permaculture

["sals3" <sals3@cox.net>]

I got Bills book years ago PERMACULTURE A Designers' Manual and it really 
was a great read.  I learn so much but it was so many years ago.  I started 
to go to all the permaculture web sites.  I already had my trees in and knew 
fruit trees were the way to go.  plant when your young and set it up doing 
the work when you strong and be natural like the forest.  My trees are big 
now and old and doing great.  I read about water harvesting and seen the 
picture in the book where He digs a hole above the tree line and fill it 
with mulch as I remember it.  I never did that but now water is so costly 
I'm thinking about it.  am I too late?  I know I can't get a key line plow 
in here or even a cat to move earth like when you start setting up your 
place.   I have not done the layer planting so there is still lots to do but 
was wondering is it to late to set up a water harvest the tree plantings are 
mostly over  20 years in.  I'm in Santa Barbara Ca.  it rains in winter and 
dry in summer.  we usually get over 10 inches rain a year in winter., 
weather subtropical ,  banana belt can't grow coconut and every thing like 
mangoes and bananas and pineapple take much longer to bear and grow real 
slow.  I would like to think more about water harvest now if it is not too 
late.  I live on a hill side facing south and when I see how water spreads 
out going downhill underground it makes my mouth water.  any ideas ?  I 
don't get any water run off now and capture all that rain on the land but no 
system was put in.  I water with a well I had dug years ago but electric has 
gone up and up .