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tuk50 · July 5, 2011

Paul, I've been playing with drought resistant varieties for a few years and have found the seeds found here to be the best ones I've found so far.. http://nativeseeds.org/catalog/index.php?cPath=1
these are seeds collected from indian tribes and remote areas in the U.S. and Mexico. You might check the squash and especially the tepary beans out: http://www.nativeseeds.org/catalog/i...?cPath=1_14_42 you can't believe how little water they can produce in. The old varieties haven't been crossed so much that they will produce like modern vegetables we see now, but they will survive in unbelievable soil and arid regions. They still spend a lot of their energy developing roots that are much deeper and wider than modern types and this is the trade off .. also these are great varieties to use like the Indians did with the three sisters... squash for shade of the soil, corn (with strong roots and short stocky stalks) and beans for nitrogen. I've tried a lot of the cowpeas on this site and some of the pole beans are tiny, but very prolific ... I have been trying to plant them with what we call the monsoons here in the arid deserts of the southwest like the Indians did and it really works. Be sure and read a lot of the descriptions and it will help you decide which ones you want to try. The squash and pumpkins here are not thick walled, but most are thin walled, but still tasty and usable, I've grown some of the squash that had 3 or 4 different shaped squash on the same vine and also different tastes... There is also a site in New Mexico by an ag. prof. that I've traded seeds with and I will try and find that site for you. He's into sustainable foods for arid regions and I've found him very experienced and helpful... also some of the people at the Native seed search that I've talked to have helped.. the tribe here in the Tucson area are called the Tohono O'odham.. and I have been trying their beans with great success. Hope this helps some.

July 5, 2011	#15
tuk50 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Tucson, Arizona (catalina) Posts: 413	Paul, I've been playing with drought resistant varieties for a few years and have found the seeds found here to be the best ones I've found so far.. http://nativeseeds.org/catalog/index.php?cPath=1 these are seeds collected from indian tribes and remote areas in the U.S. and Mexico. You might check the squash and especially the tepary beans out: http://www.nativeseeds.org/catalog/i...?cPath=1_14_42 you can't believe how little water they can produce in. The old varieties haven't been crossed so much that they will produce like modern vegetables we see now, but they will survive in unbelievable soil and arid regions. They still spend a lot of their energy developing roots that are much deeper and wider than modern types and this is the trade off .. also these are great varieties to use like the Indians did with the three sisters... squash for shade of the soil, corn (with strong roots and short stocky stalks) and beans for nitrogen. I've tried a lot of the cowpeas on this site and some of the pole beans are tiny, but very prolific ... I have been trying to plant them with what we call the monsoons here in the arid deserts of the southwest like the Indians did and it really works. Be sure and read a lot of the descriptions and it will help you decide which ones you want to try. The squash and pumpkins here are not thick walled, but most are thin walled, but still tasty and usable, I've grown some of the squash that had 3 or 4 different shaped squash on the same vine and also different tastes... There is also a site in New Mexico by an ag. prof. that I've traded seeds with and I will try and find that site for you. He's into sustainable foods for arid regions and I've found him very experienced and helpful... also some of the people at the Native seed search that I've talked to have helped.. the tribe here in the Tucson area are called the Tohono O'odham.. and I have been trying their beans with great success. Hope this helps some. __________________ Hangin on for dear life! Last edited by tuk50; July 5, 2011 at 12:30 AM.