imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Water Conservation: How to cope with years of drought?

Hawaii is a tropical savannah. It means that we get most of our water during the rainy season and hardly anything at all during the summer months. Most of our days are Sunny with the highs in the high 80's and occasional windward and mauka showers with trades 10-20 miles per hour to relieve the heat.

The storms that came earlier this year, actually dropped enough rain to make the monthly total for January look normal. But the reality is, that parts of the state is again entering another year of drought.

What are you doing to get through these years and probably more to come of record drought.

I have been conserving water in the house as much as possible.
Saving basin and shower water to flush toilets
Changing the way I wash clothes. Full loads only.
Changing the way I bathe, water is turned off while soaping
I pile my dishes for the day up in a basin of water and do the dishes all at one time. It saves more soap and water when I am not doing one plate and spoon at a time.
In the yard. I turn off the sprinkler in the rainy season. I have expanded the time to go 4 days the rest of the year. Many of the plants have died, but the ones that survive are the keepers.
Adding even more organics to the garden and putting plants that need daily watering in one spot and those that can go 4 days in another part.
I am letting the grass die.
When I have the time, I put water soluble fertilizer in a 5 gallon bucket and dunk my orchids in the bucket to water them instead of using a hose.
I have rain barrels and I plan on doubling them.
Pot up plants into larger containers. Pot bound plants dry out faster
Looking for more drought resistant cultivars and training my plants to go longer with less water. The ones that can't are dying.
More mulch. I don't have leaves so I use layers of newspaper and cut up the plastic bags from the compost, peat moss and perlite to slow evaporation.
Watering early in the morning whenever I can.
Experimenting with less perlite in my potting mixes for seedlings so they can go longer maybe an extra day before needing more water. Of course this does come back to bite me when we have a storm.
Drip irrigation.
Intensive planting, leaves provide shade and help keep the soil moist and cool. Intensive planting means more plants in a smaller space, so more production in the same space, but I need to choose plants that work well together.
I am stocking up on meat and grains before the prices rise again. I am already eating less meat which is a good thing and more vegetables anyway. Except for basics like onions, potatoes, carrots, I rarely buy vegetables. I eat more from my garden and trade with other gardeners who give me what they have grown.
Self watering containers
I am slowly changing out high water plants for ones that can survive with less water. Geraniums worked well but started to over take the amaryllis and rose. So I am moving the amaryllis and rose somewhere else and giving the geraniums the space.
Mulching with compost around the landscape plants, especially the ones that have been in the ground a long time. This hopefully will help hold moisture and give the roots a place to go.
When they need it, deep watering plants.
Trying to repot orchids into pots and media that will hold on to moisture longer. This means I will probably kill a lot of orchids until I figure this out.

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rainbowgardener
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Wonderful post, imafan. I hope mods will consider making this a sticky and/or in some way highlighting it.

Drought is not an issue for us here in the Midwest (yet?), but I think all of us should get more conscious about water. I particularly think monoculture grass lawns are useless everywhere, but criminally wasteful in drought struck areas. Big expanses of flat grass is an idea that came over from the manor houses in (wet, foggy) England, where they were a status symbol. I keep ripping out more and more lawn to put in things that are more useful/ beautiful. I can leave some grass because I NEVER water it. It stays alive because we get 40" of rain a year, distributed evenly through the months. If it couldn't survive on available water, I would get
rid of it.

Even though drought is not an issue for me, I do most of the things you mention. They are good plant care and make your gardens more maintenance free.

I will say that I don't actually think rain barrels are a very good solution for drought struck areas. I have two 75 gallon rain barrels. I have gotten less use of them than I expected when I bought them. Much of the time I have no need for them, since we are getting plenty of rain. The one summer we did have (for us) a bad drought, with no rain most of the summer, the rain barrels sat empty all summer. You either need a whole LOT of rain water storage (preferably a cistern) or it isn't going to help much. They would be most useful in a climate that didn't get enough rain, but did have sporadic rains through the growing season.

What I keep thinking about and would love to have is some kind of grey water system. I was seriously thinking about putting something in this year, but then we decided we are moving, so it will have to wait for the new house. But way more than enough water to keep our yards happy goes down the drain from showers, dishwashing, etc. We would only need to capture some fraction of it. I had in mind a diverter valve under the sink, which you could have open one direction for the water to just go down the drain as usual and turn the other direction to divert the sink water to the garden or to some water storage. In drought times, I think everyone should have something like this.

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rainbowgardener
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That is what I meant by a LOT of rainwater storage! Over 800 gallons! That is enough to make a difference.

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Actually, I use the rain water for my orchids and I use a five gallon bucket to dunk them instead of pouring water over them. Rainbarrel water should not be used on veggies because of what might be coming off the roof.

I have had the rainbarrels go down to about a foot but I have never emptied them. I do agree with you that you need a lot of storage to make a dent. A 500 gallon tank buried in the ground is probably better storage. When it rains the barrels over flow when I don't need to water, and in summer they just keep going down except for the occasional hard rains we get in summer. It is mostly to remind me of how precious water is. Watering orchids with a bucket and dunking them, can take me couple of hours to get through them all. With a hose I can water the essentials in my yard in less than an hour. It is a good thing orchids are relatively drought resistant, they only need a good soak and they are good for three or four days. It is very tedious to dunk potted plants in a five gallon bucket, but the reason I get so much mileage out of the water is because I am dunking and not pouring the water on the plants. Everytime I do have to do that, I am glad I have running water and don't have to do that for everything. If I were pouring the water over plants, it would not go as far.

Years ago we did have water restrictions, but it was limited to watering lawns, and washing cars. They raised the prices on the water and that seems to be the most effective way for people to make a real effort to conserve. Waimea Falls, stopped running because there wasn't enough rain to feed the stream.

Where my uncle lives on the Big Island, the drought has been going on for years. In some areas, they are on catchment. When there isn't rain, the water is free, but they have to pay $100 delivery charge. This is the first year they have actually seen a little more rain, but it may not last.

I think everyone takes things for granted until it is gone. There has been talk about climate change for years, but it is actually happening now. The earth has gone through these phases before, but they have been accelerated by human activities. This climate pattern may last a while and it is likely to change the face of the earth as plants and animals that are already under threat may become extinct with habitat loss. Agriculture will need to also adapt by growing more heat and drought resistant plants and animals that can survive on minimum water. We already know we will be paying more for food as harvests become smaller and crops fail and ranchers cull their herds even more because they can't afford to feed them.

xtron
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Location: christiansburg virginia

I have a metal roof, so chemical pollution is not an issue.
the back side of my garden is uphill from the house, by about 10 feet. along the fence I have 4 each 275 gallon IBC totes. topped off they hold 300 gallons.
under the down spout of my rain gutter I have a 55 gallon food grade plastic barrel with a sump pump inside.
late march/early april I start filling the totes. then when the rain dosen't cooperate, I can gravity feed as much or as little water to where ever it's needed. then when it does rain, I refill as much as possible.
I also have a bagger for my mower and all the grass clippings from my yard, as well as a couple of the neighbors yards, become mulch for the veggies. the neighbors are tickled every time I turn their grass clippings into tomatoes or cucumbers, so they keep giving me more.
but some years, you just have to bite the bullet, and take the hit if it's too dry. it happens...there is always next year.

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

The Big Island has mostly metal roofs for the catchment systems. They are easier to maintain and actually easier to repair when it normally rains everyday. However, the metal roofs are soldered together and only recently was the solder changed to something other than lead based. The catchment systems could be contaminated by the lead solder that hold the roof panels together. They also have problems with the drought when rats and other critters try to get into the systems to find water.

I have been fighting a losing battle with weeds. With the water turned off to half the sprinklers, the weeds are moving in. I am only 1/4 covered in weed cloth now. Everytime it rains the weeds come back with a vengeance. So does my grass.
I wish I could clone myself, oh no, I need a speedier me, even when I do have the time to go out to do things, my to do list just gets longer. I can't work that fast and I get tired so I cannot put in a long day, 3 hours and midday break followed by a couple of hours later in the day. But that is for everything, inside and outside the house. Today, I was waiting for the plumber who called and said he can't come till next week. I can't use my kitchen sink so I eat out more than usual and I have to wash the dishes in the bathroom sink, but I guess it is better than the guy whose water main broke inside his walls.
I have to go to physical therapy today. It is three times a week and I usually am tired after that too. I just have to do what I gotta do.
In the meantime, with a leaky sink, I am using even less water in the kitchen now.

I haven't used my mower is years. It is probably frozen by now. I weed whack, less in summer when the grass is dry, but it just rained again and the grass is greening up and the weeds are coming out too. Even when I did use the mower, I left the clippings on the grass. It was never bagged, justy mulched in place. I may need to actually rake it up because I may be dropping the weed seeds too.

My rain barrel is full again. I emptied one barrel already and I probably have to empty another one to keep it from overflowing.

I live in a normally wet area but we have had less rain than normal for a few years. I do try to keep the yard as low maintenance as possible by deep watering and selecting plants that can survive on rain and only occasionally need to be watered.
Plants that live on rain
Desert honeysuckle - a weed in my yard
rambler roses- over 20 ft and going
hybrid roses. Remarkable they don't need a lot of water once they are established
native gardenia (nau) trying to be a tree
Palms
Rhapsiolensis indica (lives mostly on rain)
Euphorbia cotonifolia (only needs some summer water
Ti - lives on rain
plumeria lives on rain
Fukien ti- its a weed, I can't get rid of it. It grows between the cracks in the cement
bindweed- explodes with rain
bougainvillea- although I keep trying to kill it, it is still alive
bamboo- running under the mat. This is going to be a tough one
Bay leaf. I left it in one spot too long,now it is in the ground
meyer lemon and calamondin- went through the pots and now I have to kill them
sanseveria and aloe- keep spreading and I have to keep cutting them back
confederate rose (hibiscus) full of white flies so I cut it back, it took a while, it is growing back

Things I am killing
lavender- too much rain and it turns black
sage and thyme- They do ok on the nursery bench but not on the ground
basil- gets downy mildew. However, I got and ajaka basil that is resistant. I have to see how it works in recipes.
Citrus trees- have to be watered every day in pots, but I have to move them to make sure they are not trying to go to ground
Indian curry tree- needs a lot of pruning- It and the bilimbi live on rain.
Agapanthus, and musaenda need more water they are shrinking because they aren't getting enough, but they are hanging in there.

Ksk
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Great post. We live in the high desert (NM) and have been in drought for many years. This is the first time the entire state is not in a drought for as long as I can remember. We are enjoying this time but know it won't last. We also have hot dry winds with very low humidity. Arid is an understatement.

I wanted to comment on weeds. I know of what I speak! After we built our house weeds sprouted every day or so it seemed. An agronomist friend told me, "Weeds are a reflection of distressed soil." What a life altering statement. As weed seeds can be dormant for decades in some cases, the best way to get rid of them is to "crowd them out" versus pull them for a natural looking landscape. Weeds are always the first thing to grow in a disturbed area so if you keep disturbing the soil they will keep sprouting. Notice how weeds grow like mad near new homes and along new highways after construction if the soil is not addressed or mulched quickly.

So I have these vicious weeds (thistles) that grow in my yard with giant thorns. You can hardly pull them even with gloves. Early in the spring I scattered wild flower seeds into one rocky area to help with erosion but knew the weeds would show up first as usual. I cut down weeds at the ground and never let them flower. I didn't pull for fear of dislodging other weed seeds. Gradually the natural wild flowers are doing better and the weeds are struggling. The native sage brush is also getting started and the thistle seem to be in retreat.

Clipping the weeds flat was tedious but really worth the effort.
In the end I think if you want to plant a whole area for a manicured landscape you have to disturb the soil once and then stop, and then get super aggressive with the mulch. For a more natural landscape, one has to be vigilant until the disturbance has ended and the weeds slow down while your native plants get a chance to take over. Our property is too large to manicure the whole place so I do an area each spring. Slow going but we aren't in a rush.

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

It is true, I have so much nut sedge in my vegetable garden that it is wall to wall. They actually get sparser when I plant corn that blocks the light and now there aren't that many because I have not turned the sprinkler on in the garden. However, weeds don't need a lot of water to come back. Everytime it rains, the bind weed and California grass come on like gangbusters. My plants which are being rationed also come back after a good rain. The grass looked pretty dry and dead, but it greened up after a night of rain. I cut the Indian Curry tree, and it needs to be cut again.
Pulling bind weed and nut sedge is a losing battle since it is hard to get the roots out, so I am using roundup in the pathways and between the pavers where they would be hard to dig out. I tried digging out California grass, fukien ti, and African tulip, they are hard to get the roots unless I see them very quickly so I have to keep cutting or use Round Up on them. I am using non-woven weed block on top of cardboard and layers of newspaper because the nut grass comes through the cheap weed block. The hardest is getting the weeds out of the pot without taking out half the soil with it.

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ID jit
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Location: SE New England: zone twilight or 5b... hard for me to tell some days.

Funny to see this post.... local drought is what lead me to this forum.
Amused to see cisterns mentioned as well.

I was looking for a way to adapt and down scale what I knew about roman hydro tech and cistern usage into a form I could use to garden.

Luckily I found this place and learned that I did not need to reinvent the SIP / wicking bed.

Still have the idea of building a "holding" cistern (pond liner and pea stone) under a raised bed and filling it with rain water run off.

Was facsinated by this Roman thing I saw the diagrams for once, I think it was in N. Africa somewhere. Was an amazing thing. They were "collecting" cisterns (sort of cones, point down ) and "holding" cisterns which were a squat amphora shape with a drywell in the center and a run off leading to the next. What I thought was cool about is was they were using an Archimedes screw to transfer the water from the capturing cisterns to the holding cisterns, then drawing water from only the last of the holding cisterns which held water.

Pretty sure the concept would work well under raised beds and rainwater catchment (with out without a grey water filtration or solar still).

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I tried grey water. There's a catch to that. It is o.k. to collect bath water while you are waiting for the hot water and using that to flush the toilet or if I had the energy I could use the clean water for the garden, but that is a trek down 13 steps and to the other side of the house. I tried using wash water, but you cannot use all of the wash water. Soap builds up on the soil and makes it impervious to anything and nothing grows.

Saving rice water is an age old custom. It is actually a favorite way to water honohono orchids.

I do have a basin that fits my sink so, I can use that water to flush the toilet as well.

I changed the way I do dishes. I fill the sink with water and let the dishes soak all day and do them all at one time. That way I use less water and less soap.

I bought a new washer and dryer. The washer actually still worked, it was the dryer that gave out. They were both over 20 years old. The new washer uses less water and it has a large capacity. I actually had to buy more clothes so I could wait to do my laundry when I had a full load. The tub is deep, so I have to stand on tip toe to reach the clothes in the bottom. Down side, like with most new machines, it depends on computer chips, so it gets cranky when you stop it midway and I could not find one without a computer chip. This one did have manual dials instead of a digital control board. I know this one is not going to last 20 years. The dryer is actually less efficient that the old one. It takes longer and uses more power than the old one. I think I seriously need to put my laundry line back up in the patio, to air dry my clothes (the shorter ones at least) again.

I do actually have to water my front yard. We have had years of drought and my 40 year old rhapsiolepsis hedge started dying out in the center. It usually lives on rain. I don't have to water it often, but I do have to deep water once a week. The grass lives on rain and what it can steal from the border plants I do water.

There are some things I have to water daily, but some things can go a few days, so I have to feel the soil in some of the pots to see if it needs water. Sometimes, I misjudge anyway. Even when it rains overnight, a pot is a small target and it still needs to be watered.



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