Skip to main content

Landscape Swale Adds Beauty and Function

A swale is wise landscaping that puts water where it belongs: underground, where the plant roots can drink it to grow healthy gardens, and the excess water can trickle down to become part of the water table. Water underground can’t erode the soil above ground. These sustainability concepts keep slopes in place and prove to be valuable resources.

 

Stop Runoff and Fertilize Soil With a Swale

The swale is a long ditch dug on contour, keeping the same level its entire length so that stormwater rolling down a hill comes to a stop. With heavy mulch, water resting at the bottom is out of the wind and does not heavily evaporate into the atmosphere. A good mulch will also keep the dirt protected for the bacteria and worms to work the soil, keeping it loose for better drainage. Some swales are packed smooth on just the incoming slope, allowing water to flow to the bottom of the ditch before soaking into the layers of earth beneath.

 

Swales are Great for Soil Slope Stabilization

Swales nearly eliminate the erosion around them. Those deep healthy roots fed by the swale will grip the slope’s dirt, weaving it together with the fine living and decaying root matter to hold it in place. Top soil near the swale will be subject to far less damage from rain runoff, staying preserved where it is, and getting richer with compost and mulch. The saved top soil provides yet more vegetation opportunities, which will further the stabilization of the slope even more. With foliage protecting the ground, wind won’t blow top soil away, and the sun cannot fry the life from the soil as easily. With swales, the slope has turned into a living sponge that is unlikely to move.

The water table beneath the ground can be kept healthy by swales, too, continuously recharged by the deep soaking capabilities the swale has. People can draw reasonable amounts of water from the swale fed well without depleting it. Full aquifers won’t collapse, preventing the ground on steep hills from giving way. An otherwise neglected underground water system will be taken care of.

 

Swales Make Rich Gardens

Swale plants have the benefit of a deep watering system, and are able to grow quick and healthy. Plants should eventually shade the swale itself to prevent evaporation and receive even more water at the roots. The trees and shrubs prevent harsh winds from reaching the growing vegetables as well.

The swale’s front berm needs shrubs or trees suitable to drink the amount of water that is deposited from the swale. Living on the top of this berm, the shrubs will have very good drainage. These can be native trees suited for the climate, or even fruit trees that will grow good things for people to eat. The important aspect is that they are large semi-permanent vegetation with deep stretching roots and the ability to shade the swale itself.

The remaining swale space is available to any rotation of crops. If initial soil conditions aren’t optimal, a swale can first be planted with vegetation that builds the soil. Legumes, such as Acacia trees, clover, and beans, are useful for fixing nitrogen to fertilize the dirt. In successive plantings, trees, shrubs, vegetables, and other crops can grow located by their sun and water needs. Crops that don’t mind shade, such as lettuce, will be happy to grow at the bottom of the swale where they are protected by taller plants and the slopes of the swale itself. Carrots can grow closer to the top of the berm, between trees, where they will enjoy the drainage and absorb more sun.

 

Garden Landscaping of Sustainable Proportions

The environment, families, and geotechnical engineers couldn’t ask for a more reliable way to keep a steep slope in place. Beyond soil reinforcement, such a large range of benefits make this landscaping investment well worth the digging required. Aside from the food it can produce, the compost, and firewood harvested from the occasional tree, a well placed bench beneath the shade makes a great place to relax on a hot sunny day.

The post Landscape Swale Adds Beauty and Function appeared first on All around the house.



from All around the house http://allaroundthe.house/landscape-swale/
via IFTTT
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

10 DIY Winter Home Repairs

The winter months can become very hard on your home. Problems always arise during the winter months, and always seem more expensive. Start at the first sign of winter, so you will have fewer repairs to make yourself through them cold winter months. Doing this yourself can save you a lot of money in the long run. Tip #1- Clean Gutters / Fix Cracks You should make sure all debris are cleaned from your gutters right before winter starts and then once in the middle of winter. I have found the easiest way to clean these if with a small set of garden tools. Use the shovel to scrape the leaves out of there. Then use the small rake they give you to help. Once you have removed it all, take a garden hose and spray it off, making sure the water drains correctly. If you have cracks in your gutters then purchase some putty to fill in these cracks. Water damage can cost a lot of money. When it snows, that water needs a place to go. If your water has no place to go, then its going to sit on your h...
Post a Comment
Read more

5 Tips to Keep Your Lawn from Turning Brown

Maintaining a lawn can be rewarding, but also frustrating at the same time. During drought or with the summer heat, you might see your neighbor’s lawn looking greener and lusher than yours despite your everyday struggle. For this particular project, we do not only focus on watering tips but also on steps that are mostly cheap but can get the job done of keeping your lawn from turning brown.     5 Tips to keep your lawn from turning brown #1. You need to mow with the season As homeowners we do know that the ideal height to set lawn mowers is at 2 inches, this height will give just enough clippings to serve as protection, natural fertilizer, and give that cushion feel when you step on the grass. But during the dry season, the lawn should be cut in a height of 3 inches to block more sunlight and cover the soil from direct heat and too much evaporation. With higher grass, the soil is given just enough shade aiding in water retention, which in turn gives you a longer interv...
Post a Comment
Read more

5 Simple Toilet Repairs Anybody Can Do

When a toilet starts acting funny there aren’t that many things that can go wrong. A little expertise and a few dollars can fix many common problems with a household toilet. The Ways of a Toilet Before a person can fix a toilet, it is important to know a little about how they work. In the back of the toilet there is a float that controls the water level in the tank. There is a bar on the back of the handle that connects to a plug in the bottom of the tank. When the toilet is flushed, the bar lifts the plug and lets the water out. The water slowly runs back into the toilet through the refill valve and when the floating ball levels out it stops. These mechanisms are the basis for most home toilet repair since they are ease to get to and simple to fix. Five Simple Toilet Fixes Most of these require that you take the lid off the toilet tank. Remember that the water in the tank is clean but may splash a little if you flush the toilet with the top off. Loose Handle – Look at the back ...
Post a Comment
Read more