15 Ways to Save Water in the Vegetable Garden

Drought is a serious problem in many parts of the country. Here in Northern California, we battle drought conditions every few years. Many of the lawns in my neighborhood are brown and dry, and there have even been times when the city parks stop watering.

01

Mulch

The first and most important way to save water in the vegetable garden is by using mulch. Mulch is a layer of natural material (like bark, straw, shredded leaves, etc) that you spread over your garden soil.

Use Ollas

Ollas (pronounced oh-yahs) are an ancient watering vessel that have recently become popular again. I would love to try these in my garden--they are unglazed terracotta pots that look like large, hollow onions.

Get Rid of Your Lawn

If you aren’t ready to get rid of your lawn and replace it with artichokes like we did, consider reducing its size or replacing traditional grass with a drought-tolerant ground cover like creeping thyme. 

Plant French Intensive or Square Foot Style

Seed packets and plant tags show the maximum or optimal plant spacing. But most of the time, the plants can be a little closer together with no ill effects.

Create a Rain Garden

For those of you who get rain in the summertime (unlike us in California), a rain garden is a great way to capture rainwater runoff.

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