Keeping It Green When The Heat is On

By Jos Van Hage

The recent hot dry weather has gardeners looking for ways to garden more water efficiently.

There are several things that can be done during dry spells that will help plants survive.

If you are on a water restriction and do not have enough water and you cannot water everything the first thing to let go is the lawn.

Grass is very forgiving and if it does not receive the needed the moisture it will go into a dormant state until conditions change. The lawn will go brown but it will not die and will return to its green state when there is water again. When the lawn is dormant do not fertilize it or use any chemicals as weeds and grass have to be actively growing in order for the plant to pick up the fertilizer or chemical. To keep moisture in the ground on the lawn, raise the blade of the lawnmower up so that the grass is longer. Longer grass will create shade for the grass roots and will in turn lower the soil temperature which in turn means less evaporation. You also want to keep your lawn as healthy and weed free as possible. If there are a lot of weeds in the lawn they will compete with the grass for the needed moisture and nutrients. I have noticed on my own lawn that the clover still continues to grow and thrive during dry conditions.

Other things that can be done to aid in water wise gardening include mulching plants as this will slow down evaporation. Using landscape fabric to cover the ground and then covering it with bark mulch or decorative stone works well in tree and shrub landscapes. You can also use lawn clippings as mulch around plants. Water plants in early morning rather than during the heat of the day so that plants are moist and ready to face the heat. Watering in the evening keeps plants moist but because our night temperatures tend to drop quite significantly it could raise the chance of plants getting a fungal disease.

When watering plants you want to water them well so that the water soaks down into the plants roots. Water long enough so that the first 6 inches of soil is moist. By doing this you will not need to water as often and the plants roots will grow deep and down rather than on the surface causing them to dry out more quickly. Watering plants by hand using a handheld water wand on the end of the hose will save water as this means that you are only watering the plants and nothing else. Soaker hoses are great for watering hedges as they let water do directly to the plants roots where it is needed and there is less evaporation than if you were to use an overhead sprinkler.

Planting trees and shrubs that are drought tolerant is a good idea, especially for those areas of the yard where the hose does not reach. Many of the native plants to our area require less water as in nature they have learned to grow with less moisture in the wild.

Perennials such as Yarrow (shown in photo) or Columbine require very little moisture. A general rule of thumb is that plants with grey or silver foliage are more drought tolerant than other plants as they reflect the suns rays. Grasses also require less water. There is a beautiful grass called ‘Blue Fescue’ which has become a favorite in our landscape that does well in many different growing conditions. Also all the succulents and stone crops grow well with very little moisture. Some other perennials that are drought tolerant once they have become established is any of the Sages, Blanket flower, Coneflower, Fleece flower, Liatris, and Daylilies.

If you are looking for a tree or shrub which is drought tolerant the Caragana is great as is seems to be able to grow almost anywhere. Russian olive and many of the junipers can survive with less water than other plants.

When it comes to annuals, the Ice plant and Portulaca prefer to grow in dry areas rather than moist. Celosia, Gazania, Lantana, Scaevola and Verbena also are drought tolerant once they have become established.

-Jos     

Jos Van Hage operates three Art Knapp Garden centres in the Prince George region:

-Highway 97 south at the old Cariboo Highway

-Highway 97 north

-Highway 16 west

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