WWater Water Everywhere?
 Plants
transpire (lose water through their leaves) most when temperatures
are high, especially between noon and 3 PM. For this reason,
watering in the morning is the best time to get water into the
soil, because not as much water is lost through evaporation.
If possible, try to confine water to the area where it is actually
needed. If you notice that water is running off your lawn long
before it is saturated, then your soil is probably very compacted.
You may want to aerate the soil. By aerating you are puncturing
the soil and the water penetrates more easily.
- Mulching
- Mulching can reduce the amount
of water lost through surface evaporation by about half. A 3-inch
mulch acts as an insulator for the soil and slows down the increase
in soil temperature. Organic Mulches include wood chips, twigs,
bark, leaves, grass, straw.
- Pay
Attention to those Roots
- Roots search for moisture and
nutrients necessary for the growth of the plant. When flowers
are planted in close proximity to a hedge or shrub, both will
compete for existing nutrients. The flowers will be in a weaker
position.
- Try inserting a barrier (stone,
slate, brick, etc.) against the invading roots.The
word xeriscaping is
derived from the Greek word
xeros, which
means "dry." While drought proof plants do not exist,
it is possible to choose plants that use 30 to 60 percent less
water. Xeriscape landscaping is important for conserving water
and concerned gardeners are constantly on the lookout for drought-resistant
plants. Many ornamental grasses and wildflowers can be used in
xeriscaping.
-
- Drought
resistant plants include the following
- aster
- blanket flower
- rudbeckia
- candytuft
- columbine
- coneflower
- daylily
- marigold
- potentilla
Remember that ground
cover growing underneath a tree must compete for the nutrients
in the soil, but also needs to tolerate the shade. It is a good
idea to water these plants more than for similar plants that
are growing in better conditions.
 Design
your garden with nature in mind!
- For
a landscape design appointment
- To
order our book "A Notebook for Gentle Gardeners"
- Contact
us at 416-606-9124 or at [email protected] to book a slide
show presentation on alternative gardening. Write to us at: JPL,
236 Millard Ave. Newmarket Ontario, Canada L3Y 1Z2
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© 2007 JPL CONSULTING
Updated on December 8, 2007.
Other divisions of JPL: JPL Design and JPL Consulting
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