PLEASE HELP ME! IN-ground garden

[jolara]

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Because our weather temps are so extreme, In-Ground gardening is the best choice for us during our hot summers. We have a garden we started last year and we made rows with watering troughs. Well, how do I make these rows without the sides erroding down as I water? I leveled my bed, dug the troughs and used the dug out soil to raise the sides to eliminate run off but I feel like I'm 'not getting it'. Can anyone please give me some guidance? I've looked online but the current trend is raised beds so I can't find much on in ground ones.

I'd rather not have the extra expense to support the sides with lumber, outside of what I have for scrap. Besides, if I did use lumber I don't know how I would did in the troughs....next to the wood? Leave a 6" border then did the troughs? :cry: I'm so frustrated that I can't even think rationally to solve this on my own.

FWIW, we plan to set up a timer to irrigate with direct watering lines to fill the troughs.

I'd very much appreciate any advice anyone would be willing to share on this.

Thank You.

[dilligaf]

FWIW, several people i type at on other boards from arizona dont even bother growing in the summer.
not sure where you are but i assume southern arizona. These people have already planted their gardens and will have fully harvested what they can by the end of june.

most seem to plant their cool crops in january and the rest of their gardens now. then they plant fall crops in early september..

i think from what they say changing your planting schedule to avoid the summer is a much more viable option over trying to keep your garden alive through the heat of summer..
i hope that helps..

[Navajo]

I have been using drip irragation to get around those problems.

Yeah a couple hundred dollars in parts over the last couple of years to do it.

Lot less water and better crop production for sure.

[jolara]

Navajo-
I've considered drip irrigation and just as you mentioned, assumed it would cost us a pretty penny in start up not to mention time cutting all those little black hoses. :-D However, as you pointed out, it would probably be better in the long run. Considering we haven't yet purchased the supplies, deciding on this route from the start would be best cost effectively speaking.

Dilligaf-
We are in Wickenburg, so a bit higher up than the valley but we still get the harsh temps in the summer. Last year we designed shade covers for some of our beds and that helped a bunch, especially with the tomatoes and strawberries. Thankfully our garden continued to produce all summer long and into the fall. Last year was our first year at gardening and we learned as we went making many mistakes along the way. Needless to say, we didn't grow a bounty of fruits and veggies but we did harvest from most everything planted...except cucumbers. This year our soil is amended better than last and I double dug all the beds to a depth of 18" or so which we didn't do last year.

[dilligaf]

jolara. I would try the two liter bottle sinking method or clay pots. It is a very economical method of getting water to the thirsty plants. Here i s a very basic system...http://terranotterror.com/2007/09/30/what-to-do-with-your-plastic-bottles/ With clay pots it just goes through the clay and to the plants... It is much like drip irrigation but much cheaper.

I have tried the trenching methods too and didnt care for it much in the end. I have talked to some who use that method and they recommend trenching then filling the trench with mulch and mulching heavy around the plants to keep everything where it is sposed to sty and keeping as much moisture in the soil as you can... Unfortunately unless you have a source for mulch it too can be really expensive..

[jolara]

I've seen something like that before, but they used buckets! I disregarded it because a bucket would take up too much space and never thought about it again. :? For whatever reason, my brain left it at that and moved on. :oops:
That's a good idea but I'd have to use empty water bottles (we don't drink much soda). I could do an occasional top side watering for when it's time to feed the roots (we use compost & composted manure). We have lots of the bigger water bottles that would work best for the tomatoes. Our tomatoes last year got about 6' tall once we put the shade cloth up, however I didn't know to trim the runners which I plan to do this year.
As far as mulching is concerned, we lay the straw down nice and thick throughout the whole garden - paths included (although a bit thinner layer). This year I will mulch with compost & then straw. We didn't have enough compost last year and finally have enough made to use this time.

Thanks for the idea! :-D

[Zarathustra]

Watering a garden for me has always been a dilemma how to get the water from the faucet to the plants and do it cheaply. I think the best way is drip irragation but the systems are quite expensive.

I've seen the "bottle method" mentioned in some gardening books, dilligaf, and this year when we put in our in-ground garden I think we will employ this method. Thanks, for reminding me of this and for providing the link. :smile:

[momof23goats]

I have been using drip irragation to get around those problems.

Yeah a couple hundred dollars in parts over the last couple of years to do it.

Lot less water and better crop production for sure.
this is the best way to go really, and will help you with your problem. to get started just buy some drip hoses, you can get some thataren't to expansice.

[RENMAN358]

Ive also tried many of the above.

If you use pop bottles leave the cap ends
on to keep dirt out. W/O the cap

I had lots of problems with fittings on drip
hoses.

Me thinks the natives in the southern deserts
had the right idea. An UN-glazed pot, with a
loose cover to keep dirt out.
The water weeps out slowly.

[ScottyKarate]

If your rows erode, you should just use your hoe to hump the dirt back up about once a week to keep the roots from being exposed. I spent endless hours when I was a teenager doing this in my Grandfather's garden.

[susie]

Ruth Stout

[SheWoff]

Here's another vote for drip irrigation. We just get the drip hoses from Lowes or walmart and they work just fine. If you take good care of them, they will last for years. The last ones I bought was 2002 so this will be the 7th year for them and they're still okay. It is a little hard to get the Mantis around them sometimes and you will have to move them around to get your tilling done if you weed that way, but it's worth the work and the tomatoes love being watered that way instead of getting the leaves all wet (which helps spread diseases if you mess with them while wet, going from one plant to another) like you would with traditional sprinkling.

One other thing, plant as early as you safely can. If that is January for your area, do it then. Some things will not take heat no matter how much you shade them or baby them along, like green peas, turnips, greens, etc....they will just bolt aka going to seed and you will get little to no produce from them.

She