gardening in the desert

I just looked at www.weather.com and discovered that my city averages only 1/2 an inch of precipitation in May, and even less than that in June - September.

There is a drought in my area and even tap water can be expensive. I am going to need to find ways to maintain a necessary amount of water for the plants, without going broke. The cost for the privilege of having running water in my house is $30 / month. Any amount of water that I use is added to that amount.

My first idea is to reuse water from the house. If I wash my hands with a biodegradable soap then I can put that water on the compost pile. When I do not use soap, I can catch that water in a basin to water plants. I can also just rinse my hands with a washrag when that will be sufficient, like when they just have a little dirt on them and I am going back outside anyways.

Another thing I can do is divert washing machine water to an area outside. I could also hang my clothes to dry outside near the plants. If spaced closely together that might provide a little bit of humidity, which may decrease the plants' need for water.

I can catch water in the shower while I am waiting for it to warm up. If I want to work a little harder then I could also catch the water used while getting wet before using soap. If I use biodegradable soap and shampoo then I can catch the soapy water separately for use in the compost pile.

I could catch rain from my roof to store it for non-rainy times. I do not know how much it would cost for a rain barrel and to retrofit my water spouts to catch the water. It might be worth it.

I could also create small ditches to help catch water and allow it to flow into the ground. These small ditches could be filled with rocks to become a path. This is a way to catch runoff. It also helps keep the ground moist in hot weather. This probably wouldn't become too water-logged since the highest average rainfall is less than 5 inches/ month.

Finally, I can utilize mulch and shading to help the plants retain the water they have. Also, the compost bin does not have to have water when there isn't any available. It can wait until the rain comes. Besides, additions of water containing food scraps will maintain some moisture. I can also cover the compost pile to deflect sunlight.

compost bin ideas

I already purchased the Earthmaker Aerobic Composter since my city was offering a very good rebate on composters, and this one does not require turning. The description claims it is "the world's first continuous-cycle compost bin". The design allows compost to mix as the material falls to the bottom of the bin. I will need to pull out a panel once a month to allow the material to fall. I think this looks like a good design and may even require less water since there is less surface area to let water evaporate from. I will find out!

Even though this unit is really big and claims to compost faster than traditional methods, I feel I might need to set up another compost area to handle creating all the compost I will need to add plenty of organic matter to the soil. An easy method would be to create a compost pile over a spot I plan to plant another season. My difficulty with that idea is that water would evaporate too quickly in my hot, dry climate. I would prefer a method that is easier to cover in wet or really hot weather, and has less surface area for evaporation. The organization afforded by a compost container will help keep my yard looking presentable.

Here are some ideas for compost bins I am considering that others have made:

This bin, found at cogdogblog's photostream on flickr.com, is titled "Another Zero Dollar Project" because the author created it from materials already available. This actually does look pretty neat. I like the dark posts and the rocks in front. The author dug the posts into the ground. That works, but I would like something I can move around to place on future growing sites.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/ / CC BY 2.0

This bin, from chromalux's photostream on flickr.com, is my favorite. It looks like the wood in the front can be pulled out from the top, which would make it easier to get the fresh compost out. I might make one like this, without the wood in front to make it easier to turn. The back and sides appear to be chicken wire. That would allow plenty of air penetration. This one might actually be too big for my backyard needs!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/impossible/ / CC BY 2.0

Here is a basic compost pile. I like this a lot better than I thought I would. It can be located in the shade to prevent too much water evaporation. I think this would be my best bet for now. I might do something else after a few seasons, but this is affordable and effective! This photo is part of uberculture's photostream at flickr.com. The author is thinking about giving up on it! I hope that doesn't happen. This is a nice compost pile that will return vital nutrients to the soil.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/uberculture/ / CC BY 2.0

Thanks to those who provided pictures on flickr for the public's use.