Rainwater Harvesting 101: Learn to Garden with Less Water

In a time where it feels like the weather is getting more and more volatile no matter where we live, making sure that you can capture rainwater is so important for so many people around the world. That's what this entire episode is about. And to help me with this topic is my plant friend Martha Retallick, author of Water Harvesting 101, who’s mastered the art of collecting and reusing rainwater after years of living through droughts in Tucson, Arizona. In our conversation, she shared how to redirect, collect, and reuse water for free! Let's start collecting, plant friends!

In this episode, we learn:

• [04:21] Who is Martha Retallick?
• [06:37] What is gardening in Tucson like?
• [07:02] Why rainwater beats tap for plants
• [09:01] What is water harvesting and its 3 pillars?
• [11:00] The benefits of water harvesting
• [13:06] What are some drought-tolerant natives (mesquite, palo verde, ironwood)
• [14:17] Redirecting rainwater 101
• [14:29] Basins vs bowls
• [15:43] Wind River Chimes
• [17:22] American Horticultural Society Weekly Planner
• [19:13] Overflows & berms
• [20:31] Flat yard? Start with basins
• [22:37] Starter cisterns: rain barrels
• [25:07] Is stored rainwater potable?
• [25:34] Stepping up to cisterns
• [27:27] Calculating your water budget
• [29:53] Common mistakes with cisterns and irrigation
• [30:36] Drought fallback: plant nitrogen-fixing beans
• [32:34] Low-tech gauge to check water level
• [33:19] What are the fall crops Martha likes to grow?
• [34:56] What counts as gray water
• [35:42] Two-way valve (redirect washer water to trees)
• [37:06] What to look out for when harvesting water for your landscape
• [38:01] The importance of “varying your flavors of water”
• [38:40 Where to find Martha’s book and free cheat sheet!
• [39:17] Reflections on water usage

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Oasis Soap Bar
• Water Budget Calculator | Watershed Management Group
• Water Harvesting 101 Book by Martha Retallick
• Growing Joy 275: Water Saving Techniques for Your Garden with Noelle Johnson

To help you get started with water harvesting,

check out the full show notes and blog here for Martha's tips!

Follow Martha:

Website
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Research
LinkedIn
Podcast

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Wind River Chimes

Visit windriverchimes.com and use code GROWINGJOY to receive free engraving on your chosen wind chimes.

Quarto: Weekly Planner by the American Horticultural Society

Grab your Weekly Planner at quarto.com and wherever books are sold and fill your days with botanical beauty! 

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