Water is essential for all life

Water is crucial for any garden, but there are numerous ways to conserve water, even during times of drought.

In this article, you’ll learn:
+ how to garden without running water
+ dry farming principles that you can apply to your garden
+ the best vegetables for homesteading in dry climates
+ techniques to keep the soil moist
+ how to DIY a water catchment system for your home or garden location
+ the benefits of drip irrigation for your eco friendly homestead
+ gray water tips

Environmental benefits of conserving water in the garden

Conserving water in your garden is important for the environment because it reduces the amount of water used, which is a precious resource. Water scarcity and drought are becoming more common due to climate change, so it is important to be mindful of our water usage.

Reducing water usage can help to prevent contamination of water sources, as less runoff and pollution occur when less water is used.

Water conservation in gardens can help to support local ecosystems by reducing the strain on water sources that wildlife and native plants rely on.

Being aware of water usage and working to reduce how much water is needed is an essential part of maintaining an eco friendly homestead.

The techniques that we’ll look at will help build resilience in the garden during this time of climate change. When you implement these water-saving techniques, your garden can thrive even in periods of drought or water scarcity.

How to water a garden without running water

Water harvesting and catchment systems are an excellent way to conserve water in your garden, and gives you access to water if you don’t have a tap connection.

When you collect and store rainwater, you reduce your reliance on municipal water sources and support local ecosystems. Storing rainwater is a fantastic way to build resilience in your garden during times of drought and water scarcity.

Water harvesting systems

Water harvesting systems are designed to collect and store rainwater. These systems are typically installed on roofs or other large surface areas where water can be easily collected. The collected water is then transported to a storage tank where it can be used for irrigation.

If you are collecting rainwater off of a roof, you want to be sure that the roof material is non-toxic so as not to contaminate the water you’re collecting.

University of Hawai’i states the following about roof materials in their rainwater catchment guide:

• Roof materials should be approved by the FDA or the National Sanitation Foundation
• Galvanized metal that is painted with non-toxic paint is what is most commonly used
• Make sure the paint is listed as approved for water collection by the FDA
• Concrete (as long as it doesn’t have asbestos mixed in), terracotta tiles, slate, polycarbonate, and fiberglass are also on the list for roof options

The University of Hawai’i cautions against the following materials:

• Coatings with fungicides or other toxins
• Lead materials anywhere on the roof, building or gutters
• Copper gutters
• Roof materials that are uncovered galvanized metal, zinc, asbestos, tar, asphalt, or treated wood.

(source)

If you live in an area where you get periods of no rainfall, you want to make sure to “flush” your roof and water catchment system before collecting water again. In this way, the debris that collected on the roof can be washed off but not collected in your tank.

You also will want to look at screens and filters to make sure that debris doesn’t clog up the piping and get into your tanks.

Water catchment tanks for a sustainable garden

Water catchment tanks are the essential component for collecting and storing water. These tanks can be installed above ground and come in a variety of sizes.

It’s important to think about the location of your tanks. It’s easier to connect a hose to the water tank and have water flow with a decent amount of pressure if the water tank is elevated or placed on a high point of your land.

If your tank needs to be stored on land that is level with your garden or even lower than your garden, you can connect a small pump to help the water to move from the tank to your hose or irrigation system.

On a small scale, you can avoid needing the electricity for the pump by simply filling up a watering can and hand watering.

Be sure that if your tank is plastic, that it’s made from HDPE, food grade, and UV protected (source).

Water catchment system diy

To implement a water harvesting or catchment system, you will need to determine:

• the amount of water that you need to collect
• the size of the storage tank that you will need
• the location of the system
• how you will transport the collected water to your garden.

There are a variety of options available for implementing these systems, including DIY solutions and professional installations. Consider your budget and the specific needs of your garden when selecting a system.

Irrigated garden system

Drip irrigation can use up to 80% less water than regular overhead watering - a huge savings for those of us on well water or off of main lines. This savings comes from all the water going directly to the soil and root of the plant, a lack of wasted water from run-off due to soil absorption issues, and less evaporation of the water overall (source). The EPA states that for an average home owner, drip irrigation can save a whopping 25,000 gallons of water per year (source).

Drip irrigation is possibly one of the most efficient way to save water, and so it's something we highly recommend added to your homestead or garden.

Gray water garden

A gray water garden system is a way to reuse wastewater from sinks, showers, and washing machines to irrigate plants in your garden. With gray water, it is important to be sure that any soaps or detergents are suitable for gray water gardening, and that no toxins go down the drain.

Gray water systems can help reduce overall household water usage within the garden. However, some guidelines are necessary to make sure that the grey water is used safely and doesn't cause any health or environmental problems.

You can choose to have gray water come from just one source - it’s common to hook up your washing machine to a gray water system since it is the easiest. You may wish to have one sink go to gray water and another go to septic/sewer if you need to use non-recommended products.

Most systems also have a switch where you can divert the gray water into the sewer/septic or into your irrigation system. This is useful if you wash diapers or other soiled garments - in this case you would need to let that wash water go to the sewer.

Research your state/county regulations regarding gray water systems to see what is allowed in your area.

Plants that can be watered with gray water

• fruit trees
• non-edible perennials
• non-edible shrubs and bushes

Can you water vegetables with gray water?

*There is some debate as to if gray water is safe to use on vegetables, where the water could get onto the edible part of the plant.

University of California states that for gray water to be used on vegetables, the water should be delivered through drip irrigation, and should not be used on plants that are on the surface of the soil or below the soil.

They specifically recommend to not use gray water on plants like asparagus (close to ground), strawberries (close to ground), radishes (in the ground), etc.

If you do use gray water on above ground vegetables, it’s still a good practice to throughly wash them before eating.

Soaps, detergents, shampoos that can NOT be used with a gray water system

• anything containing an ingredient with “sodium” in the word
• bleach, chlorine, or bleach/chlorine-containing products
• anything with boron/borax
• powdered detergents
• anything labeled as anti-bacterial
• whitening products
• softening products
• artificial fragrances

As for brands that you CAN use, the San Diego Sustainable Living Institute recommends the brands Dr. Bronners, Ecos and Oasis.

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Dry farming for drought resilience

Dry farming is a technique where crops are grown without irrigation during times of limited or no rainfall.

Dry farming is a sustainable method of farming that relies on soil moisture conservation and crop selection.

The Hopi people, who live in the arid regions of the Southwest, have been practicing dry farming for centuries. They grow crops such as corn, beans, and squash using traditional techniques that have been passed down for generations. They also use dry farming techniques for other crops such as melons, pumpkins, and sunflowers (source).

These traditional indigenous knowlege is proving to be vital to growing food in our modern times, where droughts are becoming more common.

No-till gardening is essential for dry farming to be effective

As we’ve mentioned in our guide to regenerative agriculture, not tilling the soil helps with over all water retention, which is an essential component of dry farming.

The University of Nebraska has studied the long-term effects of no-till on dry land crops, and found that compared with various tillage systems, no-till produced the biggest yield year after year (source). A similar study was conducted in the Mediterranean, which found better soil health in the no till system after it was practiced for one year (source).

Plant spacing for dry farming

In his book, Gardening West of the Cascades, Steve Solomon highlights plant spacings for vegetables that he’s developed based on his own experience. In areas west of the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest and also in areas of California, very little rain falls from June - September, a time span that seems to be increasing with climate change.

Solomon recommends intensive weed prevention and large plant spacings to help your crops source as much water as possible from the surrounding area without competition.

Some examples of his spacing recommendations in the most extreme of dry gardening situations are:

Stubble mulch to stop water evaporation

Stubble mulching refers to the practice of cutting back plants, leaving the plant residue in place, and also leaving the root of the plant in the ground. In large fields, this residue can be akin to a 5 o’clock shadow on the land.

This technique is similar to chop and drop, and is also akin to the process outlined in One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka. It is the essential practice that Fukuoka implemented to get his regenerative farm to have similar yields to conventional farms in his area, highlighting how being water-wise is essential for food security.

Leaving the plant residue in place acts like a shade cloth, and prevents evaporation of water. The evaporation of both surface level water and deeper water stores can be prevented in this way.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln has found that crop yields increased when stubble or mulch was left on the field, by an average of 13% (source).

Organic straw mulch for the garden

If you don't have access to stubble mulch, or don't have enough to cover your garden, then organic straw is a great mulching alternative to prevent water evaporation in your garden.

Notice that I'm specifying that the straw needs to be organic - this isn't only for sustainability purposes, but also for keeping your garden alive.

We unfortunately learned the hard way that regular straw mulch can be treated with herbicides that kill off peas and other beans. The non-organic straw didn't seem to impact broccoli or potatoes, so I thought it must be fine. Then I had a heck of a time growing beans - they wouldn't germinate, and would die if I transplanted them in.

We also noticed some trees that were mulched with the non-organic straw, such as figs, apples, and sea buckthorn were impacted. Carrot seeds might also be affected, based on experience.

Four years later and we're still noticing the residual effects of the non-organic straw in the garden. If you're able to, get your straw from a local organic farmer or purchase garden straw at your local farm and garden supply store. It might be a little more expensive, but it's worth it to have the peace of mind.

I apply straw around already established plants or transplants, and move the straw aside when I am sowing seed. Then I move the straw back once the seeds have germinated. I aim for about 1 inch thickness of straw as a minimum.

In the rainy season, slugs might gravitate to the straw, so I move it aside in areas where I notice slug habitats forming. During the dry season, slugs aren't a problem.

Grass clippings as mulch to conserve water

If you have a lawn and a garden, then grass clippings are a great free resource that can help prevent precious water from evaporating in your garden. As a bonus, grass clippings contain nitrogen and other nutrients, so they give a little boost to the soil as they break down.

You can see in this video from Huw Richards how grass clippings helped his garden to survive through an unusually long drought.

Make sure that your lawn has not been treated with any chemicals, and is free from seed heads before using it as mulch in the garden.

Like with straw, I like to apply grass clippings around plants that have already germinated. If I've applied grass clippings, usually by the time I go to sow the next succession of seeds, it's broken down quite a bit, so I don't really need to set it aside, I just spread it out around the bed.

Grass clippings will attract slugs in the rainy season, so I only apply it when the rains stop.

Self watering 5 gallon bucket garden

Steve Solomon, mentioned above for his plant spacing guidelines, also speaks to the idea of a 5 gallon self-watering fertigation system in the same book. This practice takes place several times throughout the growing season, where water and liquid fertilizer are dispensed to the plant from a small hole in a 5 gallon bucket. Once plants are established, this method can be done with as little as 15 gallons of water spaced out over the growing season per plant or per area, and might not even be necessary depending on other factors.

This is similar to the ancient water urns made of terracotta clay called ollas. An olla slowly releases water to your plants and can be used with fertigation as well. Benefits to the ollas are that they can be buried, so they are a permanent feature in your garden bed and less prone to evaporation of the water. Since they are made of non-toxic terracotta, you don’t need to introduce more plastic into your homestead if you don’t have food grade plastic buckets on hand.

You can buy ollas here: Garden Oya™ Watering Pot

Terracing techniques for dry farming

In arid regions with a slope, terracing is a popular practice implemented to catch water run-off and allow it to slowly infiltrate the soil for the plants to access.

This is popular in areas of the Andes, West Africa, the Mediterranean, and Western Asia, where terracing has a history dating back millennia (source, source).

While terracing may not be practical or possible on most homesteads, it may be something to look into if you are farming on a steep slope.

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Best plants for dry farming and water conservation

Water-efficient crops - low water vegetables for your eco friendly homestead

The Dry Farming Institute has done some major work with offering, breeding, and preserving crops that are suitable for dry farming. There are also crops that are adapted to the low-water conditions of the Mediterranean and desert southwest offered by different seed sellers. I’ve compiled a list of all of the low-water crops that I could find, with links for purchase below.

Adaptive Seeds also offers this bundle of 8 dry farming seed packets at a discounted price:

Seed Collections, Dry Farm Adaptive (Organic) - Adaptive Seeds

Buffalo Seed Company offers this bundle of 31 varieties of Joseph Lofthouse’s landrace crops. Since Lofthouse often chooses for drought-tollerance, this huge mix of over 1500 seeds would be excellent for dry farming.

A Lofthouse Seed Set: 31 Varieties (1585 seeds) | The Buffalo Seed Company

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Conserving water ideas for your sustainable garden

Drought tolerant garden plan

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Tips for success with this low water garden plan:

• Use drip irrigation to get the seeds sprouted OR sow in seed trays in a greenhouse/indoors under a grow light for less water usage
• Once seeds are sprouted, mulch the area heavily with debris from the previous year’s cover crop or use organic straw
• When plants are established, water heavily with drip irrigation every 10 days
• Space plants out so that they have access to as much water as possible
• Keep an eye on the garden to look for signs of stress due to drought and fertigate with a 5 gallon bucket of water if necessary.

Continue learning how to save water in your garden

One of the most crucial things you can do for water retention in your soil is to build soil health with regenerative gardening principles. Learn how in our Soil Health Guide.

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