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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.
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
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
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.

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.
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