Water is a resource that will never increase in quantity, it simply recycles.
Retaining water in our landscapes is an essential tool in regenerative landscaping.
Since the beginning of human agricultural experiments, plant, and animal waste has been used to enrich the soil for a boost in nutrients and biological activity.
As organic materials decompose they hold moisture and increase biological activity in the soil. Earthworms create tunnels for water to penetrate deeper into the soil, and microscopic animals and fungi help defend plant roots and promote a healthier environment in the soil, making it possible for stronger roots to develop.
Plant health starts in the roots and is reflected in the health of the plant.
Healthy soil is the foundation of your landscape.
A well-draining, nutrient-rich soil is the answer.
Amending the soil with organic compost.
Bare soil is the enemy.
Mulch protects the soil from drying out from sun and wind and washing away in heavy rains, as well as feeding the soil as it decomposes.
Allow the fall leaves to remain on the ground and decompose for free fertilizer and habitat for beneficial insects.
Use fallen branches for wildlife habitat,
Don't burn your autumn treasures, not only are you throwing away a valuable resource, you are adding to atmospheric carbon and polluting your air.
If you don't have the time to make your compost, you can purchase it commercially for use in the orchard and garden providing a slow-release fertilizer.
With every rain and watering the compost slowly feeds your plants and stimulates biological activity in the soil below, unlike chemical fertilizers that degrade soil over time.
I create a well around each tree extending past the canopy, or drip line, add 3 to 4 inches of compost, and cover it with mulch. This allows water to slowly permeate the root zone during heavy rains.
Water and nutrients are absorbed through the fine hair-like roots, so keeping your irrigation just beyond the drip line encourages the roots to spread out.
Deep watering less often trains the roots to travel deeper into the soil.
Remember!
The tap root is an anchor and does not absorb water. Do not place your irrigation next to the trunk of the tree.
Go Native!
Selecting native plants with low water needs and grouping plants with similar requirements saves water and once established requires little to no water except in extreme drought.
They attract beneficial insects and wildlife while increasing biodiversity for soil health.
Using deep-rooted plants like comfrey helps penetrate and break up dense soils and allows air and water to travel deep into the soil, encouraging root growth.
Drip irrigation targets the root zone.
Deep infrequent watering rather than watering often and for short-run times encourages tree roots to seek out water, instead of growing close to the surface.
Only shallow-rooted plants like lettuce and tender greens benefit from frequent watering.
Test how deep the water penetrates after you irrigate.
You may need to adjust your run time durations depending on how deep the roots go.
Keeping groups of plants with similar water needs together in the same watering zone saves water and money.
Installing an irrigation controller with 3 programs gives more efficient water usage if you program similar water requirements to each program.
For example; Program A for trees, Program B for shrubs, berries, and vines, and Program C for shallow-rooted plants like vegetables, greens, herbs, and flowers.
Hugelkultur has been used for centuries in Europe.
It entails building a mound starting with tree limbs, logs, and branches, adding layers of organic materials, then topped off with soil.
As the materials decompose, they hold more and more moisture and eventually need little to no water.
As the mound breaks down, nutrients are released into the mound, self-fertilizing the entire bed.
Trees and shrubs thrive in this environment of fertile soil with minimal care.
They are a great place for fruit trees, berries, vegetables, flowers, and herbs.
Keyhole gardening was developed in the arid deserts of Africa.
It is a highly efficient technique. It uses about a third of the water as a raised bed, and it uses less water as time goes by. Keyholes are built similarly to a Hugelkultur mound, using layers of organic materials to mimic the natural process of a forest floor.
Water harvesting off a hard surface like a roof, driveway, or sidewalk allows you to collect hundreds of gallons of runoff from rain.
Directing runoff to storage tanks lets you use the water when you need it.
You can also collect it in a Rain Garden.
Rain Gardens are another technique of water harvesting.
Rain gardens are a depression in the landscape with a raised edge on the downhill side for collecting runoff and filtering the water slowly into the landscape.
Plants with higher water requirements go into the basin, and plants with lower water requirements go higher up the sides of the rain garden.
Earthworks
can be as small as a berm to hold back water from the foundation of your house, to heavy machinery, changing slopes.
Controlling the grade of the land is an important factor when dealing with floods or drought, the goal is to slowly infiltrate water into the ground instead of letting it escape, or erode your soil.
The use of ground covers keeps the ground temperatures regulated and root zones cooler and reduces erosion.
Groundcovers can be many things, from living plants to bark or straw.
No-till Gardening saves water, builds soil health, and requires less physical labor.
In the book One-Straw Revolution, the soil is never disturbed.
Covering the ground with rice straw is all that is needed.