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Dealing With Drought

Because plants require moisture to grow and thrive, your garden will probably suffer during periods of low rainfall and intense heat. Insufficient soil moisture will result in smaller flowers and fruit, stunted plant growth, decreased root development and increased plant disease and insect damage. Fortunately, there are many things that you can do to minimize the impact of drought on your garden.

1. SOIL
Soil is like a sponge that holds and releases all the ingredients that your plants need to survive. Soils that drain quickly, sandy or rocky soil, will speed up and increase the effects of drought. The best way to correct this problem is to amend your soil with organic matter. Amending your soil adds to it’s moisture retaining ability, adds nutrients essential for plant health and increase soil aeration for ease of root growth. Good choices include:

  • compost
  • composted manure
  • composted leaf mold
  • mushroom soil
  • dried grass clippings
  • earthworm castings


Native Plants

2. DROUGHT TOLERANT PLANTS
Drought tolerant plants are adapted to grow well in regions of low rainfall. These plants require minimal water to survive. When planting, try to group plants with the same water requirements together in an area best suited to their tolerance. Plants best adapted to dry conditions include the following:

  • native plants
  • plants with deep taproots
  • plants covered with hair
  • tiny leaved plants
  • succulents

3. WATERING TECHINQUES
The best way to water a garden is by drip irrigation or a soaker hose. Soaker hoses allow deep watering without runoff. Moisture goes directly into the soil where every precious drop can be absorbed by plant roots. With conventional overhead watering methods, about 35% of the water used is wasted due to evaporation. Time saving tip: Install a timing device to automatically turn your irrigation system on and off as required.

Sprinklers should be used primarily for lawns. Newly seeded or sodded areas must be watered daily during the summer months until established, then frequently through the first growing season. Rain gauges are good for checking the amount of rainfall or for sprinkler placement. Lawn Tip: Do not cut lawns shorter than 3” in the summer. This will shade the soil surface to allow the soil to remain cooler. Also, use a mulching mower to return moist clippings to the soil.

Containers and hanging baskets should be checked for watering every day. Watering wands are used for watering containers and hanging baskets, they give a gentle spray without splashing the soil. Container Tip: When planting your pots and hanging baskets, incorporate moisture retaining polymers into the soil. When the soil starts to dry it will pull from this reserve.

4. MULCH
After watering, you will want to conserve as much soil moisture as possible. Place at least two inches of mulch on the soil surface in the planting bed. Mulches help prevent soil moisture evaporation and reduce surface runoff.

What to do during a DROUGHT

  • Spray Trees & Shrubs With An Anti-Transpirant
    If pruning, only remove dead material from trees and shrubs, anything more will encourage new growth. This takes energy that a drought stressed plant cannot afford. Instead, spray leaves with an anti-transpirant or anti-dessicant to help leaves retain what moisture they have.

  • Water Early
    Morning temperatures are cooler and the sun is not as intense as later in the day so there is less moisture loss due to evaporation.

    Also, water sitting on foliage will have a chance to dry during the day minimizing the chance of fungal infection, especially during humid weather.

Soaker Hose
  • Water Slowly & Deeply
    Watering slowly will allow the moisture to penetrate more deeply into the root zone rather than running off the soil surface. Create depressions or water traps around larger plants to hold the water where you want it until it can saturate the soil. Remember to water trees at the drip line, not at the trunk base, as this is where the roots are most active.

  • Water the Soil,
    Not the Leaves
    Plants take up water through their roots. Water landing on the foliage will be lost due to evaporation. The more water you direct to the soil, the less you will waste. The key is infrequent, but heavy watering rather than light, frequent waterings. This encourages deep root growth, which increases drought tolerance.


Rain Barrels
  • Conserve Precious Water
    Place a rain barrel under downspouts to collect rainwater. Wash the car on the lawn rather than on the driveway. Reuse ‘gray water’, such as bathtub or dishwater and rinse cycle water from your laundry, to water your garden. Replace leaky hoses and sprinklers and use washers to correct leaks at fittings.