At this free hands on field day, participants will learn a model for adding a drought-tolerant privacy hedge that also provides food. Through demonstration followed by hands-on practice, participants will learn
· How to propagate mulberry trees by cutting and pomegranates/asparagus from seed
· Proper planting technique for trees (with Palo Verde and evergreen sumac as examples)
· How to use subsurface drip tubing and mulch to set up a water-smart irrigation system
Afterwards, everyone gets to enjoy a free, grant-funded meal.
This is the first of three planned field days, with a field day to plant the propagated mulberries scheduled for fall 2025 and a field day to plant the pomegranates scheduled for spring 2026.
Date: Saturday, March 29th 2025
Time: 9AM-2PM
Location: 715 W. Taylor Rd., Las Cruces, NM 88007
General Agenda:
9:00 AM–9:15 AM: Welcome & Overview
9:15 AM–10:00 AM: Propagation Demonstration & Hands-On Practice
10:00 AM–11:30 AM: Tree Planting Demonstration & Practice
11:30 AM–12:30 PM: Setting Up a Water-Smart Irrigation System
12:30 PM–1:00 PM: Recap & Q&A
1:00 PM–2:00 PM: Free Grant-Funded Meal & Networking
What to wear/bring:
- Work clothes and shoes
- Sun protection
- Water bottle
- Gloves and goggles
For workshop participants, a limited number of evergreen sumac plants--a native, drought-tolerant member of the mango/cashew family that makes small, tasty citrus fruits--will be available at the workshop for a subsidized price of $20. So that we can have your plants ready for you, please pre-order online at https://www.crucescreatives.org/event-6120949.
This free field day is made possible thanks to generous support from the McCune Charitable Foundation, Nusenda Foundation, and #NoRegrets.
