“While some complain about small harvests, we feed ourselves and others in our food desert.”
EDITORS’ PICK
Rainwater and Hot Climates
I want to add to the letter on collecting rainwater (Dear MOTHER Dec. 2023/Jan. 2024). Before collecting rainwater, know the state and local laws about water rights. Nevada had a law until about four years ago that made it illegal to collect rainwater. No interference with rain from the sky to the ground was allowed. That law was modified to allow people to collect rainwater if they purchased a permit from the state. As a desert state, Nevada has strict limits on water use. Also, being on a residential well for water comes with restrictions on how much well water I can use, with only a specific acre-foot of water allowed each year.
I’d like to see more on gardening in hot climates. My home in Nevada only receives 6 inches of rain per year, mainly in the frigid winter and spring. The dry summer and fall reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit with single-digit humidity. One problem in particular: How do you compost leaves in the desert? Mine are still sitting in the compost bin after six years, even with weekly water added in summer.
R.J. Ruby
Silver Springs, Nevada
Why Are We Wrong?
“Scientific gardeners,” including
