Alternatives to plastic weeping tile for passive irrigation

Hi, Folks.

One of my plans for the next couple of summers is to start converting a lawn area around the house to a diverse, mostly perennial, multi-species pollenator oasis and herb garden.  We capture rainwater from the roof in rain barrels, but they typically overflow in a normal rainstorm; I would like to do a better job of directing the overflow to useful places.  My original thought was to dig some trenches to direct the water where I wanted it, and bury weeping tile in those trenches (likely under wood chip mulch) to allow smaller amounts of water to be spread out over a larger portion of the area; however, those trenches, when covered in mulch, would be the main paths in the garden, and I am not certain the weeping tile would hold up to foot traffic.  In addition, I am not thrilled about adding plastic to our environment.

Has anyone tried any alternatives?  Suggestions?

Thanks!

I would try seeing how the mulch-filled trenches work without the plastic tile.

Tyler Ludens wrote:I would try seeing how the mulch-filled trenches work without the plastic tile.

Have you tried this?  What kind of mulch would work best?  The trenches will be extensive (probably 100+ feet in total), and dug entirely by hand, so it will basically be a one-shot deal.  

I've seen many reports that mulch in water control ditches will float away.

I would dig the ditches, compact the soil and line it with flat stone.
It won't be maintenance free,  but it will be more easily maintained.
If evaporation is an issue, directing water to deep mulch filled infiltration basins could help.
That would be a good place for mulch.

I haven't had much problem with wood chips floating away.  My kitchen garden paths are basically trenches first filled with wood and soil, and then covered with wood chips.  My entire garden has wood buried in it and it is improving every year in water holding capacity and soil quality.

https://permies.com/t/52077/Buried-Wood-Beds

Tyler Ludens wrote:I haven't had much problem with wood chips floating away.  My kitchen garden paths are basically trenches first filled with wood and soil, and then covered with wood chips.  My entire garden has wood buried in it and it is improving every year in water holding capacity and soil quality.

https://permies.com/t/52077/Buried-Wood-Beds

I definitely want to incorporate more water holding capacity overall, but in this particular case, I need water moving capacity.  If the water is held where it comes from the downspouts, it is virtually useless, as I can't plant anything but lawn in that particular area, due to the needs of my water and septic systems.  I need to move that water to a different part of the yard, where it can then soak in and be useful to my pollenator and herbal gardens.  

I know there is a guy in Calgary using weeping tile to move water around an urban yard to where he wants it, and it looks like a very effective system.  I just wish I could accomplish something similar without the plastic.  

I had some of an idea but I had to look up weeping tile and the wikipedia article says it is named such since it used to be made of terracotta tile. So that goes along with my idea, which is to make some kind of olla pipe.

Tyler Ludens wrote:I haven't had much problem with wood chips floating away.  My kitchen garden paths are basically trenches first filled with wood and soil, and then covered with wood chips.  My entire garden has wood buried in it and it is improving every year in water holding capacity and soil quality.

https://permies.com/t/52077/Buried-Wood-Beds

The reports I've read pertain to swales.
I suppose it depends on how the ditch runs.
If the water is moving instead of sinking in I it seems like  would disrupt the mulch.

Jess,  if you are starting with water from the roof, maybe skip digging?
Aluminum down spout is pretty cheap, maybe run the water along the surface, through lengths of down spout to where it needs to go.
Very little digging, just enough to keep it going downhill.
Hide it with a raised path of dry stone, or run it  just below the surface and cover it in stepping stone.

William Bronson wrote:Jess,  if you are starting with water from the roof, maybe skip digging?
Aluminum down spout is pretty cheap, maybe run the water along the surface, through lengths of down spout to where it needs to go.
Very little digging, just enough to keep it going downhill.
Hide it with a raised path of dry stone, or run it  just below the surface and cover it in stepping stone.

That's an interesting idea.  I will look into that.  Thank you.