Rock Dam and "Ollas" to Grow Garden in Desert (episode 3.3) 

Or a camera unicorn... in case "camera man" only implied any kind of person and not any kind of being.

?​@@ecv80

I do not have a cameraman. I am the cameraman. And yes, I work way WAY more than what you see in a video.

​@@ChadZuberAdventures if i may pass on one suggestion, it is to build one or two swale and berm sets to the side of the garden, and even one higher up the slope, you need not use such big rocks for it, maybe just some wood staked into the back of the berm that faces the garden, just to give more water more time to seep into the ground

@@TS-jm7jmThanks for the suggestion

I will definitely be covering the ollas but I will keep the opening at the surface so that I can easily refill them.

Thanks for the tip. I have started seeds in pots before but I never germinated them like you said. That seems like a very good idea. Thank you for sharing.

Абсолютно верно!

Yes, I will be mulching heavily when the time comes. Regarding the rain, many times it rains very hard here and water can be seen flowing down the slope. The dam will certainly collect a significant amount of water and slow the flow so that the surrounding soil can soak it up. I realize too that it seems more like I made a raised bed and that is contrary to the goal. I am going to pile earth and more rock on the other side of that dam to insulate it. All this certainly is a lot of work, that is true. We'll see how it works this summer.

@@ChadZuberAdventures definitely don't forget about Mycorrhizal fungi (leaf mold) since you don't have worms yet. and yes, you can find it out there.

@@fatherfoxstrongpaw8968I will look for it. Thanks!

he's in a super arid environment, litho mulch might be the way to go cover the garden with flat stones such that they aren't touching the plants. He's also likely to need shade cloth to protect the plant babies from the afternoon sun.

Came here to say this. It will also keep the soil temperature lower, protecting the young roots and beneficial micro biome inside the dirt . Leaves and hay work great, just try to keep them "lofted" and don't let them compact to much.

Yes, some sort of mulch is necessary in addition to fertilizer and watering of course. All it's hard but doable but how to deal with vermints I have no idea..

Just keep an eye of the grass, too thick of a layer can suppress seed growth and get moldy beneath.

​@@milja903I agree with very little research I found out that the Mojave desert is grainy and salty and I'm betting if the soil gets washed the salt deposits will wash out

🤦 grass is not a good idea in a garden, it leaches nitrogen out as it decomposes. it also holds black mold and dusty mold, which will spread to the roots of your garden plants. which is not what you want in a garden. Good try though 😬

Dude, this guy's pinkie finger could arm wrestle most of us into submission, you better be one helluva physical trainer to think he wants your advice.

@@zinckensteel you can be as strong as hulk but still hurt your back with this method of lifting and many dont know how to lift right and for what are the comments if not give him tips

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ua8oObEPptQ.htmlsi=LS79-OKZw1DTNxjv&t=685

I was thinking the same thing. I am really enjoying your videos. They're packed full of information and I got to tell you once I see it I know it thank you very much❤😊

Yeah, I read all the comments and consider the tips. It helps a lot to have perspectives of so many people.

It's crazy how much work it is to prepare a garden in a place like this. I hope you have a bountiful crop this year.

Land bending coming!

@@ChadZuberAdventures DUDE YES! i love when real youtubers make the best out of the land and leave it better...i like the idea of after you are done if some one was to show up there they would be able to live there with no real worries lol

@@richard2mitchell Yes!!!

Yes! I will definitely be covering with lots of mulch.

Yes, I intend to put a lot of mulch on the surface.

May want to use a terrace to slow the flow of water

lol really the waters are coming from his hut to the garden not gonna be much of a flash flood

Glad I made your day partner…comment was about spreader dam construction in the Southwest US, one man, two arms, Mother Nature with an attitude…

I mentioned in the video that I am going to pack earth on the downstream side of the dam. The main reason for this is insulation so that the soil next to the dam doesn't dry out too fast. When it rains hard it will be interesting to see exactly what happens with this setup. But you bring up a good point that if too much water flows it could cause some damage. That's part of the reason I leveled the garden area so that surface flow doesn't rip out the soil.

Yes, that is a good idea too. I will actually be planting in a few other locations too. So I'll probably use that technique somewhere else.

Спасибо. Будет интересно посмотреть, сработает ли этот проект.

@@ChadZuberAdventures Попробуй штаны через голову одевать или чесать левой пяткой правое ухо. Это будет интересно.

Thank you!

Happy Easter to you too! I spent half the day on the computer and cleaning pottery. Then I began weaving a coiled basket. Enjoy the week!

I was talking to a friend about this idea but using broken shards of pottery. I think flat stones is a great idea but should also be covered with mulch to reduce heat. The sun beating down on flat stones would really heat of the surface. The mulch covering the stones would prevent this. Sounds like a good solution to me. What do you think?

Hi yes it keep the stones cool and trap moisture under them . We live a semi dessert and when summer comes under rocks is where a lot the animals go when it gets hot. Good luck with the garden hope it goes well and thanks for your hard work and time in making the channel.@@ChadZuberAdventures

Interesting. Too bad I'm not in Rome. There is only condensation here between September and March. The rest of the year is too warm for condensation to occur.

Sì, lo farò anch'io. La diga è solo una parte della soluzione.

Ah thank you! I will never reach everything I want in life. I would have to live 1000 years in order to achieve that.

I'm hoping that it works. Thanks!

You are so kind

Да, я буду использовать много мульчи поверх почвы. Спасибо за вашу помощь.

Yes, the pots get buried in the soil and filled with water. They slowly seep water through the clay over several days thus providing life-giving water to the roots of the plants. This is just an efficient way of watering that reduces loss of water through evaporation. I will probably create some shade during the early stages of the growing plants. I did this two years ago and it seemed to work. The dead tree to the west of the garden provides some shade in the afternoon so that is helpful too.

I will be adding a lot of mulch.

Actually I've made over 600 adobe bricks now. But regarding the channels, it is almost all directed toward the garden. I think it is going to receive a good amount of water during rains.

Me too!

Thank you. I hope it is a successful one this year.

Thank you for watching!

Thank you for the comment. I appreciate it. Nature helps me mellow down so much. But no, I don’t earn enough from RU-vid. I have other jobs that I do to support my family.

@@ChadZuberAdventures That's unfortunate, but I'm glad you are at least enjoying life! Hopefully your other jobs aren't too stressful.

I do want to build a cistern too. Making it impermeable will be the challenge. I'm going to first experiment with very small cisterns of fired clay.

I’m glad you enjoy them. Thanks for watching. I really appreciate it.

Dry grasses or Hay will keep moisture. Like planting potatoes

I don't know if I want that much water retention though. If it is too wet and lacks drainage then that won't be good either. There is already a lot of clay in the soil too. We will see how this project turns out this year.

The dam will only slow the flow of water. I don't think it will make the garden too wet. But we will find out this summer.

I will be mulching heavily but I have to research juniper bark to make sure it doesn't contain natural herbicides.

In other words just use branches as mulch? Or is this in addition to the mulch?

Yeah, I purchased native seeds that were gathered from plants growing in mid elevation desert climates.

Está muy difícil.

Interesting thought. Plant native trees on the berms. I will have to think about all this. I'm not sure I want to alter the landscape that much.

@@ChadZuberAdventures Gotcha. Yeah it would change it. I'm not sure how you could do it with primitive tools. Might need some more though to accomplish.

I hope you enjoyed the rainy Easter weekend.

Yes, I want to try that too. But I have to seal them so that they don't lose water. For example, the pit will only hold a little water for a few hours then it soaks through the earth. I am thinking of clay lined pits that I can fire.

Yes, that makes sense. Thanks for sharing.

I forgot to mention (but it seemed obvious at the time) the depressions capture water and hold it long enough to seep into ground. Usually they a just about the size of your garden. Also, not sure how much nighttime humidity you get but piled rocks can act as condensers​@@ChadZuberAdventures

@@ravenrock541 It's quite dry most of the year and there is little to no night condensation.

Спасибо

Wow! You were the first to post!

Не здорово, просто решительно.

I wish you a bountiful harvest. Yes, squash does take a lot of space. I'm going to plant in different locations too and see what happens.

I appreciate that, and we love to grow enough, but we are just doing the math on, how much we need to grow and how much space in the high desert is required for sustenance. We hope to make a video on it in the fall.@@ChadZuberAdventures

@@markgibsons_SWpotteryI’d like to see that

Yes, as I stated in the video I will be adding a lot of mulch.

Thanks!

Me neither but his quote was appropriate because I'm not really talented at anything but I have a tendency to never give up.

You know well what it's like then.

Thanks for the tips. Yes, I am planning to do all of that but not really the "clay castle". There is already a lot of clay in the soil and I don't want to stop drainage.

Thanks

I'm working on creating a self-sustaining agriculture project here that requires little maintenance. We'll see how it goes.

Creo que la presa va a ayudar bastante.

The first time I planted here I started seeds in pots. It worked. But the heat later killed all the plants. Then I planted again and also made some shade for the plants. I seemed to help but the only plants that survived were the squash. They were growing good but still suffered wilting from heat every day. They flowered and produced small fruits that didn't fully ripen because the frost came and killed them. They were planted too late in the season. This year I am starting earlier but I have to make sure they survive the dry months.

There already is a lot of drainage directed to the garden. That part is all good I think.

I had one and used it but it got wet in the rain and fell to pieces. I intend to make another one when I have the time.

Yes, I am going to add biochar as well as rotting wood and other compost to the soil.

I am planning to do exactly that too.

That's exactly what I am going to do.

You know Chad I see all these people talking about mulch but your in a desert and I'm betting since you can get salt close by that the soil just needs to be washed properly setting up a garden for water drainage should be enough 😊

Mulch will be very important too because it will help slow down evaporation from the sun beating down on the soil.

Happy Easter to you too!

Thank you so much. I'm sure this climate is much different from that of Ohio. Do you grow a garden there?

@ChadZuberAdventures Oh most definitely the climate does differ quite a bit. However, I feel we have about the same process to prepping our soils for the following harvests. I used to garden quite a bit before moving here in the city. Now, not so much with outdoor gardening but we do a lot of growing crops indoors.

I am an open book if you have any questions regarding indoor or outdoor gardening. There are so many different ways to grow crops. I am pretty knowledgeable about growing plants in hotter climates. I used to live in Florida and spent a lot of time in Louisiana and Texas. So I may have some tips that could help.

@@sarahcalenda1712Thanks. What is a good recipe for making compost tea to mix with the biochar?

I will do my best to keep this short-ish and sweet. I info dump a lot. So, if I need to clarify anything just let me know, ha-ha! So, we used this 5-gallon bucket to make a super nutritious soil booster. We filled it with a mix of compost, kitchen scraps (like coffee grounds, tea, and eggshells), manure, and leaves. This combo helps break down the organic stuff and releases good stuff for our plants. Then, we added water and let it sit for a few days. After that, we strained out the solids and added the liquid to our soil. The cool thing about eggshells is that they help neutralize soil acidity and keep weeds away. Since you like to eat a lot of raw eggs, I don't think you will have an issue with getting those acquired. :) We then stored the leftover mixture in a shady spot to use throughout the season. It's like having a nutrient stash! If your plants are looking sad (wilting, browning, etc.), it might mean they need a nutrient boost. Just keep an eye on them and adjust as needed. We also used some other tricks to keep our soil happy and pests away. Mulch helps keep moisture and aid in drainage. Also, human/dog hair keeps bigger pests away. Just hang it around your garden and voila! Natural pest control, at least for the bigger pests. The only thing that I know that may help with bugs primitively, would be taking a plant with saponins, like Yucca and making soapy water to spray on your plants. I know that soap water is a safe natural way to keep bugs at bay, and it didn't hurt our harvests. Hopefully...some of this helps. That is of course just a small bunch of many different tips that I could give. :) I am more than happy to help further if you desire it again.

Obrigado!

Yeah, that would be very tricky indeed. I'm not sure that I need it to fully hold back water. Just slow it down. It's also important to have drainage.

Дякую тобі. Сподіваюся, ви поділитеся зі мною своїми секретами успішного саду.

Yeah I’m thinking about where to make one.

Thanks! Yes, I will be digging down and filling with a layer of biochar, rotten wood and compost.

@@ChadZuberAdventures Sounds like a plan...👍

There are small rodents in the area. I will have to keep an eye on that. I would probably be able to control them rather easily with traps. That is something I need to prepare as well. Shade is definitely a good idea. I can make temporary shade to use until the plants are well established.

Yeah, I think that is a really good idea. I did that the first year. It seemed to help. I will definitely make one for this year.

Yes, I think this technique will work.

That’s good. Thank you for sharing 👍

There are no puddles uphill from here. That would be a good idea but I could make clay impacted depressions uphill that collect water and then channel down from there perhaps.

Thank you!

Большие камни ношу осторожно.

Espero que sí

I did that before. But it's also a lot of work having to move them around because inside it is very dark. They have to be put outside every day for light.

Sí, creo que todo va a funcionar mucho mejor esta vez. Las rocas no pesan tanto. Creo que la mas grande pesaba unos 45 kilos.

Спасибо. Я буду использовать несколько методов, чтобы повысить свои шансы на успех.

Of course I ate. I didn't sleep in the hammock at that time, I just relaxed and it really was so relaxing.

@@ChadZuberAdventures - glad to hear it. Thx.

Obrigado

Thanks for sharing.

Great, thanks for the tips. I do plan to load the biochar with compost tea.

@@ChadZuberAdventures here's another something to help with water management in particular with your streams on either side of your hut. the zuni bowel. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zPrb7iF4Wnk.html