Adaptations for Desert, Drought and Heat

The first challenge in desert conditions is always water, what water to use, how much you have and how careful you are with it.  How we use this resource can have major implications for water quantity and quality in the future.  The goal is to deeply respect this resource and stretch every drop efficiently.

There are a few ways to get water to growing crops.  Drip irrigation is generally considered to be the most water efficient, but it can also be pricey and needs periodic maintenance and replacement.  For biointensive growing, drip irrigation setup can be tricky.  Other options may be more cost effective or easier to manage.

Generally, gardeners and farmers use surface water, well water or municipal water to grow their crops.  Each can have issues and not all options are available to all people.  Rain water may provide a solution for those with limited options.  Surface water can be contaminated with runoff containing human or animal poop, and both surface and ground water for wells can be contaminated by chemicals.  Cost can be a factor as well.

One challenge in desert environments is that the soil tends to be low in organic matter, an important aid in water retention.  Strategies for water use can include methods for increasing organic matter, as well as retaining water through mulching.  Understanding the structure and texture of soil can help select watering methods and timing that will reduce water waste.

Not all crops will succeed in hot, dry climates.  Growing crops that are well adapted to these conditions will result in less work and better harvests.  Carefully read descriptions of crop varieties for clues to their heat and drought tolerance, and buy your seeds from sources that are located near you or specialize in desert adapted varieties.  Saving seeds can be an easy way to obtain seeds adapted to local conditions.

This is a complex challenge and not one easily covered in a few paragraphs.  Read more below and watch for blog posts on related topics.

If I were to pick one indicator of garden success, I'd pick soil organic matter.  It's a winner for lots of different reasons, but water holding capacity is the one that tops them all.  Dark soil that's rich in organic matter holds moisture longer than sand and with better aeration than clay.  Here in the desert, building soil organic matter is a priority.  

I grow green manures and cover crops in my garden, as well as composting.  To me, those living roots build beds faster than compost & with less effort.  For every 3 growing seasons, I try to have a cover crop in every bed at least once.  I use tillage radish for compacted soils, but always with at least 1 legume and one grass.  For fall I like radish, vetch and rye.  For spring, I like field peas and oats.  In summer I use buckwheat, but am looking to try others this summer.

Composting is easy to do using all the garden, landscape and kitchen waste.  I also save neighborhood leaves to add and add cover crop biomass to my compost pile.  I could never raise the soil organic matter with what I make, but I can supplement the garden fertility and increase the water holding capacity of the soil.