Can You Grow Tropical Fruits In Las Vegas? Yes You Can

Growing tropical fruits in Las Vegas may seem impossible. But, it's not.

It takes time, research and the right conditions. A man in Las Vegas named Derrick Martinez has started a tropical oasis in his backyard. He has started a garden called "Abah Garden," that features lush and tropical fruits that you can only dream about growing.

According to a YouTube video from an organic gardening creator, Derrick's garden consists of sugarcane, guava, almond trees, loquat trees, figs, pomegranates, papayas and so much more. Despite the dry and harsh conditions of the Las Vegas desert, Marinez has created a system that allows these tropical fruits and vegetables to flourish, grow and bloom.

If you're looking to start a lush garden in your backyard then you need to be aware about the rules and regulations when it comes to gardening. According to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, prohibited plants include Green/Crimson Fountain Grass, fruitless mulberry trees, fruiting olive trees and chaste trees.

In an interview with Las Vegas Weekly, Bob Morris, a horticulture specialist, said, "There’s a number of challenges in the desert, in this (Las Vegas') specific desert, and it’s not just the climate. The soils here are absolutely horrendous."

The "easiest" types of fruit to grow in the dessert will be dessert fruits instead of tropical. According to The Las Vegas Sun, this includes apricots, figs, jujubes, peaches, nectarines, and figs.

The first step is to adjust your "crop schedule" so it avoids blistering heat.

"Folks living in Arizona, the deep South, Las Vegas, or Hawaii may adjust their garden seasons and avoid growing tomatoes or squash during the hottest summer months altogether, and grow them during the spring and fall seasons instead," Homestead Chill, an online homemaking blog, reports.

If you're looking to start a garden then you will need good quality soil. Along with that, the hard Vegas sun with little to no rainfall can create sun damage on to crops.

"Don’t spray on sunscreen, but do paint the trunks—and any stem larger than a pinky finger—with a 50/50 water/light-colored outdoor latex paint mixture," The Las Vegas Sun reports.

You will need to water plants in the early morning. Fruits are very thirsty plants, so you'll have to keep this in mind. These plants will need to be watered immensely throughout the day. But be careful and avoid overwatering your crop.

"Before offering more water, check the moisture content of your soil by probing an inch or two below the soil surface," Homestead Chill advises.

So, growing tropical fruits in Las Vegas is doable. Look at the plethora of produce that Derrick Martinez is able to grow at his Abbah Farm in Las Vegas. But, it does take determination, grit

Nevada Mine tours are very popular, and a lot of fun. It's a cool experience - especially in the summer. Though they may not be for everyone.

In Pennsylvania, some tourists got the full experience when they decided to do a mine tour. Probably not the experience they were expecting. But all is well.

54 people got trapped in a coal mine in Lackawanna, Pennsylvania. It took a few hours, but everyone was brought out of the mine safely.

There was some sort of mechanical problem, and they all had to come up through an emergency capsule. The Lackawanna Pennsylvania Coal Mine Foreman, Edmund Neidlinger, said, "I'm here eight years and never had to use it." About 15 years ago they broke an axle on the mine car, and that was the last time they used it.

Neidlinger, controlled the mechanism that lifted the emergency capsule up and down. It only fits about three or four people at a time, so it took about two hours to get everyone out. But they all got out, and everyone is just fine.

It was just a fluke, and there was no danger, The kids on the tour had fun. In fact, so much fun, that they wanted to go back down and do it again! They also got coal from the coal guy down in the mine, so - win, win.

Mine operators say they will figure out what caused the problem, and the mine car will be repaired.

I've done several Nevada mine tour, and they are so interesting. If you're heading to, or live in Nevada, they are a great day trip, or weekend getaway.

If you want to experience a mine tour - without the excitement of getting stuck - there are several to experience in Nevada. And they really represent the history of our great Silver State. Here are some Nevada Mine Tours that are well worth a visit.

They say Eldorado Canyon is probably the oldest, richest and most famous gold mine in Southern Nevada. It ran from 1861 until 1942. Steamboats on the Colorado River were the main way to get there for 40 years. There are mine tours, it is great for photo shoots, and has also been used in movies. It's also a great place to have a wedding! It's a quick day trip from Las Vegas. Two miles past the little town of Nelson, Nevada, on highway 165.

First staked out in 1859, Virginia City’s Chollar Mine was one of the leading producers of gold and silver. It hauled out about $17 million in gold and silver. Virginia City is a really cool place to visit to begin with. A lot of rich Nevada old west history. Many haunted attractions, many just plain fun attractions. And the Chollar Mine historic mine tour is a a really interesting tour.

What better way to do a tour, than doing a saloon first - then going into a mine. Ponderosa Mine tour is only about a half hour long. It features a hundreds of  pieces of equipment on display. Ponderosa Mine has been stabilized and retrofitted to feel like a museum. A unique, and fun tour. Read about its history here.

This is more of a mining park. It has restored mining equipment, historic exhibits, a self-guided tour, and a guided ATV tour. There is small movie theater, and mineral displays that are lit with black lights to enhance the sparkle. There is an underground mine tunnel you can walk down. The Burro Tunnel is definitely not for everyone, but it's quite intriguing! And there is a steel viewing cage that looks down a 500′ foot deep stope. Yes, a stope, not slope.