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Plant the orchard and perennials

Plant trees, shrubs and perennial guild plants at the right season so they establish before heat or cold.

How

1. Buy varieties matched to your chill hours and climate (food-9) from a reputable nursery.
2. Mark each tree's position from the plan and check the mature canopy will not shade vegetable beds.
3. Plant at the depth the tree grew in the nursery, water in well, and mulch a wide ring, keeping mulch off the trunk.
4. Fit tree guards against animals and give each tree its own drip emitters on a dedicated zone.
5. Plant guild companions around each tree: ground layer, bulbs and nitrogen fixers first, as NC State describes building in stages.
6. Do not bury ollas near trees: Arizona extension warns woody roots can break them.

Sources

1. Deciduous Fruit and Nuts for the Low Desert (AZ1269). University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, accessed 2026-11
2. Extension Gardener Handbook, Appendix G: Permaculture Design. NC State Extension, accessed 2026-11
3. Irrigating with Ollas (AZ1911). University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, accessed 2026-11

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