Planting without on-site water

Hello!

We are closing on 40 acres in far Northern CA this week! We found property and closed far earlier in the year than we anticipated. We're on an 9+ month long waitlist for a well, but we have an opportunity time-wise to get some perennials in the ground this first year.

I am considering using stored hauled water connected to a drip system to provide initial watering of newly planted trees. We're planning planting locations based on some existing beneficial hydrological features. Is this a reasonable approach? Any other tips for plantings without water sources on site?

Many thanks!

I understand that you're in a dryland/mediterranean area? in this case, you need super deep spot mulch, (straw bales are good, if organic; if not, they can kill your plants), and you need swales, and BIG ones. You need some kind of swale-like function anyway if you're pumping from a well. Important to replace the water somehow. swales can soak insane amounts of water into the landscape, right onto roots, where it's most needed. Also hides it from the sun. anti-evaporation strategies are super important in drylands. Shade is really helpful for young plants.
If the climate is wetter, water soakage is still important; shade is dependent on sun intensity; and mulch is still helpful, just not as critical.

Planting to take full advantage of existing hydrological features is a good technique. “...a tree planted by the streams of waters...”

Hi Evan,
I'm making a guess that you live in a fairly dry climate. I'm not super familiar with Northern California. Based on that assumption, I'll offer a couple ideas that I have read about. I live in an area where we generally get plenty of rainfall, so this is second hand information, but from people who deal with dry areas.

First, I think you are on the right track, to use the topography to pay attention to where what little water there is, goes. Places where the water will collect or at least run past. I know most dry areas have lots of rain in a short period followed by a dry period. The concept is to save the water for later. Generally soaking it into the ground slowly. I don't recall the name (maybe someone else can help), but there was a guy in Arizona who did some pretty amazing things, just using the roads as the water collectors and directing it to lawns and gardens. Another, that I cannot recall the name of now, works in Africa and essentially digs pits in the ground. When it rains, the pits fill with water and slowly soak in around. I believe he plants around and in those pits to make use of the water.

Another method to keep the water there for longer is to use some sort of mulch. This will keep the water from evaporating as quickly. Check out the greening the desert documentary with Geoff Lawton for lots of great info, and examples of what is possible in a dry climate.

Good luck! As you improve your soil and property with plants and organic matter in the soil, it will be able to hold on to the moisture for longer and over time, you can have a great property.

**Edit** Sorry, I forgot the second question you had about the drip lines. I think those are a perfectly good idea, and many people will have a storage tank connected to a drip line. It just needs to be used in conjnection with these other methods, or the water you are putting in, will disappear too quickly. Also make sure the storage has some sort of shade/shelter so you don't get bacteria growth or let the water get too hot.

Are you living on site? If not, how far away, how often will you visit, how far away is your water source, do you have a truck or other methods for carrying bulk water, can you drive to where you need the water, do you have a budget, How many plants are we talking about?

Have you watched any of Mark Shepard's STUN method? The STRATEGIC total utter neglect, not the shear version.  Basically, you shouldn't baby your starts.

We use a water catchment system called a "Guzzler".

I would highly recommend setting up something good for a water catchment system.

Here is a book by Brad Lancaster that will help:

https://permies.com/wiki/51855/Rainwater-Harvesting-Drylands-Brad-Lancaster

And this:

https://permies.com/t/36676/Brad-Lancaster-Waste-Transform-waste

I don't recall the name (maybe someone else can help), but there was a guy in Arizona who did some pretty amazing things, just using the roads as the water collectors and directing it to lawns and gardens.  

Brad Lancaster's site is here.

Thanks Anne and Joylynn for jogging my memory :) Brad Lancaster was the guy in Arizona.

I cannot find the original video on youtube, but the other method was the Zai Pit that is used in Africa.

Here is one of my threads that has lots of water retention methods:

https://permies.com/t/138768/Water-Plants-Trees-Drought-Conditions

This one also might be interesting though it is not as concise:

https://permies.com/t/58559/Big-Fat-Thread-Dryland-Farming

I find that my perennials do much, much better if I get them in the ground in the winter so they settle in and get the spring rains. Then I only need to water once a week during the summer to keep them alive and encourage them to grow deep roots in search of water. The times I have planted later, like late spring, I have to water daily to keep them alive in the summer and often those plants end up struggling for a few years of they don't just up and die.

I'm in western Washington- lots of rain in the winter and early spring and then little to no rain all summer. I don't know how much spring rain you get south of me but I would assume that the principle will be the same. If you can't get perennials in the ground soon, I think you will be better off waiting one year, or at least waiting until the fall to plant. It's really frustrating to spend $100s on plants and fight to get them watered all summer, only to watch them slowly wither away.