tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post6579941256264805259..comments2024-03-28T14:37:45.575-04:00Comments on 5 Acres & A Dream: Garden Swale: How It's DoingLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-16275124239144402752023-05-22T21:08:31.668-04:002023-05-22T21:08:31.668-04:00Ed, well, there you go. I figure the more water th...Ed, well, there you go. I figure the more water the ground can hold, the less I have to irrigate. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-83201687955324076082023-05-21T06:28:55.734-04:002023-05-21T06:28:55.734-04:00I guess technically we do have some swales. We hav...I guess technically we do have some swales. We have always mounded up the center of our garden so that it drains better when we have really wet years. Three of the edges tend to collect water in the resulting low spots and are slowly absorbed back into the ground.Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13214319366049620074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-43986330550715796772023-05-19T05:28:52.579-04:002023-05-19T05:28:52.579-04:00Michael, I've often thought that if I had only...Michael, I've often thought that if I had only one thing to do, then I could do it well. Seems like most things around here get "a lick and a promise" and then it's on to something else. If I were to name our homestead, I'd call it "Wildside" because that's what it always looks like! The good thing about the poison ivy and blackberries is that the goats will eat them. I hope that either by continually pulling them they'll eventually be gone, or else the good stuff will shade them out. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-81411628323065211802023-05-18T14:24:20.966-04:002023-05-18T14:24:20.966-04:00Leigh it is hard to fight grass creeping. Between...Leigh it is hard to fight grass creeping. Between the airborne seed dropping over any edging and the underground visitors :-).<br /><br />Have you given thought to weeding geese?<br /><br />A swale covered in grasses still works well but not as aesthetic as your lovely pictures. <br /><br />Poison ivy I carboard them to die for lack of sunshine. Thorny Blackberries I tend to take cutting from as I value their fruit, pollinator attracting and making a leave me alone hedge against wanderers.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05329176313885665469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-89905593117684389392023-05-17T10:25:41.765-04:002023-05-17T10:25:41.765-04:00I hit publish too soon. This happens at the swale ...I hit publish too soon. This happens at the swale edges too. It isn't so much erosion, as plants trying to invade, like poison ivy or black berry brambles. The grasses do the same thing. Keeping them from invading the swale is ongoing maintenance. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-26251147998831550682023-05-17T10:23:37.020-04:002023-05-17T10:23:37.020-04:00Michael, I mean where the berm meets the "pat...Michael, I mean where the berm meets the "path." That's where the berm is subject to what I call grass creep. I have the same problem in my bordered garden beds. The grasses lean over and drop seeds into the berm or beds. Or with something like bermuda grass, the stolens creep underground and start to take over. I suppose ideally, I could border the entire berm and keep the path mulched, but that isn't going to make it to the top of the to-do list any time soon!Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-49265778564241387102023-05-17T08:49:32.200-04:002023-05-17T08:49:32.200-04:00Leigh, what's the problem with the swale edge?...Leigh, what's the problem with the swale edge?<br /><br />Erosion? Details please.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05329176313885665469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-79012784500665164952023-05-16T10:11:48.684-04:002023-05-16T10:11:48.684-04:00Michael, I agree about swales and grade. Every lit...Michael, I agree about swales and grade. Every little bit helps!<br /><br />The hugelkultur is doing just as well as the swale berm (I pretty much planted it with the same seed mix). I've planted cowpeas and winter squash in the bare spots. I'll have to do an update soon!<br /><br />Daisy, I love it when an experiment is a success. I've had enough failures to really appreciate them!<br /><br />Wyomingheart, thanks! Digging swales into clay subsoil makes for excellent water catching, with slow seepage downhill. <br /><br />The only place I'm having trouble with maintenance-wise, is the edge. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-72834115094387341582023-05-16T07:48:15.336-04:002023-05-16T07:48:15.336-04:00What a great post! We have that same type of soil...What a great post! We have that same type of soil, here on the ridge. I’d call that a success story! No maintenance?…Bonus ! wyominghearthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11866831359786301254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-77033052840957723612023-05-16T06:49:39.121-04:002023-05-16T06:49:39.121-04:00What a great experiment! Mother Nature does it al...What a great experiment! Mother Nature does it all without much help from us!daisy ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06129079277073067462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-2545796308190656432023-05-16T06:38:16.735-04:002023-05-16T06:38:16.735-04:00Swales are wonderful. Thanks for sharing!
Even a...Swales are wonderful. Thanks for sharing!<br /><br />Even an almost unnoticeable grade can benefit from them.<br /><br />How's the hügelkultur doing?Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05329176313885665469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-28981566093524889952023-05-15T19:34:57.403-04:002023-05-15T19:34:57.403-04:00Ed, I wonder if there is even a subtle contour to ...Ed, I wonder if there is even a subtle contour to your place. Even so, I suspect there is an answer for flat land. I think mature swales can offer a lot of relief from drought and irrigation. <br /><br />TB, I'm amazed as well! I still have a few weeds in the berm, such as grasses, poison ivy, and blackberries. I'm hopeful I'll be able to defeat them eventually. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-45125067475390448382023-05-15T17:07:48.571-04:002023-05-15T17:07:48.571-04:00Leigh, I enjoy the fact that you effectively have ...Leigh, I enjoy the fact that you effectively have a lovely wildflower garden that you are completely managing without additional inputs. That is amazing!Toirdhealbheach Beucailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14872794169534403463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-86537258334576317322023-05-15T09:49:50.076-04:002023-05-15T09:49:50.076-04:00You swale posts have definitely made a blip on my ...You swale posts have definitely made a blip on my radar. I don't yet have a practical place to try them out, because our garden area is flat, but perhaps someday they will come in handy.<br /><br />To your point about the subsoil drying out, we received 0.4" of rain Thursday night and went down to our garden early Friday morning. I fully expected the soil to be slimy to walk on top. However it has absorbed every drop of that rain and actually had a dry feel to it. The only hint that it had rained was a perennial puddle nearby with a clay bottom had water in it and that the top soil under the crust was a shade darker. Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13214319366049620074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-28689219296242739512023-05-15T08:56:17.184-04:002023-05-15T08:56:17.184-04:00Tisha, I think you're correct! Thank you! Upda...Tisha, I think you're correct! Thank you! Updating caption.Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-80722954311798210012023-05-15T08:12:20.321-04:002023-05-15T08:12:20.321-04:00I think the yellow mystery flower is coreopsis.I think the yellow mystery flower is coreopsis.Tishanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-49418699652601119812023-05-15T07:50:26.893-04:002023-05-15T07:50:26.893-04:00Sandi, thank you!Sandi, thank you!Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-86004097096237701642023-05-15T07:33:18.165-04:002023-05-15T07:33:18.165-04:00So beautiful.So beautiful.Sandihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08702620069148109246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-4673135926337117742023-05-15T07:10:41.333-04:002023-05-15T07:10:41.333-04:00Rosalea, thank you! I'm updating my captions. ...Rosalea, thank you! I'm updating my captions. <br /><br />I love comfrey, but have had a hard time getting it established here. I hope you do better than me!Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-38408144658813786582023-05-15T06:34:05.442-04:002023-05-15T06:34:05.442-04:00That is beautiful, Leigh. The first 'unknown&#...That is beautiful, Leigh. The first 'unknown', is a Bachelor Button (Centaurea cyanus). Thank you for reminding me about comfrey. Another plant I want to establish here. Rosaleahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09403965807770816977noreply@blogger.com