For the second year in a row, we are very short on the amount of rainfall we should have for the growing season. Most everyone has had to do supplemental watering to keep yards and gardens looking nice.
Rather than setting a watering schedule and sticking to it religiously, you can prioritize your plants according to their water requirements.
Top priority for watering is any young plant in its first year, even those that are labeled drought tolerant. You have probably invested more time and money in these plants than in others so you want to keep them alive. Young perennials, shrubs and trees may look fine until suddenly they wilt and die. Make sure they are watered deeply at least once a week. This makes the roots grow deeper and makes the plant more tolerant to future drought. Trees need to be soaked to a depth of about 14 inches. The best way to do this is to place a hose near the trunk and let the water trickle slowly for several hours. Set some kind of timer so your hose doesn’t accidentally run all night.
The next in priority are annual plants, including vegetables and flowers. Most need one inch of water per week. Drought-tolerant annual flowers can do with watering only during the first several weeks after seeding or transplanting. If they have self-seeded from last year, they probably don’t need supplemental watering except in extreme situations.
Container plants are at a disadvantage because their roots cannot search deeper into the ground to find water. Rain may not help much either after the flowers and foliage becomes dense because the rainwater may run off the leaves and fall outside the container. Thus container plants are totally dependent upon the gardener for water. Small containers may need water every day, large ones less often. If you go on vacation and don’t have someone to water your container plants, water them well and move them to a shady area out of the wind before you go.
At the bottom of the watering list is your lawn. Even the thirstiest lawn grasses need only one inch of water a week to remain green. And there is no reason your lawn has to stay green. Established lawns can go without water for up to six weeks. The grass will turn brown but it is not dead. It has gone dormant and will green up again after a good rain.
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