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 ?
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...........
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.
Drought ping
You-Know-Who can use this advice for when he is removed from office and deported to his native Kenya.
You are a clever fellow!
Good stuff! Thank you.
Thanks; bookmarked
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.
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!
thanks for posting
Thanks a lot for this. July this year was unusually dry for us, as well as unusually hot. We use our air conditioner water, and spring rain water saved in barrels, to avoid using the well water, but we had to prioritize the perennials, and didn’t have enough for some of the vegetables.
This is a very useful idea. Thanks again.
Here's something simple that might work for you. I've got 24 water carrots, and it took some fiddling to get them to work. AND I didn't bother setting them up the last couple of years. First I learned not to jam them down into the soil but take a very large screwdriver I have and ream out the hole in a circular motion a little deeper and wider than needed for the carrot.
When I say carrot, I mean they are just orange plastic cones that screw onto bottles, the bottles being upside down facing the ground. The carrots are the cheapest but others are available.
Next I learned to put a little sand in the bottom to act as a filter thanks to a tip from someone. That kept the drip hole from getting clogged so much.
Then I screw them to a 2-liter bottle with a hole cut in the bottom (used a woodburner tool with the hot knife tip), purpose twofold. No hole, water won't flow. The hole lets the water flow. Also I can go along with the hose and fill them up again.
And I could have cut pieces of nylon screen to filter out junk getting into the 2-liter bottles and secure it somehow.
I found this easier than a too heavy, too long soaker hose my neighbor loaned me. My smaller soaker hose with laundry tube attachment for correct reach worked well but you can't turn it on too strong or the bottom of your plants will get scorched.
Water isn't rationed here, drought is but not like TX, but dragging the hose got to be such a pain I don't bother.
I used to grow tomatoes just fine on the east side of the house. That shielded them from the afternoon sun and conserved water; one cherry tomato climbed 15 feet at least. On the beefier tomatoes, maybe the yield wasn't as good but it worked. Now too many trees shade where I used to grow them so that limits what can be planted there.
The only thing about the carrots is they require close monitoring for stuff that still drops in there, bugs, clogs, but maybe better than other solutions. Sometimes I had to ream out the drip hole with a needle, they are a bit of a pain, too, but helped getting some perennials a good start their first year.
I learned the hard way with a milk jug, can't remember how I set up the drip in the pouring part. But I noticed it caved in on itself if I didn't punch a hole in the top. How did I set those up, didn't have the carrots then? Oh, I remember. They had the drip holes in the bottom of a gallon jug with the cap OFF. I forgot I did that. In a way that's easier and more portable than the carrots, but had to haul them arount to a faucet to fill them. They do work fast to save plants.
I have to do everything myself or hire it done, so making raised beds would be too hard for me. I'm learning the lasagna method. I'd like a rain barrel, a couple actually and not gonna get them. I also need to rig up more stuff plants can climb on without being too unsightly, I guess the skinnier rebar teepees would be the easiest for most stuff.
Also I use an awful lot of chicken wire in my gardening. It's ugly but plants soon hide it.
Luv, Master Gardener might be interested in looking at this.
Valuable thread, many thanks.