Landscape NOW: 10 Landscape Tips To Get Through Summer Drought

Saturday, August 03, 2013

Frank Crandall, GoLocalProv Landscaping Expert

 

View Larger +

How are you supposed to maintain your garden and lawn without water? It can be done! Check out these tips to find out how.

Keeping your gardens and landscapes living and healthy during extended periods of drought during the summer months can be challenging...but not impossible! From proper watering, mulching, choosing drought tolerant plants and using many other techniques you can ensure your vegetable and perennial gardens, trees and shrubs and your lawn can make it through dry periods and maintain their health and vigor. I will share with you ten techniques, steps, and suggestions to prepare and maintain your gardens when Mother Nature creates a summer drought.

Ten Ways to Manage Your Gardens, Landscape, and Lawns

Although there are many methods to keep your landscape healthy with minimal rainfall, I will discuss ten ways that will help in Southern New England.

Watering

In many communities, the summer months bring water restrictions; total water bans, odd/even watering and voluntary conservation methods. In those areas where limited watering is allowed doing infrequent, deep watering of those plants that need water...vegetable gardens, newly planted trees and shrubs and drought affected plants like dogwoods, birches, hydrangeas and annuals will be the preferred technique. If a lawn is an established one (and not a newly sodded one) it can go dormant, turn brown and recover when cooler temperatures and rain returns in September. Unfortunately, a newly sodded lawn will not survive more than a few days without water during a drought.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Plant selection

Choosing plants that are tolerant of droughts and limited waterings during the summer will be a design option, especially if your community experiences water bans on a regular basis. Sample drought tolerant plants are: oaks, crabapples, bearberry, butterfly bush, bayberry, potentilla, junipers, inkberry, spruce, coreopsis, purple cone flower, sage, Black-Eyed Susan, calendula, cleome and dusty miller.

Lawn Care

During periods of drought stress mow your lawn 3” or higher to help shade the roots, water infrequently (or when you are allowed to) and deeply to encourage the roots to penetrate deeply into the soil. Refrain from fertilizing your lawn during the summer months (it’s natural cycle is to slow down during the summer) and begin to actively grow again in the fall.

Applications of compost teas

An organic technique is to apply compost tea (a liquid, brewed tea from a high quality compost) that adds living microbes to the gardens, planting beds and lawn while also adding moisture to the landscape. Typically, an application would be made in the morning or later in the day on an overcast day to help keep the microbes, bacteria, and fungal organisms alive as they are distributed to landscape.

Mulching

Applying mulches to your gardens, beds and plantings will help to maintain the moisture in the ground, moderate soil temperatures and prevent weeds from growing. A good quality shredded pine bark mulch, clean cut straw, newspapers, pine needles and other natural and organic mulches will help to significantly reduce the amount of water that escapes due to evaporation...reducing the need for frequent watering.

Repairing leaky hoses and faucets

You would be amazed how many gallons of precious water can be lost through leaks in the hose or a faucet that does not shut off completely. Have a supply of washers on hand for faucets and hoses to make them water tight!

Drip irrigation

One of the most efficient ways to water plants in gardens, planters and window boxes is to install a drip irrigation system. Through emitters, drip irrigation lets small amounts of water drip onto the base of plants (where it penetrates into the roots) with minimal evaporation and under low pressure. Once the area around the plant is moist the drip system will be able to easily maintain the water needs of the plants...without wasting water by above ground irrigation.

Collect roof runoff

By installing rain barrels, you can catch water running off your home and shed roofs and using the collected water during drought periods. Be sure to have a top for the barrel so as not to create a mosquito breeding area. Screens on the end of the downspout will also help keep roof shingle particles out of the container.

Prepare your landscape before the summer droughts appear

Taking steps to prepare your garden beds and lawn before summer will help it survive the drought. Water your lawn infrequently but deeply during the late spring and early summer to allow the roots to grow deep into the soil...giving them a better chance to deal with summer heat and lack of water. Fertilize and topdress with compost to help keep the grass plant healthy and the soil capable of holding water...preparing it for summer stresses. Mulch the beds, fix hoses and faucets before summer arrives. Choose drought tolerant plants for new gardens or replacements.

Think and Practice Water Conservation

In all your actions, in the landscape and your home, keep in mind conserving your precious water resource. Take shorter showers, do not wash cars, fix all leaks, water your landscape as needed...not every day and apply water directly to the roots, minimizing evaporation and water runoff.

With these ten simple steps, you can help maintain your gardens, trees, and shrubs and lawn without wasting water and ensuring your landscape will survive and thrive!

In the next article I will discuss bring illumination to your landscape through the planned use of outdoor landscape lighting!

“All the water that will ever be is, right now.” National Geographic, October, 1993.

 

View Larger +

Frank Crandall, Horticultural Solutions. Frank is a R.I. resident specializing in coastal landscaping, organic land care, small business consulting, writing, speaking photography and will be submitting biweekly articles about Landscape Solutions. Frank just published his third book, Creating a More Peaceful, Happy and Successful Life! You can read more about his book on his website, www.FrankCrandall3.com. Comments about Frank’s articles are welcome by contacting him at [email protected].

 

Related Articles

 

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

 
 

Sign Up for the Daily Eblast

I want to follow on Twitter

I want to Like on Facebook