A drought can be a scary thing and a big chunk of this country is on the edge of a serious drought, me included. I worry about my well running dry and all my garden veggies dying. Yesterday we talked about preparing for a drought with rain barrels.
Today I'd like to bring you some drought-proof ideas to insure your veggies make it through to your dinner table.
One major reason to drought-proof your own garden is because during a drought food prices can skyrocket. Farmers need rain to saturate their crops and if that doesn't happen the consumer suffers. This in turn effects not just fruits and vegetables, but meat prices as well. Not enough corn for people means not enough corn for feed either. Looking to store food? You might like this post on Food Storage:
If you do not have an existing veggie garden you might want to think about setting up a non-traditional garden to give your plants a leg up.
Straw Bale Gardening is where you plant your plants directly in bales of straw! The bales hold the moisture so their water needs drop drastically and provides a no-dig garden. HUGE bonus! My bales lasted for 2 years and then turned into amazing compost full of black soil and beneficial worms.
A Keyhole Garden has been used for years in hot, harsh areas like Africa and Texas. The shape is as unique as the concept. It does look like a keyhole, or perhaps a pie with a piece missing, but that missing piece is the key to this garden. You can walk into the middle of a 6' diameter garden, add compost and just 1 or 2 gallons a day to produce an abundant amount of food. One Keyhole Garden turned 129 phone books (used as the base) into soil!
A Wicking Bed can be described as a giant semi-in-ground container. The bottom is sealed with plastic, rocks and a water pipe. Then is topped of with soil and compost. The bottom reservoir can be flooded to give mature plants a big drink and then allow the excess water to 'wick' up and saturate the soil for the more shallow rooted plants.
So what if you already have a great garden space and need to just work with what you got. Here are some great tips to keep your garden water consumption low:
- Mulch, Mulch, Mulch. It reduces evaporation, soil temperature and weeds which will take the water from your plants. Bark, pine needles, straw, leaves, even rocks.
- Compost Power. Incorporating organic matter like a composted manure works like a sponge in your soil. Soaking up the water, retaining it, then dispensing it slowly and continually. Use a good 3 inches on top and BONUS: now it's a mulch! Now top with a mulch listed above for double the power.
- Water Smart. Do it in the morning when it's cooler and water less frequently, but deeper. Use watering cans, soaker-hoses, and drip irrigation that will soak deep into the soil and leave the leaves dry.
Here are a few other posts that you might enjoy to help you grow a great garden no matter what the conditions! =)
This is great information.
ReplyDeleteDebi @ Adorned From Above
I did mini keyhole square foot gardening last year ( the year before did square foot so added on lol) and it worked great! Thanks for sharing all these great tips, pinning everything!
ReplyDeleteIt's so important to plan for the worst, especially as out weather is more extreme lately. It is hard to think about drought here in NY, as we brace for another 10" of snow and freezing rain.
ReplyDeleteWow, great tips! I wish we had yard space for a garden. For now I'll content myself with a few potted plants on the railing :)
ReplyDelete