How to Replace Irrigation With Permaculture
Save water, time and money in the garden! Learn how to replace irrigation with permaculture design and let nature do the work for you!
This is a guest post by Sunflower Craig of Permies.com
When we think of irrigation systems and food production, we typically tend to think of large-scale farms with equally large-scale sprinkler systems. But even if all you have is a small garden plot, a couple raised beds or a few container plants, if you’ve ever used a backyard sprinkler, drip line, hose or even a watering can to water your plants, then you too rely on irrigation to grow your crops.
You’re probably thinking “um, ya… How else would I grow them? All plants need water after all!” But there are downsides to conventional watering and irrigation systems, and there is also a better way to ensure that your soil and your crops stay hydrated without costly, input-intensive irrigation methods. The answer (like so many things in the gardening world) lies in designing your property or garden with permaculture principles in mind.
Read on to learn how to reduce the need for irrigation or even replace it entirely by applying aspects of permaculture design to your garden and save water, money and time in the garden!
The problem with irrigation…
Irrigation (aka. “the watering of land by artificial means to nurture plant growth”) is an ancient practice dating back to around 6,000 BC. The introduction of irrigation allowed for mankind to grow and thrive by bringing water to the plants (crops) rather than having to grow crops right next to a water source or relying on the weather to provide adequate rainwater. Some of the very first irrigation systems in Ancient Egypt and China involved a network of irrigation canals, dams, dikes, and water storage facilities. This was a huge advancement in technology and laid the foundation for the agriculture and irrigation systems that have been in place ever since.
So, if irrigation helped propel the world forward to what it is today, what’s wrong with it?
For starters, irrigation can wash away vital nutrients from the soil, which means your plants aren’t able to absorb them. This can affect the overall health and yield of your crops and the quality and nutrition of the food that is harvested from them. Crops that are over-irrigated are also at greater risk for bacterial and fungal diseases. Over-irrigation of a raspberry bush, for example, will produce fruit that has little flavour. Over-watering of tomato plants can result in yellow leaves, root rot, blossom end rot and cracked fruits, among other things.
On the other hand, when you rely on irrigation systems you also need to ensure your plants are getting adequate water and that the soil isn’t drying out too much as this can be equally problematic for your crops. All of this fussing over setting up just the right irrigation system or remembering to water by hand and water just enough but not too much can be a lot of work and requires a fair amount of mental energy. Not to mention it can be expensive too!
The overall goal of permaculture is to create ecosystems that can run themselves without much help from the outside, eliminating some of the inputs necessary for more traditional approaches to farming and gardening. Doesn’t it make sense then to use less traditional irrigation methods too?
Permaculture design is based on nature: Nature isn’t waiting around for someone to water her. Nature uses dozens of techniques to make sure all of the plants get the water they need. Observing these techniques and seeing how they can be applied to your garden or farm is well worth the time and effort up front as it will save you time, effort and resources later on.
To achieve true sustainability in your garden or on your homestead, it is necessary to work with nature rather than fight against her. This is the basic tenet of permaculture, and so swapping out conventional irrigation methods for those inspired by nature is just one thing you can do to implement this aspect of permaculture design to your farm or garden.
How to replace traditional irrigation with permaculture
Step 1: Observe and analyze
When switching from traditional irrigation to permaculture methods, the first step is to analyze your site and choose the most suitable spots to collect and store water.
Some examples of these measures are the construction of a pond or cistern, or the installation of swales (contoured ditches that catch and divert runoff water, slowing the flow and keeping water on your property for longer). The shape of your property, as well as its slope and contour, will determine the most efficient method of water collection and storage.
If you haven’t heard of Sepp Holzer, do yourself a favor and check out what he does. Sepp Holzer has 110 acres and uses no irrigation. He does this by having lots of ponds on his property (it creates more morning dew), not planting monoculture anywhere, incorporating hügelkultur, and more. So yes! It is possible to replace irrigation with permaculture!
Step 2: Establish plant guilds
The next step is to utilize plant guilds to establish a community of plants that are mutually beneficial and can maintain themselves.
Trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, as well as animals and fungi can all coexist in a plant guild, each playing an important role in maintaining the ecosystem’s balance. Shade-providing trees like oak and pine, which are also drought-resistant, and nitrogen-fixing shrubs like black locust and acacia work together to prevent soil erosion and keep water from running off.
Step 3: Consider adding or converting existing garden beds to hügel beds
If you have the space, I highly encourage you to investigate installing a few hügel beds on your property. Hügel beds (or hügelkultur beds) are raised beds that are built on top of rotting logs and plant debris. As the logs and debris down they not only feed the soil and provide slow-release nutrients to your plants, they also retain and release moisture much better and for much longer than the soil in tradition garden beds. They are the ultimate raised garden beds!. This helps to make hügel beds more drought resistant as well.
Twigs and logs being laid down for a hügelkultur bed (Photo c/o depositphotos.com)
Step 4: Mulch, mulch, mulch!
Mulch is a covering of organic matter used around plants to prevent water evaporation and weed growth. In addition to these uses, it may act as a home for beneficial insects and microbes, whose presence helps keep the soil at a comfortable temperature.
There are many different kinds of mulch, from wood mulch to straw mulch, grass clippings to leaf litter and even living mulch in the form of cover crops. Regardless of what kind of mulch you choose, mulching helps the soil to retain moisture and is one of the best defences against soil erosion. It can be used on its own or in conjunction with plant guilds to reduce water usage and enhance soil quality.
Step 5: Monitor and make changes as needed
Finally, to guarantee your permaculture system is working efficiently, it must be periodically monitored and assessed. While the beauty of permaculture design is that it requires much less input on your end, you do still need to manage a permaculture garden or homestead to some degree.
You’ll still need to make sure the plants are healthy, check the soil moisture levels and make changes to the watering schedule as needed. You may create a more resilient and self-sufficient ecosystem on your property by following these steps and switching from traditional irrigation to water management strategies based on permaculture practices.
How to conserve water in the garden through smarter irrigation methods
While replacing traditional irrigation systems with permaculture is a noble goal, it’s not always feasible to completely dismiss irrigation, especially if you live in a particularly dry or drought-prone area.
Drip irrigation, also called soaker hoses, is an important part of permaculture-based water management in this case. Using drip irrigation at the base of plants rather than overhead watering helps to ensure plants only get watered where they need it: at their roots. This not only saves water and lowers the chance of evaporation, it can also prevent blight and other fungal diseases, as well as sunburn in plants.
Conserving water through irrigation is also possible with greywater and rainfall collecting systems. And you don’t need some fancy, expensive setup to get started. You can even make your own rain barrel out of an old garbage can and a few basic pieces of hardware. A little ingenuity and resourcefulness go a long way when it comes to both traditional homesteading and permaculture design!
Do you have any other tips for conserving water or doing things more efficiently in the garden? Comment below!
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If you’re simply looking for ways to save a little extra cash this summer and live well for less, here are 12 tried and tested frugal living tips for summer that you can use to save money this season without sacrificing a thing.
Head over using the link in my bio!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/12-frugal-living-tips-summer/
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A brand new issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine just dropped!
In this issue:
🌱 How to forage and use five common edible and medicinal weeds
🏠 A sustainable, affordable alternative to traditional homes, greenhouses and more
👨👩👧👦 Tips for managing a homestead while raising a family (big or small!)
🫙 What to focus on when preserving food for true food security
🌹 How to grow and arrange your own cut flowers at home
🍓 The many ways to preserve summer berries (including 5 delicious recipes!)
💇How to make your own all-natural herbal hair care products at home
🧑🌾 Why “community sufficiency” is the new self-sufficiency
And more!
Visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com (or click the link in my bio) to subscribe or login to the library and read the latest issue.
Plus, be sure to check out all of our past issues as well! There’s a wealth of information in our library on everything from farming and gardening to cooking and canning to herbal medicine, natural living and so much more!
*** This will be the last quarterly issue! ***
This little magazine has grown so much over the past 4 years and 32 issues, and now it’s time for another exciting evolution.
I’m excited to announce that we will be moving to an even more robust annual publication with the intention of offering the first ever print edition this fall if there is enough demand.
I’m also excited to announce the brand new Modern Homesteading Magazine blog, which is currently under construction and will be launching soon. While we will still be maintaining digital subscriptions, the blog will be accessible to all, free of charge, so that more people might benefit from the empowering and increasingly important information that we cover in each issue.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this issue happen! @homesteadingfamily @oatsandhoneyhomestead @omnivore.culture @thetaylor.leigh @doeraydesign (and more who don’t have IG pages;)
And a HUGE thank you to everyone who has subscribed over the years. Modern Homesteading Magazine would never have become what it is today without each and every one of you.
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If you’ve ever grown your own garlic, you might have noticed the spiral-shaped shoots that suddenly pop up in the centre of the stem, usually about a month or so before the garlic bulbs themselves are ready to be harvested.
These are garlic scapes, and believe it or not- they make delicious pesto! Get the recipe through the link in my bio- https://thehouseandhomestead.com/garlic-scape-pesto/
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This honey and chive blossom vinaigrette is a frugal, easy and healthy homemade salad dressing that pairs beautifully with fresh garden salads all season long.
Get the recipe through the link in my bio.
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Whether you live in the city and grow a few herbs on your balcony, have a few backyard chickens in the suburbs or live in the country and have a larder full of enough home-canned food to survive the apocalypse, if living a more homemade, homegrown, self-sufficient lifestyle is important to you, Modern Homesteading Magazine was made for you!
Read it today through the link in my bio!
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This radish top pesto recipe makes good use of the edible radish greens that often get discarded once they’re separated from the root. The end result is a peppery, slightly spicy twist on a classic pesto recipe.
A perfect condiment for all your summer snacking!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/radish-top-pesto-recipe/
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Why are radishes still being relegated to boring garden salads when they could be roasted and caramelized in honey butter instead??? Try this delicious recipe today!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/roasted-radishes-with-honey-butter/
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This homemade herb butter is versatile and easy to make. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to preserve your fresh summer herbs to enjoy all year long!
Here are my favorite recipes and tips!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/homemade-herb-butter/
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Who else saves their canning lids? 🙋🏻♀️
Even though canning lids should never be reused for CANNING, they are super useful for storing other things like:
• Dry goods (beans, rice, oatmeal, pasta, spices, etc.)
• Dehydrated fruit and vegetables
• DIY home and body products (body butter, bath salts, sugar scrubs, home cleaners, lids for candles, etc.
• Store dried herbs for your home apothecary
• Punch holes in them and let your kiddos collect bugs and nature treasures in a Mason jar!
• Paint them or cover with fabric to make your own ornaments and crafts
• And of course, save them to store open jars of home-canned food in the fridge!
I’m sure I’m missing some things.
Can you think of any other ways to reuse canning lids? Let me know in the comments!
Oh, and P.S., there are just two days left to save 15% off your order at @denalicanning !!!
Use code ANNA15 to save 15% off your order of $75 or more at denalicanning.com.
Stock up on canning lids, rings, home canners and preserving supplies and be prepared for the onslaught of garden goodies come summer and fall!
And remember to save those canning lids when you’re done!
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As far as weeds go, yarrow is definitely one you want growing in your garden. It’s a powerhouse of a plant, packed with medicinal properties to help cure everything from fevers and colds to bleeding, bruises and everything in between.
Learn how to use it to treat almost any ailment through the link in my profile.
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/yarrow-home-remedies/
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Calendula has to be my favourite flower to grow. For starters, it’s incredibly easy to grow from seed and requires very little care. Second, it looks gorgeous in the garden. But third and most importantly, calendula is packed with medicinal properties and is an incredibly powerful, natural home remedy.
Learn how to use it through the link in my bio.
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/calendula-healing-powers/
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I’m not gonna lie: when I first decided to learn how to make kombucha at home, I was feeling pretty intimidated.
But as it turns out, making kombucha at home is actually one of the quickest and easiest things that I now DIY on a regular basis.
Follow the link in bio to find out how easy it will be for you too!
https://thehouseandhomestead.com/how-to-make-kombucha-at-home/
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