Windbreaks and Why They are Important for Food Production

Q. I live in Summerlin in Las Vegas and have a small vegetable garden that I started this year. My first season has been erratic. I had four tomato plants; one of them gave a good amount of tomatoes other three just one or two through out the whole season. Pepper plant had no peppers. I had six bell pepper plants and got two bell peppers out of it. Out of two eggplant plants,  I got one small eggplant. I have a Myers Lemon tree that was planted 18 months ago and there is one lemon on it. My old tree at my old house used to be full of lemons. What may be the reason for this?

Bill Stillman and his pomegranate windbreak in Bullhead City, AZ. You dont want to stop the wind, just slow it down.

A. Once the soil has "settled down" in your garden and starting to get productive then it's a matter of using the right vegetable varieties. I have attached a vegetable primer for growing vegetables in the desert written by Dr. Sylvan Wittwer who was a vegetable specialist at Michigan State University until his retirement. He lived in Logandale, Nevada for about 8 years and he wrote about his vegetable production there. I consider it to be probably the best source of vegetable growing information in southern Nevada. He recommend some old-fashioned varieties that are traditional standbys and I would suggest that you stick with those first. 

As you introduce other varieties into your garden stick with some of the tried and true varieties that Dr. Wittwer recommends in this publication and introduce newer ones slowly and see how they do. Be careful about using seed from Lowe's and home Depot unless you know the variety. Don't assume that anything will grow here. It won't. Some produce better than others here and some don't produce much of anything in the desert. Selecting the right varieties are important!

As far as your lemon tree goes it really is very dependent on the location of the tree in the yard, the microclimate that it's in and spring weather. You might have had an exceptional spot at your old house. The most devastating weather factor for gardens and fruit trees is wind. If you have wind affecting your garden and your fruit trees then good luck with quality and production. It will be erratic at best and very dependent on the weather. 

The best food is produced on the leeward side (side on the opposite side from the prevailing wind)

. The circles represent zones of influence by the windbreak. the inner oval is five times the windbreaks height. This is the strongest "zone of influence' impacted by the windbreak. The second outside half oval is 20 times its height. This area is still influenced but not as strongly.

The best vegetables and fruit are produced on the leeward side of a windbreak or at least something that slows the wind down considerably. Consider chain length fence and PVC slats or temporary fencing such as reed mats that can help slow the wind down if yours is a windy location. Use screens that are about 20% porous to the wind. 

Remember the importance of pollinators and plant things in your yard like Rosemary for instance or lavender or even a bird bath full of clean water that will attract pollinators all through the growing season.

Plants that bloom all the time, like this rosemary, is a good choice to attract pollinators during bloom time. Incorporate these near your fruit and vegetable gardens.

Fruit trees take a couple of years to get going so have some patience in the meantime.