Seed Swap!

[WthrLady]

I'm in SW Michigan near niles and I am looking for large heirloom tomatoes preferably plants.
I do not have much to trade right now except sweet corn I was told it was heirloom but produced one good ear and one other smaller so not sure what to make of that. I'm going to do clematis cuttings this year along with flowering dogwood if they take!

I don't have plants, but I MIGHT have some seeds in my vault.

 

[Hailey313]

I've been thinking about growing veggies and fruit trees, but every time I mention it to my husband (like, just a minute ago), only one word comes from his mouth, "Water".

We live off the grid on 1.25 acres of desert in the mountains. No river runs through it, no creek either.

Currently, due to frozen water pipes in the 5th wheel we live in, we are driving 35 miles to town every few days to buy 10 gallons if water.

We have a 250 gallon water tank, but even when we were using it as our source of water when we lived in Nevada and southern N.M. my husband said a garden would take to much water. BAWL! I WANT A GARDEN! What can I do?

 

[WthrLady]

Forget fruit trees. The amount of water trees take per day would blow your mind!

How is your summer supply?
We cut down on water waste by using direct drip irrigation. Each plant has its own root drip tube. They also have heavy mulch.

Best advice. Go to local real garden center, not big bos shop, and ask what WILL grow in your conditions.

 

[Kusanar]

I've been thinking about growing veggies and fruit trees, but every time I mention it to my husband (like, just a minute ago), only one word comes from his mouth, "Water".

We live off the grid on 1.25 acres of desert in the mountains. No river runs through it, no creek either.

Currently, due to frozen water pipes in the 5th wheel we live in, we are driving 35 miles to town every few days to buy 10 gallons if water.

We have a 250 gallon water tank, but even when we were using it as our source of water when we lived in Nevada and southern N.M. my husband said a garden would take to much water. BAWL! I WANT A GARDEN! What can I do?

Hydroponics is actually really water efficient. We used one at school that was a plastic box with sprayers in it, you put the plants (seedlings or cuttings) in little foam plugs that were in the top, so the top of the plant was sticking out of the box and the roots were hanging in midair in the box. It would come on and spray water every so often to keep the roots moist but didn't run constantly and with the water not being exposed to the air, it wasn't bad about running dry from evaporation. Something like that and maybe even tenting the plants with clear plastic so any moisture that evaporates out of the plants themselves is captured, condenses, and runs back into the tank.

 

[Hailey313]

I have heard of hydroponics. I will check it out and make a stop at the Garden store next time I'm in town. Thanks!

 

[Hailey313]

Forget fruit trees. The amount of water trees take per day would blow your mind!

How is your summer supply?
We cut down on water waste by using direct drip irrigation. Each plant has its own root drip tube. They also have heavy mulch.

Best advice. Go to local real garden center, not big bos shop, and ask what WILL grow in your conditions.

I guess I will be getting my peaches at Albertson's

I will do a google search for info on drip irrigation. Perhaps there will be a garden in my life afterall. Thanks!

 

[Hailey313]

Though both drip irrigation and hydroponics seem cheap enough to start, doesn't they both require a water faucet? We live in a 5th wheel trailer and don't have a faucet to spare, and if we are able to use the kitchen or bathroom faucet (once the pipes thaw) we would be hooking/unhooking the system at least a dozen times a day for dishes, and other reasons.

 

[WthrLady]

Use a load tank, or a water pig. Mount it higher and let gravity do the work. You might not have a garden, but a series of containers.

 

[Kacey Elle]

Have you heard of using ollas to water? Drip is awesome but I personally love ollas, instead. I don't use them on fruit trees because my trees are all established already and it would disturb their roots to install the ollas but I use them as my water source for vegetables in my raised bed. I manually fill them once a week or every other week with my rain barrels (depending on temps) and my plants thrive.

This is the book that I picked up during California's drought a few years back. I wasn't about to give up on fresh veggies but I did want (need!) to save water. It has a ton of great information, as well as the science behind why it works.
https://www.amazon.com/Gardening-Le...UTF8&qid=1520651055&sr=8-2&keywords=olla+book

I made my own ollas (waaay cheaper) by following this: http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Yourself-an-Olla-Oy-Uh/

 

[1cock2hens]

if you have access to downed brush, trees etc you could build hugelkulture beds, they are fairly drought tolerant once established