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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Drought preparation

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  • From: Steve Diver <steved@ipa.net>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Drought preparation
  • Date: Sun, 12 Nov 2006 12:44:04 -0600

Hi Laurie -

I'm across the border in Arkansas where we had
extreme drought for two years.

Finally the rains came back in late summer onwards
into the fall so our pastures have re-greened and gardening
is easier.

But in the process of dealing with drought my thoughts
turned to gravity-fed irrigation.   I hope to install one of
these systems for Summer 2007.

To my knowledge, there are two companies making special
drip lines that work with gravity-fed irrigation.  These drip
lines hook up to a bucket or barrell perched about 4-6' high.  
That height provides sufficient "pressure" with specially-designed
drip lines.

The first company is Chapin Waterworks.  The following
Sanet posting contains key links and notes, including articles
from Dan Wofford's efforts to combine Chapin bucket
irrigation with super low-maintenance weed barriers.  
Wofford lived nearby in NE Oklahoma where I visited
several times before his untimely passing.  

Chapin Bucket drip irrigation
Sanet archives
Mon Jan 17 2000
http://www.sare.org/sanet-mg/archives/html-home/41-html/0160.html

Here is the current web link to Chapin Living Waters with
special equipment supplies and articles. 
http://www.chapinlivingwaters.org

The second company uses soaker-hose type drip
lines.  It was mentioned on the Soils Building email
forum that pre-dated this Livingontheland email forum,
earlier this spring.   So there is a web link in the
archives.  (Does anybody recall the second company's
web link?)

The use of compost and mulch helps conserve
soil moisture, but most garden sites still need
regular irrigation and in the hot, dry summer.

Fall/Winter is a good time to collect leaves and hold
them in a "leaf corral."  Stacked leaves slowly weather
and decompose into leaf mould which makes a good
free mulch.

Hope this helps,

Steve Diver
NW Arkansas


Laurie Ann Powell wrote:
I'm working on the larger part of the  garden for the spring.

Many of you know we had a killer drought here in OK, and I'm not sure it's over! 

It was very sobering to realize that if we had really had to live on the soil this year, I would have had to write the book, "1001 ways to live on Habaneros and Goat Milk" because that was pretty nearly all we were getting.  Habaneros loved the hot and dry - every gardener seemed to have them! Even the old standby Zucchini was as rare this year as it usually is ubiquitous!  Farmers' stands were frighteningly empty in July and August, and some were selling produce that in other years would have been fed to the hogs!

Anyway, I'm interested in suggestions for soil preparation with our clay that will encourage that whatever little rain we get is maximized, and any other ideas of how we can prepare for what may be another rough year! Although we've had a bit more rain this fall, it has been very sparse and hasn't refilled the cattle wallows yet.

As always, thanks,
Laurie Ann




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