SFG in a dry area

Don Giulio Mon Apr 29, 2019 8:36 am

Hello,

I'm planning my SFG in Sardinia, Italy.

My garden is south facing, but in this area we experience quite long dry spells, and water is often a luxury. Years ago I grew tomatoes planting them on a little hill I made. I had the problem that this little hill dried very fast, and I had to use way more water than the following year, when I planted my tomatoes on a tiny trench, that was canalizing the water and concentrating it better around the roots.

Of SFG I like the organisation in rectangles, where I can more easily control which plant is where, and even rotate veggies more consistently. But I'm worried that the idea of making a raised bed won't work for me on the account of water usage.

I was thinking instead of raising my beds I could instead dig them in a square trench (not even a finger deep), so that I can concentrate better my water and reduce waste.

Any ideas about this? suggestions?

Thanks,

Giulio

OhioGardener Mon Apr 29, 2019 9:00 am

Welcome aboard, Dan! One of the great advantages of using Mel's Mix in raised beds is that all 3 ingredients - Peat, Vermiculite, and Compost - retain moisture and reduce the requirements for watering. Give some thought to raised beds with Mel's Mix, and add drip irrigation to keep the soil moist during the dry periods. Drip irrigation greatly reduces the amount of water needed, since it eliminates the evaporation of spray watering and it applies water right at the roots.

countrynaturals Mon Apr 29, 2019 11:14 am

Fascinating idea! I just looked up "sunken vegetable gardens." It could work for you and the benefit is definitely water conservation. The only problem I see is that unless you can dig it into the side of a slope, it's going to be even harder on your back than flat ground gardening. We'd love to see some pictures -- before, during, and after.

countrynaturals Mon Apr 29, 2019 11:21 am

Don Giulio wrote:
I was thinking instead of raising my beds I could instead dig them in a square trench (not even a finger deep), so that I can concentrate better my water and reduce waste.

Any ideas about this? suggestions?

Thanks,

Giulio

How about regular raised beds, but put sand bags or something similar around them to help hold in the moisture? Maybe, if you dig out the "finger-deep" trench, you could bank that dirt around the outside of the box. That will make it more difficult to reach in, so you might need to make 3' or 3.5' boxes instead of 4'. Please keep us posted. This is a really interesting idea. (Our summers are insanely dry, too -- Redding, CA.)

Also, mulch, mulch, mulch! We have lots of oak trees, so I mulch everything with a nice layer of leaves.

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