Yes! Love, this Brad! I always try to explain to folks that my rain garden is essentially a huge rain barrel in the ground, but it takes less work, and efficiently soaks up sooooooo much more water than I could possibly hold in rain barrels - AND it's full of beautiful food for pollinators.
For our gardens and orchards we need IBC bins and rain barrels but we also plan to utilize something much like this. Our back acre was commercially farmed for a few years. As such it is depleted, dry, and grows only tough, scraggly weeds. Water just drains right through it. Something like this could be a game changer.
I let my tumbleweed grow for a while before chopping lower. Adding that organic matter in big chunks keeps it from blowing away, shades the soil a bit, traps sediment. It builds soil over a few years and you start getting "better" weeds. 🕊️
Dude, I love what you're doing. I've done similar in various parts of Australia. Awesome stuff and so rewarding. If I'm ever in your part of the world I'll stop by and check out what you're up to. ✌️❤️🎶 Dave
Hi Brad, I hear your radio interview on WETA/WAMU in Washington, D.C. the other day. However, I missed most of the interview and was wondering if you will be posting it anywhere on your website? I tried to find it on the radio's archive but I couldn't locate it. The small part that I did hear was pretty interesting. I'd love to be able to hear the entire interview.
I will argue the terminology of "capacity", because that's more how much it holds, and this system doesn't hold all the water. As you said, it seeps into the ground and is evaporated by the plants. I'm sure a tank with holes all through it would be able to go a long while without overflowing too. Point of fact, you can't use the water in the bio sponge. It's benefiting your water table, your local climate, all of that, fine, but it's not actually reserving water for later use, like you would on a tank, so I feel the comparison isn't very logical.
I already watched all the best videos it seems ....let's watch again!
Yes! Love, this Brad! I always try to explain to folks that my rain garden is essentially a huge rain barrel in the ground, but it takes less work, and efficiently soaks up sooooooo much more water than I could possibly hold in rain barrels - AND it's full of beautiful food for pollinators.
Water in tanks starts getting funky pretty fast...
Holds more water, passively grows trees, and costs less than a cistern too! Here's hoping Tucson breaks its monsoon precipitation record!
For our gardens and orchards we need IBC bins and rain barrels but we also plan to utilize something much like this. Our back acre was commercially farmed for a few years. As such it is depleted, dry, and grows only tough, scraggly weeds. Water just drains right through it. Something like this could be a game changer.
check out Craig Sponholz for some erosion control tips!
I let my tumbleweed grow for a while before chopping lower. Adding that organic matter in big chunks keeps it from blowing away, shades the soil a bit, traps sediment. It builds soil over a few years and you start getting "better" weeds.
🕊️
Plus, letting them grow bigger makes a bigger root, which when it dies and decomposes creates a terrific air and water pathway.
🕊️
Immense respect for you, Brad. Thank you enormously for your commitment, ideas, persistence, and fabulous books.
Slow it, sink it, spread it!
Dude, I love what you're doing. I've done similar in various parts of Australia. Awesome stuff and so rewarding. If I'm ever in your part of the world I'll stop by and check out what you're up to.
✌️❤️🎶
Dave
Your work is very important!
Thank you ❤😊💓
Thank you. ⚘
Las Vegas should hire you to desibn some permaculture into the city. If only they had done this to mitigate flooding.
AND the water is cleaner!
Thank you for sharing very informative.
So good!
Wonderful thinking ❤
This is inspirational. How can I find which plants will live as living sponges in a northern environment (Michigan)?
Hi Brad, I hear your radio interview on WETA/WAMU in Washington, D.C. the other day. However, I missed most of the interview and was wondering if you will be posting it anywhere on your website? I tried to find it on the radio's archive but I couldn't locate it. The small part that I did hear was pretty interesting. I'd love to be able to hear the entire interview.
See link below
www.harvestingrainwater.com/media/interviews/
Great work!!! Keep it up!!!
Nice job! Thanks for sharing.
Could you name a few plant species to see if they grow close to the Sonora Desert in Mexico?
He's in the Sonora. Plant things like palo verde, mesquite, opuntia, anderson wolfberry, bladderpod, Ocotillo, yucca, and agaves.
WOW!
Sick mustache too yo.
I will argue the terminology of "capacity", because that's more how much it holds, and this system doesn't hold all the water. As you said, it seeps into the ground and is evaporated by the plants. I'm sure a tank with holes all through it would be able to go a long while without overflowing too. Point of fact, you can't use the water in the bio sponge. It's benefiting your water table, your local climate, all of that, fine, but it's not actually reserving water for later use, like you would on a tank, so I feel the comparison isn't very logical.
What if your area the run off that comes into your basin is all muddy from hillsides and such? Iv sent you a message on instagram before 🙂✋
Try to start closer to the top of your watershed if possible
@@HarvestingRainwater thanks brad, still reading vol 1 i have a steep bushy hillside i will deff take your advise & put it to use