SALT LAKE CITY — The ongoing drought has people in Utah trying new things to make sure they can still farm or garden this year, including Wasatch Community Gardens, where they’re trying dry farming.
The process starts with the question of what really makes a plant great? The soil? The leaves? In Utah, it’s their resilience.
Giles Larsen is the garden's Education Program Director and has been studying how to grow food without needing irrigation after planting.
“There are certain varieties that are just tough. They shoot those root downs fast and access whatever moisture is being stored in the soil, even if the surface of the soil looks dry," Larsen explained.
This is the second year that Wasatch Community Gardens has tried the dry farming method. Last year, about 80 percent of their trial crops died, but the 20 percent that survived put on new growth, flowered, and fruited.
They’re still figuring out what works.
“Get your plants in the ground sooner and established sooner so they’re accessing that water," Larsen explained, "then when things get hot, they’re ready for the long haul."
Click here to read the full article by Julia Sandor at Fox 13 News.
Click here to read more about Wasatch Community Gardens' Climate Resiliency research