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    Low-Water Garden: How To Beat The Drought And Grow a Thriving Garden Using Low-Water Techniques
    Low-Water Garden: How To Beat The Drought And Grow a Thriving Garden Using Low-Water Techniques
    Low-Water Garden: How To Beat The Drought And Grow a Thriving Garden Using Low-Water Techniques
    Ebook157 pages1 hour

    Low-Water Garden: How To Beat The Drought And Grow a Thriving Garden Using Low-Water Techniques

    By Emma Andrews

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    About this ebook

    Tired of struggling to grow vegetables in your hot, sunny yard? Ready to try something new? Keep reading…

     

    No matter what climate you live in, you know how much water matters when it comes to growing healthy plants. Too little, and your plants will wither up and die. Too much, and they'll be oversaturated and develop disease.

    It's a delicate balance to strike and one that can be made even more difficult by climate demands.

    Arid climates and drought conditions come with their own unique challenges andrequire unique solutions. When you have less access to water, you need to be smarter about how you use (and reuse) it.

    But you don't have to give up your dream of having a lush, productive garden just because you live in a difficult climate. While it will take some extra work and planning, it's more than possible to reap a bountiful harvest each year.

    Whether you're working with an in-ground garden, following the container garden approach, or something else entirely, you'll discover techniques that will help keep you and your plants happy.

    These simple, low-tech strategies will help you boost water retention efficiency without breaking the bank.
    Just imagine how satisfying it's going to feel the first time you serve up a meal prepared with food from your garden…

    In this guide, here is just a fraction of what you will discover:

    • Step-by-step instructions for building keystone gardens, drip irrigation systems, and more
    • How microclimates are affecting the success of your plant growth and what you can do to make them work for you
    • Common soil health challenges in arid climates and how to manage them
    • Why it's especially important in arid climates to give some thought to your vegetable garden's layout and design before you begin planting
    • Tips and tricks to help you make the most of your time, energy, and space while maximizing your harvest
    • How mulching can help you reduce watering needs by up to 50%
    • A detailed look at the different climates that vegetable gardeners must contend with
    • The "Three Sisters" approach and other methods of gardening that make the most of your space and watering ability

    And much more.

    Creating your ideal garden doesn't require the hiring of professionals or the installation of expensive water-conservation solutions. Using modern technology along with tried and true approaches to sustainable watering, you'll discover that it's easier than ever before to build a thriving garden, no matter where you live.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherEmma Andrews
    Release dateOct 24, 2022
    ISBN9798223558262
    Low-Water Garden: How To Beat The Drought And Grow a Thriving Garden Using Low-Water Techniques

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      Book preview

      Low-Water Garden - Emma Andrews

      Emma Andrews

      Low-Water Garden

      How To Beat The Drought And Grow a Thriving Garden Using Low-Water Techniques

      Copyright © 2022 by Emma Andrews

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

      First edition

      This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

      Find out more at reedsy.com

      Contents

      BONUS

      Introduction

      1. Climate and Conditions

      Climate Zones

      Tropical Climate

      Temperate Climates

      Continental Climate

      Polar Climate

      Dry Climate

      USDA Hardiness Zones

      World Hardiness Zones

      Microclimates

      2. It Starts with Soil

      Erosion

      Salinity

      Water Scarcity

      Low Organic Matter

      Structural Degradation

      Pollution

      Steps That Can Be Taken

      3. Strategic Planning of Your Garden

      Physical Layout

      Crops Considerations

      Protection Against The Elements

      4. Drip Irrigation System

      Types of Drip Irrigation

      Advantages

      Disadvantages

      Design

      Planning

      Installation

      5. Olla Irrigation System

      How it works

      Varieties

      Advantages

      Disadvantages

      Suitable Crops

      Tips for Using Ollas

      Installing Ollas

      6. Wicking Beds

      Advantages

      Disadvantages

      Constructing A Wicking Bed

      7. Keyhole Gardens

      What Are Keyhole Gardens

      Building A Keyhole Garden

      Maintaining Your Keyhole Garden

      Recommended crops

      Advantages of Keyhole Gardens

      Disadvantages of Keyhole Gardens

      8. Xeriscaping

      7 Principles of Xeriscaping

      Suitable Plants

      9. What To Plant

      Xeric Ground Plants for Full Sun and Partial Shade

      Perennials and Flowers

      Shrubs and Trees

      Succulents

      Vegetables

      Additional Drought-Resistant Plants

      10. Global Gardening

      Europe

      Australia

      Africa

      11. Tips ans Tricks

      Watering Best Practices

      Container Gardens

      Managing Pests

      Conclusion

      Thank YOU

      Glossary

      References

      BONUS

      Out of all the available literature on low-water gardening, you chose this one. THANK YOU!

      To express my gratitude, I established a Facebook community where gardeners can discuss, ask, and share anything in a safe and supportive environment. Want to be part of it?

      https://www.facebook.com/groups/newgardenersgroup

      Or scan the QR code below

      Introduction

      A hot sunny day. Again. For some, the summer dream, for you, real torture. It’s because I finally overcame my frustration that I decided to write this book. One and a half years of trying to grow vegetables in poor soil and constant drought-like weather. I was extremely frustrated. That was until I did a bit of digging around, my research revealed some information that gave me newfound confidence and I embarked on a somewhat successful gardening journey to the one I had been previously involved in. Within six months of discovering the research that I will share with you in this book, I had a lush garden. The funny thing was, I was hardly home because my work required me to travel, sometimes for a fortnight at a time. However, my self-watering garden, combined with the reduced surface water evaporation made a huge difference in my life.

      I believe this knowledge can make a huge difference in your life too. Especially if you live in one of the Basin and Range states, or any environment with a similar climate. You will know firsthand about the challenges of starting a garden in that kind of arid climate. The fact that you have decided to read this book, however, shows that you are ready to tackle some of these challenges head-on. It indicates to me that you are most likely somebody who enjoys solving problems much as I do. If that is truly the case, one may find that reading this book is not your first attempt to try and find the right solution for your battle against the elements in creating a garden that will align with the vision you have in mind.

      Just as nature enables plants to survive in the wilderness around you, so can you have thriving plants in your arid garden. What you need is an understanding of your climatic conditions and your soil. When you combine this with some proper planning of your garden and the watering techniques that we are going to explore in the book, you will be surprised to discover what a difference you will experience at the end of your next growing season.

      1

      Climate and Conditions

      For you, talking about the weather is more than just small talk. It is sometimes a topic that brings you anguish as you look up towards a cloudless sky in the middle of a hot summer. When the weather has been kind enough not to make you miss a dip in the swimming pool, it is the thing that allows you a respite from watering your garden due to having experienced some earth-soaking rains. When we look at the weather over a sustained period, we understand that it is not just a series of unrelated events but rather a formation of patterns that results in predictability that allows us to make decisions beyond the day’s activities. When we understand a region’s weather patterns, we come to conceptualize the meaning of geographic and regional climate.

      The climate reflects sustained weather patterns. Once you understand the climate in your region, you can make better gardening decisions, from when to plant to what to plant.

      Taking your first step towards understanding how to garden for your particular climate requires you to, first of all, identify the particular type of climate you live in. To assist you with this, we are going to take some time to look at the different types of climates that exist and how you can identify which one most aligns with where you live.

      Climate Zones

      There are five main types of climate zones, each influenced by the distance from the equator, also referred to as latitude. The latitude has an impact on the temperature of the region. Another factor that combines with the latitude to create an influence on the climate is the closeness of the area to a water body such as a river or a lake. The closeness to the water body could have an impact on the precipitation found in the region. It is due to the effect of the water evaporating from the nearby water body and turning into rain or snow. Water bodies also tend to hold heat and cold for long, as evidenced by the water in a swimming pool remaining warm several hours after sunset or the chill surrounding a town built near a lake in the middle of winter.

      The last factor that we consider is elevation. The importance of this aspect can be seen when we consider that a house built on top of a mountain will be exposed to different weather conditions than a house in the valley below. The house on the mountain top gets exposed to the wind much more than the often-sheltered house in the valley.

      When these factors are combined, they create the five main climatic zones. These climate zones are broadly defined as Tropical, Dry, Temperate, Continental, and Polar.

      Tropical Climate

      A Tropical Climate is hot and humid with a great deal of rain and high temperatures. The tropical climate is further subdivided into three Climate types. These are Wet, Monsoon, and Savanna.

      The Monsoon climate has the unique characteristic of a change in wind direction every season, bringing a change in weather conditions. At this time, the weather changes from a rainy wet season to a dry season, which sometimes leads to drought.

      The Tropical Wet climate is also referred to as the Rainforest climate. It is characterized by daily rainfall following a sunny start each day.

      The Savanna climate is also called a Wet and Dry climate. It is found in the savanna regions of Africa, parts of Asia, South, and Central America.

      Temperate Climates

      Temperate Climates have mild, rainy winters, while the summers are warm and wet. The climates that are a part of this grouping include Mediterranean, Humid Subtropical, and Marine.

      The Marine climate, also known as the marine west coast, is cloudy and damp with a high incidence of fog. However, warm wind from the ocean allows the temperatures to remain stable throughout the year.

      The Mediterranean climate, with its cool, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, tends to attract large populations, which are sustained by the robust agriculture that the climate creates.

      Humid Subtropical winters are mild to cool, while summers are hot and humid. Often found on the east coast of continents, this climate is suitable for agriculture.

      Continental Climate

      Continental Climates include Warm Summer, Cool Summer, and Subarctic. They have cold winters with snowstorms, and their summers are warm or cool.

      The Cool Summer climate, also known as the Mediterranean Climate,

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