Growing in a drought

08/31/2011 | EnglishCon

[EnglishCon]

Just putting this out there for all the gardeners in Tx.

[harpu]

Speaking of growing in a drought...and Because of the drought, I haven't tried this yet but it does sound interesting.

[mosesdapoet]

Great stuff for avid gardeners and some good tips for gareners in areas where there are dry spells even up north.

That variant of drip irrigation you mentioned. The pvc pipe using threaded wicking action. The thread or line you mentioned I assume wasn’t nylon. Did that thread or line go to the depth of (2’ down) of the raised bed or go down just a few inches ? Were these pipes placed north to south and placed on the walls creating the raised bed lengthwise or east to west across the raised bed ? And were a number of these pipes installed equalling each row of seed ?

[napscoordinator]

What about another prayer by the Governor. Normally that works. If you are sincere it always works for me and many others on this site...........

[elli1]

Very interesting post.

Each pipe had holes drilled in them – very small holes, less than a millimeter across. At each hole location, you would tie a coarse thread – about 6lb test fishing line size, and run the thread down to the base of the plant, pegging it into the soil with a 6” nail.

I don't quite understand. Is the string threaded through the hole in the pipe? Or just tied around the pipe at the location of the hole? Approx. what diameter of pipe, noting that the reservoir is only 1 gallon?

And, just want to add that a large part of Oklahoma is also experiencing severe drought, not just Texas.

Used to live in NW OK so I know what hot, windy & dry is all about. Live in WI now where we measure drought by weeks, not months & years. Anyway, I'm expanding my hosta garden into an area not covered by the sprinkler system and in under trees where it gets very dry. Using moisture crystals with the new plantings. I've noticed that when I lift a hosta to move it to another location that the roots are clinging to the moisture crystals so I think they like them! So the MC's are another tool in the water conservation box.

[mosesdapoet]

I re-read your piece about using the threaded line and understand for your vine crops (beans etc) set the pipe on your sun screen which is above the raised bed . The threaded line would also train the vine to grow on the line while irrigating it and it was stuck in the ground a few inches deep.

[MagnoliaB]

I hope Tx gets some rain soon. We were under very dry conditions this summer so I put a dishpan in my kitchen sink to catch all the water that I usually let go down the drain. It was amazing how much water I was able to put on my flowers and vegetables. I have a pier cart that we use when we fish at the beach which I could put four 5-gal buckets in. By the end of the day, especially if I had been canning, they would be FULL and then some. I could then roll the cart wherever I needed it.

[rightly_dividing]

Drought ping

[Red_Devil 232]

Thanks some our gardeners will be interested in this. I know I was!

Ping to the Gardening list!

Weekly Gardening Thread

[ladyvet]

Interesting. I wonder if the beds would survive the 45-50 mph winds that seem to appear out of no where here in Northeastern Nevada.

[left that other site]

You-Know-Who can use this advice for when he is removed from office and deported to his native Kenya.

[pyx]

In a drought, perhaps another suggestion, completely a different approach, might be in conserving water using containers. One of the approaches that might be considered are EarthTainers including the videos at the bottom of the webpage. There is a PDF describing EarthTainer construction that can be freely downloaded here.

I have no association or connection with these people in any way. I only post the information for interest.

[Bigg Red]

You are a clever fellow!

[Nervous Tick]

Good stuff! Thank you.

[WestwardHo]

EarthTainers

We tried growing three tomatoe plants in Global Buckets this summer.
Our tomatoe plants never grew more than a foot tall. When we finally gave up and put the plants in the ground the grow bucket (the dirt) was packed with root. Long thick ponytails of root had grown down into the resevoir bucket.
Each tomatoe was a different variety. Each plant came with it’s own tomatoe worm investation which doesn’t have anything to do with the buckets, obviously. But, another problem we had with the G.B.’s, is I think the water in the resevoirs was over heating because of our three digit heat.
We moved them to partial shade but I think the root problem was too advanced.
These poor tomatoes have had a rough summer. Doesn’t look like they will recover before fall.
Eastern New Mexico is in the severe drought along with the rest of you.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Thanks; bookmarked

[LearsFool]

I think the water in the resevoirs was over heating because of our three digit heat.

Yeah, I think it was the heat - coming so early in the growing season - that did in a lot of plants this year. Even the tomatoes and peppers I'd planted in partial shade were stunted.

[handmade]

Now that takes gardening to a new level. We are so spoiled as a rule we would not think of doing this. Thanks for posting.

[momtothree]

This is just fascinating to me! As a gardener, I am in awe of any other gardener and their location (how they garden to the climate/soil instead of forcing a garden that isn’t suitable). Even with common issues like a large population of deer, I am interested in flowers/plants/shrubs that are deer resistant (even if you add some of your deer yummy favorites... it isn’t a bad idea to keep a garden intact). It is no different than choosing full sun plants for sunny areas and not choosing shade only plants. Good job, Englishcon! Love the post!

[Silentgypsy]

Thank you!