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Do I need swales?
Isaac Hill
gardener
Posts: 357
Location: Beaver County, Pennsylvania (~ zone 6)
9
posted 6 years ago
I'm pretty new to this whole permaculture thing but I've always loved plants, and when my mother moved to a semi-rural half acre I thought "orchard!" and then I researched a bit and I thought "food forest!" so now I'm gonna plant a food forest. Swales seem to me to be important for dry areas, but since the place has a good water balance, I wasn't going to dig any at all. I want to make sure I'm not missing something before I plant the trees and am unable to dig swales though... so do I need them if water is not really a problem?
Thanks,
Salamander
Thanks,
Salamander
"To oppose something is to maintain it" -- Ursula LeGuin
Jordan Lowery
pollinator
Posts: 1528
Location: zone 7
12
Isaac Hill
gardener
Posts: 357
Location: Beaver County, Pennsylvania (~ zone 6)
9
posted 6 years ago
Not really, the area that the food forest is located (the frond of the house) is actually a bit higher with a very gradual incline all the way to the back of the house where the raised beds are, the only place that gets really wet is a short area on the north side of the house that never gets sun where I was thinking about putting some mushroom logs.
There are also already some mature trees in the front (most of them are black locust!) so I don't think erosion is going to be a problem.
Swales just seem like a whole lot of work that I don't wanna do if I don't need to.
There are also already some mature trees in the front (most of them are black locust!) so I don't think erosion is going to be a problem.
Swales just seem like a whole lot of work that I don't wanna do if I don't need to.
"To oppose something is to maintain it" -- Ursula LeGuin
Gary Park
Posts: 146
Location: St. Louis, MO
2
posted 6 years ago
It seems like swales are comparable to a greenhouse in at least one way; They moderate temperatures(warmer in winter, cooler in summer)-due to surface angles, slowing wind over the surface, creating microclimates. They also moderate moisture--when really wet, they soak it up, and when it's really dry they release it. For fruit trees and general gardening, it will work on any surface, but you'll never know the difference unless you try it. I would suggest planting TWO groups of plants in the same area---1 with a swale or two above or below it, and 1 without the swale. Then you can decide if you want to do the whole area that way.
Jordan Lowery
pollinator
Posts: 1528
Location: zone 7
12
Paul Cereghino
gardener
Posts: 856
Location: South Puget Sound, Salish Sea, Cascadia, North America
15
posted 6 years ago
In a way, with your raised beds, you've already created swale/berm topography
Paul Cereghino- Stewardship Institute
Maritime Temperate Coniferous Rainforest - Mild Wet Winter, Dry Summer
Kirk Hutchison
Posts: 418
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Paul Cereghino
gardener
Posts: 856
Location: South Puget Sound, Salish Sea, Cascadia, North America
15
posted 6 years ago
In my neighborhood some describe our natural forest floor as 'hummock and pit topography', from windthrow and downed logs.
Paul Cereghino- Stewardship Institute
Maritime Temperate Coniferous Rainforest - Mild Wet Winter, Dry Summer
Isaac Hill
gardener
Posts: 357
Location: Beaver County, Pennsylvania (~ zone 6)
9
posted 6 years ago
Word. I think the yard is lumpy enough. Thanks. 
"To oppose something is to maintain it" -- Ursula LeGuin
Chris Dean
Posts: 108
Location: South New Mexico Mountains
3
posted 5 years ago
To resurrect an old thread, I was wondering myself if I needed a swale. I wanted to add that choosing something native or something that specifically grows in regions like yours is important. We get an average of 30 inches a year, but sometimes it's 10 and sometimes it's 50. What I want for this area is something with a deep root that will enable the plant/tree to survive in drought, and something that likes heat but can tolerate light freezes and won't mind periods of lots of water so long as they aren't sitting in a puddle. Just an example
Tyler Ludens
pollinator
Posts: 9742
Location: Central Texas USA Latitude 30 Zone 8
184
Chris Dean
Posts: 108
Location: South New Mexico Mountains
3
posted 5 years ago
Me too Tyler. I've had plans to build some but haven't completed any yet. Do you know of any examples in the area?
Tyler Ludens
pollinator
Posts: 9742
Location: Central Texas USA Latitude 30 Zone 8
184
posted 5 years ago
I don't know of any local examples of long swales. We have a short swale/ basin on our place which is working well to slow and infiltrate water, but so far it hasn't produced any miracles, being just the one little structure. We plan to put in a real honest to goodness approx 300' long swale in the next week or two. Have high hopes for this one!
Idle dreamer
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