Dry proofing your garden
A garden can be as fragile or robust as you choose. With the right plants, proper training and a few tips and tricks, you can create a beautiful garden that won’t wilt without water.
Water saving tips and tricks
| Teach your plants to search for water |
When you water the garden, do so for a longer period of time but less often - so that water soaks deep down into the soil. This encourages plants to develop extensive root systems that are more dry tolerant. Short daily watering is an absolute 'no-no' if you want to teach your plants to be more self-sufficient and your garden to survive. |
| Group thirsty plants together | If you must have a couple of 'water-dependent' plants, try growing them in close proximity to one another so you only need to watch and frequently water that one small area, rather than the entire garden. |
| Remove weeds | Weeds need water too and they usually are far more efficient at getting it than most of your garden plants. Removing weeds reduces competition and makes sure the plants you want to keep are getting the water. |
| Mulch with an organic mulch | Reduce moisture loss from the soil (evaporation) and plants (transpiration) by adding an insulating mulch over the soil. It keeps the soil cooler and also reduces reflected heat from the soil surface, cooling the air around plants. Mulch also helps control weeds, so it's a win-win situation for your garden. |
| Water the roots, not the leaves |
Plants take in water and nutrients from the soil through their roots. Make sure you water the soil around plants and apply enough to reach the entire root zone. Watering the foliage may cool the plants down briefly after a hot day but it also encourages fungal problems to develop. Water droplets on leaves may also cause burn spots - the heat of the sun is amplified through the water resulting in leaves being burned or scorched. |
| When water is scarce |
Focus on the areas that need it most. These could be those nearest the house. If choices must be made, think carefully about which plants to save. Generally. they should be the most established and/or expensive. Usually, if the garden is well prepared, deep watering once every two weeks is enough to keep plants alive during a drought. |
