Melissa Benton

I love these ideas. The rocks I typically get when I dig average about fist size, some bigger some smaller. I am thinking those would be too small for a retaining wall? Bryant how do you build yours, with mortar or some kind of wire netting?

Casie do you think rocks or small logs filling the swales would have the same effect? I do plan to use ramial wood chips in a back to Eden mulch fashion on top of my planted compost, but I hadn't thought to use them down in the swale. I have been trying to contact the power line clearing companies but can't seem to figure out who does it, and nobody knows! I haven't seen them around my area lately or I would stalk them ha!

S Bengi you just mean alternating overflow to the next level kind of in an S shape right? I may do that with some rocks or small logs as well.

I am new to the forum but hopeful that I can learn something from your experiences! I bought my land last fall and I have a 100'x150' area with about a 30% slope (guesstimate), that I would like to plant a permaculture style vegetable garden on. I live in East Texas, we get a ton of rain in the spring and then have a drought almost every summer. I am interested in swales and/or terracing, 1) to reduce effects of torrential rainfall like surface erosion and drowning plants, and 2) to take advantage of the spring rainfall and "store" it in the swales to help cover the drought months. Ideally with no watering, but who knows if that's possible. I have clay/rocks, I wouldn't even call it soil. I plan to bring in compost and put a deep layer on the existing ground after I get the swales or terracing completed, and plant right into it, with a few inches of woodchips or other mulch on top. I'd love to do swales with retention walls, so kind of a combo between swale and terrace. My concern is the cost of wood for building terraces, which I really can't afford. Swales would be free to dig but I'm not sure how well the compost and plants will stay in place on the slopes between swales if I have no rentention walls, and I can't plant trees since these crops need full sun. Ideas? I'm open to all suggestions and very much appreciate the help