GARDENING FOR WATER CONSERVATION

Previous posts on this site have talked about how to garden using low-water methodologies.  I have a new-found friend who I think is concerned about this as he is from a desert climate that is firmly in the grips of a drought as is much of the US.  He has extrapolated out and knows that water may become a huge issue if this drought becomes protracted (as I think it will - previous posts).

I have shared my plan from earlier in the year for a garden which we have executed (my family and my MIL who has one heckuva green thumb).  It is based on the principles of an Eden garden which uses ground cover of wood chips in order to:

 1) cut down on weeds
 2) reduce moisture loss during drought
 3) reduce erosion and leaching of minerals from the soil during fallow times and hard rains
 4) improve soil conditions.

I cannot stress you watching this movie enough.  It is inspired.  The only thing I want to do is go over there and chat with the film maker, gather some more tips, give some kudos and then see if he is elect when I drop the "I am a Mormon" bomb.   He seems like a fantastic guy - I just like to do the ultimate litmus on people to see where they are at.

I recently got a chipper and used it to chip large piles of branches from some trees that were cut down.  Those chips have been applied around the base of all our fruit trees in order to prevent them from drying out.

More (acid) chips will be added later to the berry patch to control weeds and keep the bushes from needing so much moisture.  I will stop there with the wood chips and advise something much better that my MIL has devised.  Instead of using wood chips (except for plants that enjoy a highly acid environment, like blueberries), my MIL experimented with hay.  Hay provides quick nutrients to the soil and will not deplete the local stores of nitrogen.  It insulates just as well, keeps the weeds down and it less of a barrier to the plants coming thru the soil.)

I wish I could show you what I have seen.  I might well call it a miracle - as far as gardens go from my past.  My MIL has been able to get celery to grow with gusto in withering heat where I was positive it would fail regardless of how much attention it has been given.  I always thought it was more suited to milder situations.  With about 6 inches of hay shielding it from the elements and plenty of water from a soaker hose (we bought around 20-30 of them from Walmart - who has the best price and quality such as UV resistance), it has taken off.  The other thing that I think has made such a successful garden is praying over it - which I have done each time I have been there.  Lets not forget the admonition of the Book of Mormon to pray over our flocks, herds - everything we do.  Last of all, my MIL made the call to put the garden in the pasture which I initially resisted.  As stubborn as I am, I always give way to those who know more in any area and hopped on the tractor to till the pasture area.  This pasture area had been a former horse boarding site where the manure was up to 12 inches deep - literally prepared for what it would be used for by us.  I am so glad that lightning struck that transformer.....  I took the depth guards off the tiller and used the down-force on the 3 point hitch along with some sandbags on top of the unit to get down to the clay layer and pull up all that mineral goodness from 12-14" down up into the black loam and, of course, mixed in all that equine poopiness for good measure.  The last thing we did to control bugs is have the chickens patrolling the perimeter of the garden and our new guinea hens to patrol the inside of the garden fence.  Those birds love to eat bugs - and the guineas generally will leave the mature plants alone and focus on the bugs they find in the garden.  They are feral birds - so we just leave them alone to do their thing.  Breeding, eating, and roosting in the local trees for protection at night from predators. 

Here is a simple datapoint - but it is a data point nonetheless.....  It takes two points, minimum to develop a trend....  I went over to MT with our new pheasant and guinea hens in boxes in the back of the car.  I had a raging summer cold.  After a drive of 10 hours, I was stove up and could not hardly straighten out after getting out of the car.  I have been having severe joint pain for not having a proper diet (my guess).  When I left 6 days later, I drove the same distance, my cold was gone and I popped out of the car and felt like I was 25 again at the end of the drive through the night.  If I ever do get a cold - it will stick around for several weeks.  So - after eating solid organic veggies from that garden with those minerals, etc and organic eggs from the chickens, I felt like a million bucks.  That is the first instance of that in the last 10 data points. 

Here-in lies our problem - and I know this because I used to work in agribusiness between semesters at BYU and observed how its done.  Our soil is depleted of its natural vitamins and minerals due to successive crops being planted.  The only thing a farmer puts back in is nitrogen, either naturally through crop rotation, or artificially through the use of nitrates.  Each successive planting will result in the essential vitamins and minerals being pulled out of the soil.  Without vulcanism and other processes - such as flooding in river bottom farmland - those essential elements are not being replenished.  When virgin soil is broken and used (or woodchips, etc are added from trees grown on land that was not used for intensive agriculture), you will never get the soil rejuvenation required in order to get the minerals in your soil.  The soil we were breaking was virgin - sat on the bottom of a lake for a few thousand years, then was covered by virgin forests (while the volcanoes to the west were belching out mineral laden ash) and then used as grassland once the trees were removed.  I recommend doing the same thing - or simulating the principles above, if possible. 

My aches and pains are returning as I sit here typing this and return to my crappy food store diet.  No - buying organic would not do, typically.  The organic stuff would just imply that there is little or no chemicals used - still the same depleted soil.  Supplements will do little to help.  The way that God designed our bodies to assimilate essential micro-nutrients is thru the wholesome food we eat.  It takes three things to create a plump healthy looking veggie.  Water, sun and nitrogen (and some other basic stuff, I know).  But, take away any of those three things and all bets are off.  Take away most minerals, etc from that same soil and you will still get the same (by appearance) result.  That is what you are getting in the store.

So - to kill this long thread and recap.  If this drought is it, you have to act quickly in order to secure a food supply.  I built an 11x22 greenhouse last fall using redwood and 1" thick, six wall R-6 insulating lexan panels.  Water barrels painted black inside plus 10,000 lbs of pea gravel in the base help store the day-time heat for release at night.  The weather will only get more wacky - that was a good insurance policy to ensure success in challenging times.  I recommend some sort of green house.  I also recommend tearing out that flowering plum and putting in the genuine article.  That has always been a hellish practice to me - putting in something that looks nice and only gives shade but produces no fruit.  Reminds me of so many people today who can, but who CHOOSE not to have children.... And, yes the tree that was cursed by our Savior does come to mind.....  One aspect of the narrative of our Lord that has always intrigued me.  Of course, wood chips at the base for weed and moisture control.  In the short amount of time that may exist, the wood chip garden (other than fruit bushes, may have too long of a lead-time).  I recommend the hay route - last years hay which may not be suitable for animal consumption will be cheaper and work well in the garden (Straw will not server to fertilize - only to lighten heavier soils and provide drought protection.)  Next spring, those stacked bales will provide a three-sided protection from the wind and frost for the plants that are put in the earliest with a layer of 6 mil clear plastic between the two upper bales as a make-shift cold frame.  They also keep the weeds around the plants down.  Once the plants are established, then the bales are broken and distributed around the plants for ground cover as discussed above.  Soaker hoses are strategically placed under the hay to distribute that scarce water to the base of the plants.  Evaporation will be kept to a minimum.  When the hay breaks down, it will provide natural fertilizer to the soil and will not deplete the nitrogen as wood chips will if it happens to get into the lower layers of the garden soil.

Last of all, we are planting a hedge row to provide shade for shady plants and a wind-break from the ever-present wind.  Plant drought-resistant shrubs - you do not want to have to decide which you will give priority to if push comes to shove.   Plant shrubs and trees preferrably that bear fruit while providing cover for insect eating birds.

Please let me know if you have other questions - all I can say is that WOW - this stuff ^^ works!  I want to eat a diet of that stuff (and what is canned) all year long!  My plan is to throw the supplements out and get it naturally.  After several years, that garden space will become our sheep pasture and we will do the same thing to the south of our existing 1/2 acre plot.  Rotating every few years. 

Pray for our success and I will keep passing our ideas along.  We have scoured the internet and the best books available for the best knowledge and feel this is it.

If I have time - I will try and discuss how you can farm and continue to thrive after EMP and other complete grid failures.  That is a 30 page article that will have to be boiled down unless I am given direction by readers as to where you would like me to focus my blathering.....