Category Archives: Water and Ponds

9 New Fruit Trees and New Swale – 3/12/2022

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I dug a new swale just downhill from my first swale. It is a few inches lower than the top swale, but won’t fill until the top swale is filled nearly full. I’ll add rocks in the area where they are connected to resist erosion.

New Swale dug to promote in-soak– Looking South
New Swale dug to promote in-soak– Looking South
Existing swale in foreground, new swale in background – looking east
new swale connects near middle of old swale – looking north

I planted 9 new fruit trees on the downhill side of the new swale. Here are the types and varieties of the trees:

  • Ichi-Ki-Kei-Jiro Asian Persimmon (Grafted)
  • Saijo Asian Persimmon (Grafted)
  • Moonglow Pear Standard
  • Stark® Honeysweet Pear Dwarf
  • Starking® Hardy Giant™ Asian Pear Semi-Dwarf
  • Dapple Dandy Pluot® Standard
  • Flavor King Pluot® Standard
  • Starking® Delicious™ Pear Dwarf
  • Anjou Pear Semi-Dwarf

Swale and fig trees

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I created a swale (AKA ditch-on-contour) to catch the runoff water that flows behind and around our house. I transplanted the 11 fig trees I started from cuttings last year on the high side of the swale. The idea is to slow down the water and let it soak into the soil. After a big rain, this area might look like a pond for several days. All that water eventually moves down into the soil where plants can use it for weeks or months after, reducing the need to use extra water.