In this week’s episode, I discuss summer gardening in the desert. Short take: It’s not easy, but it’s doable.
Since garden plants don’t fit anyone’s definition of drought tolerant, they’re going to need human help to keep going. In my garden, that help consists of three things:
- Shade cloths for my two raised beds. I ordered my shade cloths from US Netting, and they’re made to fit over the tops and sides of the beds.
- Ceramic ollas like the one shown in the above photo. These are the ceramic equivalents of leaky buckets. Twice a week, I fill them with water and it slowly seeps into the garden soil, where the roots can easily access it. Here in Tucson, you can purchase ollas at The Rain Store.
- Mulch. I water the garden daily — with cistern water. A surface layer of mulch acts like a blanket to keep the moisture in. The mulch shown in the photo is called coir (say “core) and it’s a byproduct of coconut cultivation (crushed coconut husks).
Here’s another summer gardening tip: Cut back on what you’re growing until the monsoon rains arrive. Otherwise, you’re going to be running your municipal water bill into the stratosphere — or draining your cistern down to nothing.
At my place, I held off on seeding hot peppers and okra until the monsoons came to town. (Yes, they’re finally here!) Looking forward to the produce this fall.
Another Learning Opportunity!
Check out Martha’s new audiobook and eBook, Water Harvesting 101. It will help you get your water harvesting journey off to a strong start.