How Can I Manage A Garden That Is Too Dry?

Do you use mulches in your garden?

Do you have drip irrigation installed in your garden?

Did you shade your vegetable garden?

Do you use rocks to conserve moisture?

Not only do mulches keep weeds down, reducing maintenance time, but they also hold moisture in the soil. Added to that is the improvement they can make to the soil itself. If you use organic mulch, it will increase the water-holding capacity of the soil once it decomposes and turns into humus-like material. The only times you should not mulch plants is during wet periods and close to tree trunks in winter. When it's wet, slugs live in the mulch so they can hide close to your plants. Plants are also more susceptible to fungal diseases when it is wet, and this is particularly so if a mulch is holding moisture over their crowns. In winter, mice often use mulches as cover while they eat tree bark.

Drip irrigation is almost essential for gardeners with dry soils, particularly in hot, arid climates. When you use a sprinkler, a great deal of the water evaporates before it penetrates the soil, but when you use a drip system, even one that sits on the soil surface rather than being buried, the droplets sink into the soil. The convenience of having a drip system can't be overemphasized. If you set it up on an automatic timer, you can be sure that the garden will be watered when it needs it, even if you aren’t home.

Many vegetables will grow well with 6 hours a day of direct sunlight. If your soil is dry, extra hours of direct light will make it even drier. Creating shade is the answer to this problem. Some plants, such as lettuce and other cool-lovers, will thrive under a tunnel made of commercially available shade cloth or simple burlap. Not only will the soil stay moister, but the reduced light levels will keep the plants cooler. Plants that grow well with high light, such as cucumbers, melons, and tomatoes, can also benefit from some midsummer shade. But rather than covering them with shade cloth, it’s best to set up a screen that shades them from the sun in the middle of the afternoon.

Rocks or pea stones make an excellent mulch because they are attractive, keep down weeds, and also conserve water. To use them for weed control, layer them several inches deep. The rocks act to conserve water when you use them around a tree trunk or the stems of a shrub. Form a small bowl or depression in the soil around the trunk and place the stones so that any water that hits them will naturally roll down the slight slope to the tree trunk. The stones will help to direct rainwater to the plant and will also collect dew during the night.

Instaling a water feature, like a small pond, won’t help your soil become moister or keep your plants wetter, but it will add interest to your yard. You can choose between installing a preformed plastic liner for the pond or a thick, flexible liner. Consult with water garden experts in your area as well as other homeowners before making a choice.