Now days here in the west we are running out of water. So, making it count when it comes to gardening is essential. This method is a great way to accomplish growing a garden with very little water usage.

This is similar to my other post “Gardening With What You Have“. Which I had tested out and seemed to have good success with. Then I learned there are similar gardening methods to what I had just done. In that post, I was putting together a brand-new bed from scratch and I still do it to this day for new beds. Core gardening is a great continuation and addition to what I did.

Core gardening is a method I discovered through YouTuber Luke with “MI Gardener”. And he discovered it when he found out this method was used in African gardening where water can be scarce. What is it? This is a method in which you dig out a trench in your garden bed and pack in raw materials like old straw that will act as a sponge and water your garden for you when rain is scarce. It can help save on 90% of your watering needs.

Step By Step

1. Dig a trench down the center of your garden bed. I use the shovel as the measuring tool. I do a shovel width wide (you could go a little wider if you want up to 2 feet wide), and as deep as the shovel head or at least 4-5 inches. Most beds are about 4 ft wide. If yours is bigger, then you may want to do multiple trenches.
2. Fill trench with materials. Rotting straw is most popular (new straw is too waxy and doesn’t hold water well). I use old animal bedding (with the manure), and/or hay waste from the goats, along with some kitchen scrapes for added nutrients as it breaks down. Other things you could use include old leaves, plant clippings, wood chips, branches, twigs . . . keep in mind that hay might have seeds in it and might mat more which makes it break down much more slowly than straw.
3. After the trench is filled with material you want to put the dirt you dug out back over the top and bury it. If your material is really dry when you get it into the trench, you’ll want to soak it or “charge” your core. A dry core won’t water your garden. And then you’re ready to plant!

The material will break down over the course of your growing season. This will add to the fertility of your soil. By the time the next growing season comes around, you will want to put a new core in. Hope you try this and that it’s successful for you!

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