Water Wise Edible Gardening

Pomegranate flowers

Coming in from the garden with a basket of freshly grown produce is a great feeling.  But with persistent drought condition would be gardeners are concerned that growing food takes too much water.  It is true that the traditional vegetable garden can take quite a bit of water,  but carefully choosing what you are growing,  when you are planting, how you are caring for your soil, and how you are irrigating you can enjoy tasty treats form your landscape and save water.  

Let’s start with your soil.  Prep your soil by laying down an inch or 2 of compost, then lay down 2-3 inches of straw or wood chips.  This process helps create a living soil sponge that soaks up water, and stores it there allowing plants to go longer between watering’s.  The probiotics in the compost feed on the organic matter in the mulch. The probiotics move through the soil creating spaces in the soil where water can be captured and stored, much like the spaces in your kitchen sponge capture.

Sheet Mulching

When it comes to irrigation think drip.  It is simple to install and change as needed, water comes out slowly giving it time to absorb into the soil and the emitters do not mist or overspray. If you are using an irrigation controller, consider using a smart controller that automatically adjusts run times based on local weather conditions.  If you want to use the one you have, reprogram your controller to run less in cooler months.  Consider turning it off completely in the winter.  It you want to grow fruit trees consider installing a gray water system where the water drains out of your washing machine flows into your landscape. 

 In general, the best time to plant perennials (plants that live more than a year) in this region is fall.  Temperatures are cooler and the chances of rain are great putting less stress on plants as they are taking root in their new homes.  When it comes to annuls (plants that live less than a year usually dyeing after going to seed) growing from seed can save a lot of water seed have more vigorous root system leading to tougher plants. You can grow winter greens almost entirely rain alone.  In the fall, after properly caring for your soil, cast a generous amount of seed for winter greens (kale, lettuce, arugula, and cilantro ) in the desired growing area, making sure the seeds are somewhat evenly spaced.  About a month after the first rains of the season you will be plucking leaves and enjoying salads galore.  

Low water herbs: Sage, Thyme and Oregano

Some plants have adaptations that allow them to conserve water, allowing them to get by with very little.  Some of the more common edible plants that can get by on little to no irrigation water are Pomegranates, Rosemary, and Thyme.  Dragon fruit,  Aloe Vera and Noples are a little less common but are also delicious .  And for those willing to really adventure outside the box the California native plants,  Lemonade Berry,  California Grape and Black and White Sage all produce exciting flavors while requireing very little water. 

*see my post on Landscaping with California Native Plants That You Can Eat

Dragon fruit

To see images some more ways to incorporate edible plants in the landscape see the edible landscape page https://www.sweetsmilinglandscapes.com/edible

Sweet Smiling Landscapes, Landscape Design

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