Making and Installing Ollas in the Garden - an Ancient Watering System

Saving water with ollas is a great idea.  This series of videos from High Desert Garden shows how to do it easily and inexpensively.     High Desert Garden also created a video showing how to make your own ollas from clay, but using terracotta pots is less expensive, faster and easier.

Ollas will buffer the water needs of a garden, but realistically they are not large enough to get you through the day, so High Desert Garden uses an ingenious method of feeding the closed ollas from a larger reservoir.

Water Rules for Chico, CA

Lawn watering restricted to three days a week.
Odd numbered addresses: Sunday, Wednesday and Friday.
Even numbered addresses, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
No lawn watering on Monday
• No watering from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., except by drip irrigation, microsprayers or by hand.
• New homes need to have drip irrigation for landscaping.
•Water should not flow to non-irrigated surfaces, like sidewalks or into the gutter.
• When watering, water should not run off the landscaping.
• When washing cars, the hose needs to have a shut-off nozzle.
• Water features such as fountains need to recirculate.
• No watering outdoors within 48 hours of a measurable amount of rain.
• No watering or refilling ornamental lakes or ponds except to sustain existing aquatic life.

For the past few years I have been actively experimenting with many water conservative method of gardening.  I have built experimental gardens which I enjoy sharing with others. 

If you are interested seeing a variety of water saving ideas, and wish to visit my gardens send me a message on Facebook - bob.campbell.chico

Some of my gardens can be scaled up to commercial size while others are appropriate for apartment balconies.

Testing Garden Assumptions

I don't believe everything I read or hear and tend to experiment with a lot of ideas.  This guy likes to do the same, but I have to say he is doing a much better job of testing garden assumptions.  If you have ever wondered about the efficacy of things like coffee grounds, Epsom salts, or rock dust, here's the place to see for yourself what you might expect.

Kratky Method-DWC-Compost Tea Hydroponics #2 Hydroponic Tomatoes

I have considered conducting this same experiment.  After skipping ahead to #5 it appears that using synthetic fertilizer won out over compost tea.
It only makes sense if you believe the vast amount of research that has been done around formulas.

Here are the formulas I've been able to collect from https://hydro-gardens.com/product-category/fertilizers/chemgro/

Tomato Formula 4-18-38
  Dutch Tomato Varieties
     Seedlings
     2.27 gm/gal Chem-Gro 4-18-38
     1.14 gm/gal CaNO3
     1.14 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH = 6.5
     Conductivity 1200ppm + Source water
    (1.60 mhos + Source Water) at 2nd cluster of flowers
   To 4th Flower Cluster
     2.27 gm/gal Chem-Gro 4-18-38
     2.27 gm/gal CaNO3
     1.14 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH = 6.2
     Conductivity 1500ppm + Source water
      (2.00 mhos + Source Water) at 4th cluster of flowers
   Older Plants
     2.27 gm/gal Chem-Gro 4-18-38
     2.27 gm/gal CaNO3
     1.14 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH = 6.2
     Conductivity 1500ppm + Source water
      (2.27 mhos + Source Water)

Heirloom Tomatoes may find this formula a bit too high in nitrogen so some experimentation will be required.
 

Chem-Gro makes several fertilizers.
Below are formulas that balance NPK and nutrients specifically for different crops.
Tomato Formula 4-18-38
Strawberry Formula 8-12-32
Lettuce Formula 8-15-36
Cucumber Formula 8-16-36
Pepper and Herb Formula 11-11-40
Hobby Formula 10-8-22
Southern Vegetable Formula 7-14-36
Hydroponic Special Formula 5-11-26








Strawberry Formula 8-12-32
   After Transplanting
     1.14 gm/gal Chem-Gro 8-12-32
     1.14 gm/gal CaNO3
     0.71 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH = 6.5 - 6.8
   Flowers Begin To Open
     1.70 gm/gal Chem-Gro 8-12-32
     1.70 gm/gal CaNO3
     1.14 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH = 6.5 - 6.8

Lettuce Formula 8-15-36
   Seedlings
     2.27 gm/gal Chem-Gro 8-15-36
     1.70 gm/gal CaNO3
     1.14 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH = 6.4 - 6.7
     1350 ppm + Source Water
     1.80 mhos + Source Water
   Mature Plants
     2.27 gm/gal Chem-Gro 8-15-36
     2.27 gm/gal CaNO3
     1.41 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH  = 6.0 - 6.5
     1575 ppm + Source Water
     2.10 mhos + Source Water


Cucumber Formula 8-16-36
   Seedlings
     2.27 gm/gal Chem-Gro 8-16-36
     1.70 gm/gal CaNO3
     1.14 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH = 6.4 - 6.7
     1350 ppm + Source Water
     1.80 mhos + Source Water
   Mature Plants
     2.27 gm/gal Chem-Gro 8-16-36
     2.27 gm/gal CaNO3
     1.42 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH  = 6.4 - 6.7
     1570 ppm + Source Water
     2.20 mhos + Source Water

 Pepper and Herb Formula 11-11-40
   Seedlings
     2.27 gm/gal Chem-Gro 11-11-40
     1.70 gm/gal CaNO3
     1.14 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH = 6.2 - 6.5
     1350 ppm + Source Water
     1.60 mhos + Source Water
   Mature Plants
     2.27 gm/gal Chem-Gro 11-11-40
     2.27 gm/gal CaNO3
     1.41 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH  = 5.8 - 6.2
     1500 ppm + Source Water
     2.20 mhos + Source Water
 
 Hobby Formula 10-8-22

   Seedlings
     2.27 gm/gal Chem-Gro 10-8-22
     1.14 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH = 6.2 - 6.5
     800 ppm + Source Water
     1.07 mhos + Source Water
   Mature Plants
     4.54 gm/gal Chem-Gro 10-8-22
     1.14 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH  = 6.2 - 6.5
     1500 ppm + Source Water
     2.00 mhos + Source Water

 Southern Vegetable Formula 7-14-36
   Seedlings
     2.27 gm/gal Chem-Gro 7-14-36
     1.70 gm/gal CaNO3
     1.14 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH = 6.4 - 6.7
     1375 ppm + Source Water
     1.83 mhos + Source Water
   Mature Plants
     2.27 gm/gal Chem-Gro 7-14-36
     2.27 gm/gal CaNO3
     1.41 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH  = 6.0 - 6.5
     1575 ppm + Source Water
     2.10 mhos + Source Water

Hydroponic Special Formula 5-11-26
   Seedlings
     2.84 gm/gal Chem-Gro 11-11-26
     1.14 gm/gal CaNO3
     0.57 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH = Adjust to your crop
     1350 ppm + Source Water
     1.80 mhos + Source Water
   Mature Plants
     2.84 gm/gal Chem-Gro 11-11-40
     2.27 gm/gal CaNO3
     1.14 gm/gal MgSO4
     pH  = Adjust to your crop
     1570 ppm + Source Water
     2.20 mhos + Source Water


  

My 2015 Spring Garden

I would like to give you a tour if any of this interests you.  It's only going to get better as these gardens mature.  Each is designed to conserve water and make gardening easy.

This Earthan Bed is buried in the ground. 

To avoid water loss due to evaporation the water circulates below the soil and is wicked up as needed in this Earthan Bed.  Combined with the usual mulching techniques water loss is kept to a minimum.  This requires a very small pump which could be powered by a photo electric panel.  I'm using a 9 Watt pump in the Earthan Bed above.

I believe this design could be utilized on a commercial scale to save water in California

My Dutch Bucket Hydroponic garden is being tested for leaks and is ready to be planted

Hydroponics have the distinct advantage of providing constant moisture and nutrients to the roots while conserving water.  Nutrient solutions can even be adjusted depending on the growth stage of the plants so that blossoms, and larger fruit can be promoted.

Earthan Beds with lettuce and water cress.
This uncovered cold frame helps to get germination started when it's cold.

Looking back across an Eathan Bed toward the vertical garden, and wicking barrels.

I use water cress and flowers as ground cover to fill empty spaces.
All of my Earthan Beds receive bio-nutrient rich water which returns to a sump tank after flowing beneath the garden beds.

Asparagus and beans planted in the Hugelkultur Bed

Hugelkulture uses decomposed wood beneath the soil to hold water and feed mycelium.  Mycelium can grow hundreds of feet, and sequester nutrients and water from far below.

These squash were started in Soil Blocks then transplanted into baskets which protect from gophers
Soil blocks are basically free.
They protect starts from transplant shock, and from becoming root bound.

After removing a dead tree, I gained a sunny spot for a new garden.  I used old plywood to create a walkway. This garden will get some run off, so I built a dam at the edges to capture and store the water in the soil.

This 30"60" vertical garden contains 48 lettuce plants.
I made it out of drain pipe, evapoative cooler pad, and an old bath tub

These wicking barrels store water below, and use ropes to wick the water up into the soil.
They do not require watering from above, so there is very little evaporation
Wicking barrels are inexpensive, require no electricity, no hydroponic solutions, and fit on a balcony or in small yards.

Lettuce growing in a Kratky bed.  It does not get much simpler than this. Fill it, seed it and, and forget it.

This Earthan Bed is planted with garlic and a volunteer California Poppy

Earthan Beds are my prefered method of gardening.  Combining the best attributes of hydroponics with soil gardening.

To learn more CLICK HERE

Earthan Beds - This one has spinach

Chard and a tiny agapanthus growing in an Earthan Bed.
Each Earthan Bed has a 4" pipe in the center is where I feed my table scrapes to the worms.

Radishes and a sage plant in another Earthan Bed

Hugelkultur bed with cilantro, and lemon balm

Inexpensive LED Experiment

This $40 light fixture is affordable to buy, and operate as opposed to the expensive high powered grow lights.  It's rated at 36W, 3600 Lumin LED with 724nm (4000K).  This is on the edge of the optimum 610-720 nm range, but since it appears to cast a white light it's probably a fairly wide range, so I wanted to see if it would be appropriate for starting seedlings.  I hung the light about 9 inches from the top of the soil blocks.  The temperature was maintained at about 70F.

These LED light fixtures were available at Home Depot and Costco

This box is built with shinny Mylar to reflect as much light back to the plants as possible.

I used a paper shop cloth to wick moisture into the soil blocks.  This experiment turned out to be a good combination - saving the cost of plastic pots, and providing moisture without daily attention. Soil blocks also air prune the roots and avoid the problems associated with roots binding in plastic pots. Transplant shock is also minimized because the roots are not disturbed. 

After 2 weeks I'm very pleased with the results.  The seedlings are dark green and full of vigor.  .

Kale and Squash both responding well to the LED light

I initially filled the trays with water and the soil blocks soaked up too much water.  They held their shape, but they were 100% saturated. This later caused some mold to grow.  I was able to control the mold by misting with 3% hydrogen peroxide.   Next time I will take care to add water as needed.  

The LED lights will last a lifetime.  Florescent bulbs are half the cost, but they loose brightness over time.  Halide and mercury vapor bulbs are hot, expensive and consume far more power. It may be that lights designed specifically for photosynthesis will work better, but I'm growing a few vegetables -  not earning a living from my garden.  My conclusion is that these lights are adequate and affordable.

Water Wise Garden

This is basically the same Earthan Beds I've been building, but it's done in the ground.

Here are some pictures of how I built this water wise garden.

The hole was dug with a trench for the 4" drain line and a sump pit at the lowest point

The pond liner placed with 4" perforated drain line.  Notice the filter sleeve on the drain line.

Gravel being spread level

  Here the water is used to help me spread the gravel level across the entire bed.  I find it useful to temporarily raise the water level to the top of the gravel for this procedure.  When finished the water level will be maintained 2" below this level so that the soil does not sit directly in the water.

This black shade cloth is laid on top of the gravel to keep the soil from washing down into the gravel

The water tank has not been installed yet.  I will bury it next to this garden bed and pull the pond liner down so that it drains excess water into the tank. 

The soil has been added.  This soil mix contains has enough clay that it will wick the moisture up from below

I will clean up the edge so that it looks nice.  The pump sits inside the 6" PVC pipe.  I used 1/2" PVC pipe to connect the tube that runs to the other end through the 4" drain line.  I will also extend electricity to the side of the garden so that I don't have to use this extension cord.

A thick layer of mulch will be added when I plant.  This garden will save rain water, and maintain moisture below the surface without loss to evaporation.   There is no need to water this garden other than occasionally maintaining some water in the reservoir tank.  The amount of water used will depend upon the type of crop and the heat, but it will not waste a drop.

After I install the large reservoir water tank the pump will be moved out of the sump to the larger tank.  It would have been easier to have done it this way from the beginning, but I did not feel that I was up to digging a hole that size right now, and wanted to get this garden planted.   Here is a diagram of how it will eventually work.

This could be duplicated on a much larger scale for commercial farming. Sure it's a lot of work and extra expense, but the savings in water should count for something. With a large enough reservoir, and contouring of the land; the need for any extra water could be eliminated by capturing rain water..

 This is July 4th.  The basil and tomatoes have done well.  It's been about 10 weeks since this garden was planted and it has used about 100 gallons of water from the reservoir which provides flowing water under the garden bed 24/7.   It's been the easiest of all my gardens because I have not had to water it.  The tank pictured below holds 135 gallons.  There is a small Model 5 utility pump inside that pumps water to the far end of the rocks buried below the soil.
I plan to build a top for this so that it looks nice.  I would not want someone to trip into the hole. I also need to finish running an electric outlet over to the pump.