As summer nears, think water-wise

I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to get nervous about what our summer weather will be like. While we’ve gotten a decent amount of rain, the lack of snowpack has me thinking about the potential for drought and what we gardeners can do to help our plants get through it.

One of the best actions we can take is to spread mulch around plants. This will help with moisture retention in the soil and, as an added bonus, impede weed growth. Suggested mulches include shredded leaves, compost, bark mulch or weed-free straw.

Don’t forget the free mulch Mother Nature gives us. You know how leaves fall from shrubs during the fall and winter months? While we gardeners strive to have tidy beds and get those leaves cleaned up as quickly as possible in the spring, we’re taking away a natural mulch that keeps the soil moist and will nourish the plants as it decomposes.

Instead of using overhead watering methods – which cause water to evaporate and increase the spread of disease by hitting plant leaves – try watering at ground level. Drip irrigation systems or the use of soaker hoses work beautifully for this purpose.

Our raised-bed vegetable garden has a drip-irrigation set-up that runs on a timer so I rarely have to even think about watering. I just love it because it directs the water right to the root zone of the plants. If drip irrigation isn’t feasible for you, consider putting soaker hoses on an inexpensive timer, which you can find at home and garden centers.

While we’re on the subject of watering, the time of day you water is a big deal. The best time is early morning because less evaporation occurs and it gives plant leaves the opportunity to dry out well before the evening. Watering at night is tough on plants because disease can easily establish and spread when the leaves remain wet for long periods of time. Some insects can more easily move about when things are wet, too.

Watering in the middle of the day has two main problems: that’s when water evaporates more rapidly and cold water hitting the leaves can shock the plants.

It’s also important to take a look at your sprinklers while they are running. Are they putting a lot of water onto walkways and paths in your garden? See if you can adjust them to save water.

Even though we all love to have lush, green lawns, they take up plenty of water. Two things we should do is let the grass grow a little taller and engage in “grass-cycling,” which means letting the clippings lie on top of the grass rather than bagging them up. Both methods will help the lawn’s roots and the soil underneath retain moisture.

If we’re blessed with a rainstorm, remember to turn off your watering system for a few days.

Another idea is to add more drought-tolerant plants to our gardens. There is a huge variety of plants in this category that are available to Inland Northwest gardeners. I’m not referring to cactus and succulents either, although hardy succulents can sure take the heat without showing it.

There are many fantastic drought-tolerant perennials such as black-eyed Susan, hummingbird mint (Agastache or anise hyssop), lavender, Russian sage, yarrow, coneflower, daylily, coral bells and stonecrop.

Native shrubs make attractive additions to our landscapes as well. Some examples include ocean spray, ninebark, serviceberry and chokecherry.

Let’s all do what we can to conserve water.