Conserving Water

[opabinia51]

Here are five water conserving methods and their benefits:

High Organic Matter Content: Holds moisteure, adds fertility, stores nutreints, boosts soil life, fluffs soil

Deep Mulching: Slows evaporation, cools soiil, adds fertility, boosts soil life, smother weeds

Water Conservng Plants: Need less water, survive droughts

Dense Plantings: Shades soil, Smothers weeds

Soil Contouring: Catches water, directs water where needed, helps plants and soil life survive both wet and dry periods, builds humus, adds visual interest

[opabinia51]

Soil Contouring

HOW TO MAKE A SWALE:

It's really quite simple, on the horizontal of the downslope of your land shovel a trench that is 1 foot deep and 18 inches wide where aesthetics aren't a big concern and 6 inches deep but, 2 to 3 feet wide and pile the excess soil down from the trench to make a berm running behind the trench.

Next, lay a 3 to 6 inch layer of gravel in the bottom of the trench, followed by packed straw or some other absorbent material. Top the Swale off with a 1-2 inch layer of soil.

The Swale will allow rainwater to collect in the soil instead of having the rainwater simply run off. Also, combined with a few of the above techniques, this will greatly reduce the amount of water you have to do. In fact, combining these techniques can totally eliminate the amount of watering you have to do.

But, remember a very important technique in water conservation and soil building is to build healthy, organic rich soil. The more humus, the more water that is absorbed. This technique would be pretty much useless in a sandy soil. Though, it would certainly help.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Check out the new name for the swale; raingardens. Google that and check out some of the sites that have sprung up. Good stuff!

[opabinia51]

Yes, Deep mulching what comes to mind for me are both trench composting and sheet/lasagna composting. Use lots of leaf mulch. Apple seem to be the highestd in nutrients. I also really like maple. And don't forget your greens. Otherwise the composting bacteria will take Nitrogen from the surrounding soil to burn.

[grandpasrose]

I have had to conserve water for years as I have a very low producing well, and the years have gotten drier and drier here, making the water table lower, therefore, less water.
I have always watered with grey water, mulched heavily, use drip watering, dense planting, (no weeds that way either!), and contour gardening, raised beds, water only in morning and evening, etc.
Last fall, we built a 600 gallon wooden tank on the north end of our house, lined with plastic with valves and overflows on it. All of the eavestroughs on our house now drain into this tank! We had always had rain barrels, and still do on our sheds, etc. but the amount of water saved in this tank from just one rainfall is amazing! It has taken alot of stress off our conventional watering system.
VAL (Grandpa's Rose)

[opabinia51]

All excellant ideas Val. Great to see someone else who is putting these ideas to use! Do you use Swiles as a part of your contouring?

[grandpasrose]

My understanding of swales is as a method of drainage or preventing runoff on hills. I don't have this problem. We have an almost flat property, and find myself building hills and berms (sp?)with boulders and plantings to keep the water in. We have an acre of property, and not alot of water, so can't water lawns, etc. We have planted alot of groundcover and gravel/boulder areas, as well as raised vegetable and flower gardens.
Of course, we are always dreaming up new ones!
VAL

[opabinia51]

Yes, swales are used for drainage but, their main purspose from that drainage is to put the water into the soil for your lawn, plants and so on. If your soil is composed of composted leaf matter, etc; the soil will hold on to that moisture and the plants will absorb it.
Hence, reducing or eliminating the need for a sprinkler system.

The Berm system with the swales ensures that most or all of the water does end up in the Swale as apposed to running down the hill or staying on a flat surface. For this reason, if you property already has berms, and the soil is not absorbant enough to suck up the water, a swale will be of great use.

I would personally probably not use straw (as it is in short supply around this area) but, use leaf mulch instead.

[grandpasrose]

I always have lots of straw cause I use it to cover my roses for winter - about seven bales of it. It then gets composted in the garden.
I guess I will have to explore the swale idea a bit more. Thanks!
Can you tell me more about what type of garden you have - I have been to Victoria, so know where you are talking about.
VAL (Grandpa's Rose) - for my grandpa the sixty year rosarian here in Quesnel, who started me on my rose garden!

[The Helpful Gardener]

Still illegal (though not much enforced) in my state to do the big tank; something about water diversion. WE need to review this stuff with our legislators to get responsible, thought out laws iin place to deal with these water shortages many are starting to experience. Knee-jerk laws are NOT helping but hindering smart response like Val's...

[opabinia51]

A little confused as to what is illegal Scott. Is it the storage tank for rainwater?

The type of garden(s) that I have. Well, that would be a long story. Suffice to say that I practice edible landscaping. Usually, I only grow things that I can eat or things that benefit things that I can eat.

I have a fairly large vegetable garden that is located at my grandmother's place with all sorts of heirloom vegetables, companion flowers and so on. I have another garden at another locality where I grow all sorts of herbs as well as a few tomatoe plants and some Jerusalem artichokes as well as grapes and at my place my landlord has graciously given me what once once a run down front yard that I have turned into a wonderful edible landscape.

[grandpasrose]

I have never heard of collecting rain as being illegal! Having raintubs and barrels go back as far as north america setters at least, I am sure! I sure know up here they would have a hard time to convince anyone that they couldn't put a barrel or tank at the corner of their roof!! Amazing!!

Opa, you must spend your entire day going from one garden to another! Victoria is a beautiful City, and I often envy the climate you have, but also enjoy the slower, quieter life up here. Also, the weather patterns have changed so much here in the past ten years, that I am able to grow plants two zones warmer than in the past! I think Quesnel is in kind of a "banana belt" in the north.
VAL

[opabinia51]

Gorgeous country up there where you live. My grandparents are actually up there right now on their annual summer excursion which lasts from June to October or later.
Went up to visit them at Greeny lake last year (which is actually closer to Williams Lake) and caught a tonne of fish. Also, went to fly lake and waded around in my chest waders and caught a Rainbow that jumped not two feet in front of me! Wow, that was sure fun. Anyway like I say, really gorgeous up there. Though, I can do without those winters. Brrrrr.

[grandpasrose]

Yes, it is true that the winters can be a little much, although not as cold as they used to be. I have to admit that I kind of enjoy having a break from the gardening and actually having permission from the weather to just sit back and dream and plan what I am going to do next year! Plus, I also have too many other hobbies, and they all get put aside in the summer for the garden!
Green Lake is a pretty little lake. How long have your grandparents been coming up this way for their holiday trips?
VAL

[The Helpful Gardener]

Yea folks, by Connecticut law even rainbarrels are considered diversion of run-off and that's illegal (meant to stop damming and channeling on a larger scale, I'm sure, but never got around to allowing the exceptions).

Like I said, not much enforced...

Scott

[opabinia51]

Still, seems kind of overboard to me. But, that's just life.


By the way, a large black (or dark coloured barrel) filled with water (rain or hose ) will warm up during the day and slowly give off heat at night keeping a more uniform temperature in your garden for your plants. (Stew your compost or leaf mold tea in the barrel and kill two birds with one stone.)

One of these in the green house is also a great idea.

Oh, and What to use as a tea bag for your compost or leaf mold? I use a burlap sac. Just went down to my local farm market and asked Vern for one. He wouldn't even accept any money.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Old pantyhose works a charm (double-barreled even... )

[opabinia51]

For those who are planning on putting in swales to save on watering for next year; if you haven't already done it (05-09-30) now is the time to do it. All the water from Fall and winter rains (and snow) will be trapped (well, not ALL the rain) in the soil for next year. This means less watering or even no watering.

This means a cheaper water bill. The could even mean a green lawn in the dead of summer when you aren't allowed to water your lawn where I live.