Tips and Tricks for Dealing with Drought
By now, every gardener has to have a plan for dealing with the environmental conditions his or her garden faces. And since climate change impacts the plants that they need to grow, it is increasingly important to prepare for these conditions.
Intrepid gardeners have circumvented droughts ever since they started to use indigenous plants. Since most of them come from habitats that frequently experience drought, these plants naturally create an environment conducive for communities of plants to thrive in dry conditions.
Dealing with drought doesn’t end with switching out water-demanding plants for indigenous plants and succulents. There’s plenty more to do to ensure that your garden remains in fine form in conditions of semi- or outright drought.
1. Water your plants at the right times
Make it a habit to water your plants either in the evening, or the morning. This way, moisture is absorbed directly by the roots, making any water less likely to evaporate into thin air. However, if any of your plants look severely parched, water them right away.
2. Choose the plants with the right colors
Choosing plants with greenish-grey or silver leaves are a fantastic option for drought conditions, as they tend to bounce back ultraviolet rays from the sun, which keeps moisture within itself.
3. Mulch, mulch, and mulch
Mulching helps seal in moisture and inhibit evaporation. So, cultivate and water the soil deeply, and cover with compost to not just improve water retention, but also improve soil structure.
4. Remove weeds on a regular basis
Every gardener knows that weeds will compete for moisture. This is why weeding on a regular basis is a necessity if you want to ensure that every last bit of moisture reaches your plants’ roots instead of weeds.
To make your job easier, saturate the soil with water before you remove weeds.
5. Take care of your lawn
You may choose to forego keeping a lawn for a drought-resistant garden, but if you already have one, you will be happy to know that lawns are drought-resistant.
You may opt to stop cutting it and watering it, as they may stop growing in adverse conditions, but they are unlikely to wither and die. A simple autumn rain will have your parched lawn magically turned to green even if your lawn has been dried out all summer.
6. Irrigate with grey water
If you have established shrubs and trees in your garden, you may opt to use grey water for their irrigation needs. Grey water is water from your sink, bath, or washing machine, which can be used to irrigate using a grey water irrigation kit.
A note of caution: don’t use grey water that’s been lying around for more than 24 hours on your vegetables or fruit-bearing plants as it may contain bacteria or chemicals. Every drop counts, so don’t waste any of it.
7.Grow vegetables in containers
If you partake in container growing and grow your vegetables in those little containers, you’ll need to water them every day in drought conditions. As we’ve suggested earlier, mulch the soil that they are planted in to prevent fast evaporation to promote water retention.
8. Group containers together for better moisture retention
In addition to #7, planting in containers can promote humid conditions when grouped together, generating moisture which is a boon in conditions of drought. Group containers together and keep them in cool, shady places to prevent them from drying out.
9. Prepare in advance
In the end, no-one can tell what environmental conditions are in store for us in this time of massive shifts in climate. Thus, preparation is of paramount importance. Apply compost generously during the fall, which help improve soil quality and structure, and make the necessary preparations to preserve water for arid conditions.
