TLDR: A stock pond x olla love child irrigation system???
So let me preface this by saying I an a complete gardening noob who has been casually learning about permaculture for a couple years and this year we’re ready to start our backyard suburban experiment. I’m prone to biting off more than I should but we usually make it work anyhow. Ha.
I’m zone 6a and planning my beds like a keyhole / 3-sided square open on the north side so my garden can get the most sun in my yard. I’ve been tossing the idea of also having a smallish stock tank “pond” to collect rainwater and use for watering the garden. I’d like to have some aquatic plants and cold hardy fish like minnows or rice fish for mosquito control and a bit of added fertilizer. Initially I figured I’d just decant water by hand and water the beds, maybe do a terracotta pot olla system, but what if I ran lines out of the tank directly to the center of the beds? Would a hose ending in a pot olla work? Or rope wicks? I’ve seen irrigation systems like that, but seems like they always just use buckets. I’m really interested in having that living aspect involved.
I imagine I’d have to be more careful about monitoring and maintaining the water level (and temperature over winter) in the pond, but could this idea work? Is there a very good reason in failing to see that makes this a poor choice?
submitted by /u/silent-earl-grey
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