Science and Nature

Gardening Without Irrigation: or without much, anyway

Dryland Vegetable Gardening with Soil-Building, Deep-Rooted Crops, and Water-Wise TechniquesBy Steve Solomon

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Length3h 10m

About this audiobook

In *Gardening Without Irrigation: or without much, anyway*, Steve Solomon presents a practical yet intellectually serious account of water-wise food gardening. Rather than treating drought as an absolute prohibition, he explains how soil preparation, crop selection, planting schedules, mulching, and careful cultivation can reduce dependence on supplemental water while preserving productivity. His prose combines empirical instruction with the observational habits of a field naturalist: specific, candid, and attentive to regional climate, soil structure, and the differing needs of vegetables. Situated within the traditions of organic horticulture, self-sufficiency, and appropriate-technology agriculture, the book challenges both wasteful irrigation and romantic notions that gardening can ignore ecological limits. Solomon's authority derives from extensive experience as a gardener, seed entrepreneur, and advocate of resilient small-scale agriculture. As the founder of Territorial Seed Company, he worked closely with varieties, growers, and the practical constraints of local food production. His recommendations emerge not from abstract environmentalism but from sustained experimentation with western conditions, where seasonal rainfall, dry summers, and uneven soils demand disciplined management. The book reflects his broader concern with restoring knowledge that modern systems often replace with purchased inputs. This is an excellent guide for gardeners facing drought, unreliable water supplies, or rising ecological costs, but it also rewards readers interested in the history and philosophy of sustainable cultivation. Its methods are adaptable rather than dogmatic, making the book valuable to beginners and experienced growers alike. Readers seeking a grounded, economical, and ecologically responsible approach to growing food will find Solomon's work both immediately useful and enduringly persuasive.

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Audiobook details

Rating★★★★ 4.0 (158)

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GenreScience and Nature

Length3 hrs 10 mins

Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices

FormateBook with Audio

Publish dateNov 25, 2023

LanguageEnglish

1The Lay of the Land (Annotated)

21 Predictably Rainless Summers 2 Water-Wise Gardening Science 3 Helping Plants to Need Less Irrigation 4 Water-Wise Gardening Year-Round 5 How to Grow It with Less Irrigation: A-Z 6 My Own Garden Plan 7 The Backyard

3Starting a New Gardening Era

4Gardening with Less Irrigation

5Chapter 1

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6Predictably Rainless Summers

7Chapter 2

8Plants Are Water

9Soil's Water-Holding Capacity

10How Soil Loses Water

11How Plants Obtain Water

12Lowered Plant Density: The Key to Water-Wise Gardening

13Dealing with a Surprise Water Shortage