Amazing New Discovery: Dry Farming! After A Kickstart with Water, Roots Quickly Go Incredibly Deep Into the Soil Looking For Moisture that's There All Year!
Everyone knows water and sunlight are essential to gardening, but what’s a farmer in a drought-struck area to do? Amazingly, some farmers have found a way to grow crops without the H2O and the results are remarkably tasty.
… And dig deep for water!
As NPR reports, the technique is known as dry farming. Dry farmers intentionally limit the amount of water they provide to their crops. Though some water is needed in the first few weeks to get the plants going, after that, the farmers cut the supply off entirely.
Surprisingly, withholding the water doesn’t kill the produce. Instead, it forces the baby plants to grow vines that go incredibly deep into the soil. These vines are searching for a water source, and soil tends to retain moisture throughout the year.
Consumers in the know have been flocking to dry farmed products and not just because they enjoy the conservation aspect. They find the food grown in this manner to be sweeter and have more flavor than their traditionally watered counterparts.
In California, farmers in rain-free areas dry farm products like tomatoes, potatoes, grapes, apples and melons. The harvest does well not only at local supermarkets, but also in distant places where shoppers have acquired the taste for dry farmed goods but cannot find it grown locally due to rainfall. As a result, dry farmers admit they have trouble producing a supply to meet the current demand.
One downside to dry farming is the crops’ limited harvest. Though the un-watered plants may prove more flavorful, their production is drastically reduced. Farmers estimate that, per acre, they grow anywhere between 3 to 10 times less food than they would if they watered their crops instead.
Or 100% less if they didn’t.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/farming-without-water-its-possible-and-tasty.html#ixzz2de5oQWLd
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Whistler Blowers, Insiders
Living in a dry area I am afraid I have to call Bull crap on this one. EVERYTHING shrivels up and dies within 12 hours if I don’t water Twice a day.
if you farm with wood chips as they do in the documentary “back to eden” you do not need to water and you can produce much more food than normal. You can plant later in the season too. It works!
Dry farming is an old tradition in the wine country of California. The Italian growers did it and brought it over here. Old school style, very hearty zinfandels for instance. Of course, the yield is lower but that’s what gives the grapes their punch. Very concentrated. However, bear in mind that grapes are woody perennial vines and can establish complex root systems. Same would apply to nut trees or other perennial crops potentially.
Growing annual crops in a dry method sounds much riskier. Annual plants, by their nature, take advantage of wet seasons, germinate, grow, flower and fruit all in a rush before the inevitable dry or cold season. I really doubt “dry farming” works in those cases.
Wood chips can make a huge difference as Arts posted. Of course, that’s more labor intensive but the chips will maintain a lower soil temp and retain the moisture. Good idea, definitely worth exploring.