Water Catchments in the Forest Garden:

Forest Garden farmers often work in regions with limited rainfall and access to water, so it is critical that they optimize the way they harvest and use it. Farmers may practice multiple catchment systems, including barrels or cisterns that capture water off roofs through a gutter system, or water pans or ponds that capture water running along the landscape. Here, farmers dig a large hole or trench where best applicable, they then line the hole with a plastic tarp or something waterproof that will trap the water in the basin. The Forest Garden design provides other ways of “catching water” including the use of contour berms and swales, small garden earthworks, and mulching and cover crop. While this catchment may be less visible, it is also holding water in the soil and contributing to a farm’s water conservation and drought resilience.