Back to Basics . . . Part 8 Correct Watering Practices and Xeriscaping Correct watering practices and Xeriscaping Insufficient water is usually an easier problem to solve than too much. Foliage in a wilted condition, poor growth, disease and insect susceptibility and eventually dead plants are the major consequences. Avoiding the problem is simple. If you know that the soil in the planting area tends to be too dry, you can add lots of peat moss and organic matter in the planting hole when planting. This will help the soil retain moisture and will result in noticeably better plant growth. Another thing to keep in mind is mulch. The addition of a mulch on the surface will not only help retain water but will insulate the surface roots from extremes in temperatures, will help control weeds and last but not least is decorative. By using modern and inexpensive “drip” technology the proper moisture level can be maintained with very little effort and also at a great savings of water as compared to conventional sprinkler systems. When applying water it is recommended that enough water be applied at one time to penetrate the soil to a depth of 12 inches and done as infrequently as possible. When this occurs, the roots of the plants will be encouraged to go deeper, thereby making the plants more drought tolerant. In most soils this can be accomplished by applying 1 inch of water (as measured in a rain gauge) per week when necessary. Frequent, light watering should be avoided since this does not encourage deep rooting thereby making the plants more vulnerable in times of drought. Over watering is the most difficult problem to solve. Over the years I have talked to literally thousands of people about this and I have found that the most difficult problem is convincing them that their plants would actually be happier with one half to two thirds the amount of water they are using so here is the simple truth. To begin with, many plants, particularly native plants after they are established in many cases don’t need our help when it comes to water. If we have selected the native plants to match the conditions that we have then they will do fine on their own. In the entire state of Florida for example, people think about watering differently than in most any other part of the country. Indeed water is a precious commodity and should never be sqandered. By utilizing drip irrigation you can supply adequate water to your plants and perhaps save 50% an the amount of water you use. In recent years a new word has been added to the Florida gardener’s vocabulary . . . xeriscaping. Xeriscaping is the art of landscaping by using many water saving techniques . . . examples listed below: 1. Select native and/or drought tolerant plants whenever possible and group them in the landscape so that a particular area can be allowed to grow on natural rainfall. Likewise, plants that have similar water requirements should be grouped together whenever possible into an “oasis area” that will receive artificial irrigation according to the needs of those particular plants. 2. Improve the water holding capacity of the soil by adding large amounts of organic matter, particularly peat moss, which holds many times it’s weight in water, thereby reducing leaching losses. 3. Use mulches to help retain soil moisture. 4. Group plants requiring artificial irrigation together and use drip irrigation wherever possible. 5. Select lawn grasses for drought tolerance. 6. When watering lawns, water early morning just before sunrise for maximum water conservation. Much of the above is common sense . . . xeriscaping makes good sense.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Oct 2013 23:33:37 +0000
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