Cascade 16G in Dry/Arid Climate Experiment

[Green]

Yeah. Thankfully you're just battling heat. And it's amazing the grass has done so well with so little irrigation. So, you'd attribute that to the Cascade improving the soil percolation...? If so, that's an awesome result.

[jmlrugby]

That is correct, but I am finding out, much like GA Dad, that there is no substitute for organic matter. I have a few spots where the soil won't hold water very well, so I am dumping any and all OM I can find.

[seiyafan]

How's the grass doing in the heat?

[jmlrugby]

I will post some pictures tonight. There are some areas in the front that are cooked, but they were backfilled with sand years ago. In the back, the bluegrass has gone dormant, but for all intents and purposes, considering the lack of rain since April, issue with my irrigation and record highs since May, its still trooping on.

[jmlrugby]

So here are the updates. Early conclusions so far: need to prevent solar radiation. Where shaded, growth is still going strong. Full sun, well its 50/50. Where reservoir was applied, the soil has held moisture well. Since summer arrived in May this year and cloud cover is nil, monsoon is late, this isn't too bad. We'll see what clouds and rain bring in July and August.

[smast16]

Jmlrugby out of pure curiosity, how do you flood irrigate. I know the practice of it in rice fields and such, but how do you do it on your property?

[jmlrugby]

In short, I have a gravity fed valve in my backyard that is connected to the main canal system for agricultural watering in the valley. We get a quarter acre of water every two weeks and the slope and berms of the yard feed it from the back to the front yard.

[smast16]

That's really cool. How long does that take to soak into the ground? Was there a noticeable difference this year vs. last year with the soaking in time?

Do you have to pay for the water rights to take out of the ag canal?

[jmlrugby]

So, my water soaks in pretty quickly now that I am caring for my soil, but before the SLS and Reservoir DG applications, about three years back, the standing water could last upwards of an hour or so in the yard, and even longer for some of neighbors. At this point, the water sits for about fifteen minutes before its completely gone. The largest difference between last year and this, is the water retention in the soil. For example, after irrigation, the soil will show signs of moisture for about two days afterwards, even in 100+ degree heat.

The water rights are connected to the property, so every owner of the property has the right to the 1/4 acre a cycle, but we pay for maintenance on the lines and roughly $80 a year for delivery fees, ect. I grew up with irrigation and don't think I would ever consider moving to a home without it.

[smast16]

I've never had irrigation myself, but i know that once i get it i'll never live without it again. Till then, i'll keep schlepping the hose around! I love this experiment, thanks for sharing it with us!