Comments on: Raising Succulent Veggies in Harsh Climates http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/raising-succulent-veggies-in-harsh-climates/ Featuring Vegetable Gardening Tips, Organic Growing Techniques, and Unique Plants for the Backyard Gardener Fri, 19 Mar 2010 02:09:03 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: spider plants http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/raising-succulent-veggies-in-harsh-climates/#comment-111273 spider plants Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:42:46 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/?p=2245#comment-111273 This really helped… thank you very much! I will have to apply the same technique in my indoor garden. This really helped… thank you very much! I will have to apply the same technique in my indoor garden.

]]> By: Churchill Mallison http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/raising-succulent-veggies-in-harsh-climates/#comment-110382 Churchill Mallison Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:50:33 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/?p=2245#comment-110382 Check out edible cactus. We have 8 months of drought, and cactus is a valuable edible. Check out edible cactus. We have 8 months of drought, and cactus is a valuable edible.

]]> By: Gavin http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/raising-succulent-veggies-in-harsh-climates/#comment-110349 Gavin Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:52:58 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/?p=2245#comment-110349 I love the idea of wick watering.. it waters only when necessary and if it's stored right, it will use significantly less water. There's a bunch of ideas on how to do this right.. but I've read that you can take perhaps a 3-5 inch diameter soaker hose and fill that with water and put that in the bottom of your raised bed. The water will slowly soak into the ground around it and the soil will wick it up to the plant roots. The trick with this is you don't want the soaker hose to be too shallow as the soil at it's immediate depth tends to be more water saturated. I love the idea of wick watering.. it waters only when necessary and if it’s stored right, it will use significantly less water. There’s a bunch of ideas on how to do this right.. but I’ve read that you can take perhaps a 3-5 inch diameter soaker hose and fill that with water and put that in the bottom of your raised bed. The water will slowly soak into the ground around it and the soil will wick it up to the plant roots. The trick with this is you don’t want the soaker hose to be too shallow as the soil at it’s immediate depth tends to be more water saturated.

]]> By: DrJohnandBruno http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/raising-succulent-veggies-in-harsh-climates/#comment-109109 DrJohnandBruno Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:51:49 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/?p=2245#comment-109109 One thing to try is to amend the soil. Increase the soils ability to retain water by using compost and biochar. Then put a heavy mulch, even newspapers will work. One thing to try is to amend the soil. Increase the soils ability to retain water by using compost and biochar. Then put a heavy mulch, even newspapers will work.

]]> By: Kathy http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/raising-succulent-veggies-in-harsh-climates/#comment-109102 Kathy Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:41:27 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/?p=2245#comment-109102 I recommend checking out the <a href="http://www.phoenixpermaculture.org/" rel="nofollow">Phoenix Arizona Permaculture Guild's website</a>. There is a pdf version of their Desert Planting and Harvest calendar that you can download and lots of discussions on their forums and pictures etc. that might be of interest to those in a similarly challenging environment. There are books about desert gardening such as those by Mary Irish and Scott Calhoun that you might want to check out, if available to you. I recommend checking out the Phoenix Arizona Permaculture Guild’s website. There is a pdf version of their Desert Planting and Harvest calendar that you can download and lots of discussions on their forums and pictures etc. that might be of interest to those in a similarly challenging environment. There are books about desert gardening such as those by Mary Irish and Scott Calhoun that you might want to check out, if available to you.

]]> By: Kenny Point http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/raising-succulent-veggies-in-harsh-climates/#comment-109088 Kenny Point Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:55:04 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/?p=2245#comment-109088 Hi Faith, thanks for the suggestion and that's a great idea that I really hope they have already begun working on considering how severe their water shortages are, but I will have to ask Trish about that. On a related note, I put together a <a href="http://veggiegardeningtips.theopenskyproject.com/complete-rainreserve-system-double-capacity.html" rel="nofollow">rain barrel kit</a> this summer to catch runoff rainwater and I absolutely love it and plan to write a post about it in the near future. Hi Faith, thanks for the suggestion and that’s a great idea that I really hope they have already begun working on considering how severe their water shortages are, but I will have to ask Trish about that. On a related note, I put together a rain barrel kit this summer to catch runoff rainwater and I absolutely love it and plan to write a post about it in the near future.

]]> By: Faith http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/raising-succulent-veggies-in-harsh-climates/#comment-109087 Faith Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:11:03 +0000 http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/?p=2245#comment-109087 My first thought is to learn how to recycle the water that they DO have available to them. I did a quick search and found this: How do we recycle water? All water from our showers, baths, hand-basins and washing machine is redirected to a 100-litre (20 gallon) water sump in the basement of our villa. When this is full, a float switch detects it and the water is automatically pumped to a 1000 litre (200 gallon) tank above ground. This water has chance to settle, then is used to water the plants in the garden – and there is always plenty to go around. Dish washing water is removed separately to prevent trapped food particles entering the water system, but is still used in the garden. About twice a year, we empty the 1000 litre water tank and clean out the settled ‘mud’. My first thought is to learn how to recycle the water that they DO have available to them. I did a quick search and found this:

How do we recycle water?

All water from our showers, baths, hand-basins and washing machine is redirected to a 100-litre (20 gallon) water sump in the basement of our villa. When this is full, a float switch detects it and the water is automatically pumped to a 1000 litre (200 gallon) tank above ground. This water has chance to settle, then is used to water the plants in the garden – and there is always plenty to go around. Dish washing water is removed separately to prevent trapped food particles entering the water system, but is still used in the garden.

About twice a year, we empty the 1000 litre water tank and clean out the settled ‘mud’.

]]>