch. About four to five weeks after you transplant the tomato plants, spread a 2- to 3-inch-thick layer of organic mulch or compost around the tomato plants. When you're applying any type of fertilizer, make sure that you don't get it on the tomato plants' leaves. Also, water the tomato plants thoroughly when you fertilize to help the nutrients soak into the soil.

Fruit Trees for a Mediterranean Climate

The area around the Mediterranean Sea has been the cradle of Western Civilization for thousands of years, playing a profound effect throughout history.  Less well known is the influence of this area on agriculture.  Many of our fruit trees either originated in this basin or became well adapted to it.  Here we will discuss which fruit trees grow well in this type of climate, and how the Groasis Waterboxx PlantCocoon, or Waterboxx, can aid in their growth.

The Mediterranean Climate, or dry summer subtropical climate areas, have warm summers, mild winters, and rarely have temperatures below freezing.  Only a few areas of the world (in California, the original Mediterranean basin, Chile, South Africa and Australia) are blessed with this climate.  This climate can prove challenging for growing fruits, however, because of the lack of rainfall during the main growth phase of many fruits.  Also, establishing trees in the Mediterranean climate is extremely difficult due to this dry summer - new trees must be irrigated or must obtain water from another source - like the Waterboxx.

From Wikipedia

The Waterboxx is a rain and dew harvesting device that, once assembled and put in place, saves the gardener from watering the tree ever again.  The Waterboxx can be removed and reused for up to ten years and ten different trees.  The Waterboxx uses its lotus leaf inspired lid to channel water, from dew and rainfall, to the roots of a growing plant, while keeping several (four) gallons of water in reserve for the dry summers of the Mediterranean climate area.

A cross section view of the Groasis Waterboxx - dew and rainfall is collected by the tan lid, directed into the green reservoir by the red siphons, and slowly distributed to the roots of the plant by the white wick.  With standard use, the Waterboxx has about 300 days of water in its reservoir.  The Waterboxx is filled with just 4 inches of rainfall.

Which fruit trees grow and produce fruit well in the Mediterranean climate? Pomegranate, Fig, Loquot, Mandarin, Carob, and Lemon are all excellent trees for this region.   Several of these fruits are less well know in the U.S. but all are known by horticulturalists to be well suited to dry summers and mild winters.  Some of these trees actually produce winter crops - a great boon to those who want year round fresh fruit.

One of the great virtues of the Mediterranean climate is its ability to produce fruits year round.  Below you will see trees grouped by when their fruit is harvested.

Late Summer and Early Fall Bearing Fruit Trees

Pomegranate - Punica granatum

To the author (who was raised in the Midwest), pomegranate fruit looks otherworldly, and tastes heavenly.  Pomegranates make excellent juices and add flavor to smoothies. The pomegranate tree is native to Iran and has been planted extensively around the world.  It requires a long hot summer to mature, meaning Mediterranean climate areas are ideal.  You will want to buy soft seeded fruit trees if planning to eat the fruit whole, but hard seeded fruit if primarily desired for juicing.  The seeds, however, are edible and a good source of fiber if eaten.  These trees have a 20 to 30 foot canopy, and reach 15 feet in height.  Pomegranate trees can be bought here.

Pomegranate, Punica granatum, grown more as a shrub than a tree, likely due to insufficient water.  This plant is in Orto Botanico in Florence, Italy

Fig - Ficus carica
Figs are well known in the U.S. in their dried form but few people has tasted fresh figs.  These trees do well in a Mediterranean climate (with long, hot dry summers) and will thrive immediately after planting with the water provided by the Groasis Waterboxx.  It is important to buy the common fig type of tree, as it doesn't need to be fertilized by wasps like the Smyrna fig.   The fig tree can produce two fruits a year but the second (in late summer) is the primary crop. Common figs trees can be purchased here.

Fig fruit from Ficus carica; photo from Kurt Stueber

Late Winter and Early Spring Harvesting Fruit Trees

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) 
This little known fruit actually comes from southern China.  It is evergreen although its leaves look deciduous.  It blooms in late fall and produces fruit in late winter or early spring.  The fruits are usually eaten alone but are sometimes used in other recipes.  The fruit tastes like a mix between peach and mango, and the flowers themselves are quite fragrant.  There are a few self-fertile varieties ('Gold Nugget' and 'Mogi') but two should be planted within pollination distance for maximum yield.  Loquats can be used in any recipe that is intended for peaches or apricots (or other stone fruit). Trees for fruit production (grafted specimens) can be purchased here.

Loquat: From Wikipedia

Mandarin (orange) - Citrus reticulatae

This tree, also from Asia originally, is well known for its popular fruit, sold canned in heavy syrup.  A healthier fruit can be grown in the Mediterranean Climate using the Waterboxx and eaten fresh.  This tree is also deciduous but evergreen.  This tree requires deep watering that can be accomplished with once to twice weekly deep irrigation, or with the Waterboxx at planting.  Mandarin trees can be purchased here.

Late Fall Harvesting - Before Winter Rains

Carob Tree - Ceratonia siliqua

Also known as St. John's Bread or locust bean, this pod forming tree isn't exactly a fruit but it does produce sweet pods. The carob pod is made into flour and is used in much candy (and added to coffee in Spain and Germany), but can also be eaten directly from the pod (like sweet peas, to which the tree is related). This tree is dioecious (meaning the individual trees are either male or female, not both), and one male tree should be around every 25-30 females trees (male tree branches can also be grafted on to the female as practiced in southern Europe). The carob tree does have a tap root, which means it can be very hard to establish due to initial high watering requirements.  Trees with tap roots do well if using the Waterboxx.

Carob tree - from Giancarlo Dessi via Wikipedia

A Tree for Harvesting All Year

Lemon Tree - Citrus limon
This tree is very cold sensitive, and will not survive frosts, but can produce fruit year round.  These fruits are very versatile, with the juice and rind being used in cooking.  This tree will do well when planted on the south side of buildings with the Waterboxx.  The Waterboxx can be removed before the tree outgrows it.  Lemon trees can be purchased here.

A lemon tree, growing in a pot in a Midwest greenhouse.  We lack the climate to grow these trees outdoors here in the Midwest.

As always, it is better to buy small grafted fruit trees and plant more than one to assure early and abundant fruit production.

If you are a gardener in a Mediterranean climate area in the U.S. (likely in California), you may want to consider gardening through the drought with the Waterboxx.

The Groasis Waterboxx allows trees to be planted in any season, and become established without regular rainfall or any irrigation.  The Waterboxx collects dew and rainwater, slowly channeling it to the roots of a growing plant, creating a column of capillary water in the soil and inducing the trees roots to grow straight down to deeper water..  The Waterboxx also prevents evaporation of this moisture from the root zone of a growing tree, and can then be removed and reused up to ten times.  Be the first in your area to begin growing fruit with the Groasis Waterboxx.  Buy the Waterboxx here.

You can learn the best nut trees for a Mediterranean Climate here.

You can see all our blog posts about planting trees with the Waterboxx here. We would love to hear your comments below - to leave one, please click on "Comments".

Our Sources Not Linked Above:

http://www.greenfingers.com.au/services/digging_deeper/fruits_and_nuts.html

https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1996/v3-416.html