If a hot summer is expected, some timely steps should be taken to prepare your garden for drought. As temperatures rise, it is important to conserve soil nutrients for garden plants to allow for healthy plant growth. Forecasts indicate that the drought will extend into the summer months, requiring appropriate garden maintenance. The following guide can help you make gardening easier and maintain a thriving garden in hot weather.
Why should you prepare the garden for drought?
The regular oneWatering the garden soilis essential, although nowadays it is also very important not to waste the water used. Fortunately, there are a number of sensible measures that can help you conserve your water supplies. At the same time, you can protect your garden from increasingly harsh and unpredictable climate conditions without driving up your water bills. In addition, when gardening, it is advisable to use the best possible methods to make plants and soil more resistant to extreme weather conditions.
If garden plants have already established themselves after spring, it is crucial to offer them the right soil conditions. Gardeners should also make sure that they are suitable for their environmentselect drought-resistant plant varieties, which can also withstand periods of drought. Therefore, it would be wise to strategically plan your garden design and maintenance in advance to prevent complications and make all your efforts worth it. Here are some practical tips and smart steps you can take if you want to prepare your garden for drought.
Improve soil conditions before the heat period
Before the hot weather arrives, it is important to ensure better soil health so that garden plants can grow healthily. This would strengthen their resistance to dry periods because a permeable garden soil can retain moisture better. In addition, you should make sure that there are no bare spots in the ground and that something is always growing in it. It's best to plantevergreen ground cover, to fill the gaps between vegetables or flowers.
It is therefore also crucial that your garden soil remains nutrient-rich during periods of drought. The more nutrients it contains, the healthier garden plants can grow. There are some innovative and extremely well-researched products available in the market today that are also environmentally friendly. Otherwise you can also use yoursmake your own compostand apply it to potted plants and seedlings. Also rake the compost over your garden beds to provide nutrients to the plants and produce a better harvest.
Irrigate sustainably and collect rainwater
There are numerous ways to reduce water consumption during irrigation through clever methods. By, for exampleCollects rainwater and reuses it, water usage in the home or garden area is reduced. Additionally, you can consider innovative irrigation systems that utilize rainwater to save water while gardening. Depending on your needs, you can install huge storage tanks or smaller rain barrels on house walls. This allows you to sustainably collect rainwater that would otherwise end up in the drains.
For example, if you also have ornamental trees in the garden, you can use bags to provide them with occasional water. You can attach these and manually fill them with water at regular intervals so that they gradually seep through. This ensures that you only use the required amount of water for your plants. In addition, the garden area can be strategically divided into zones that have different water needs. You can adjust these to size and distance and then water them once or twice a week or even monthly.
Prepare the garden for drought through proper lawn care
As long as the grass roots are established, they can withstand dry periods even with little lawn care. So make sure you allow your lawns to grow a little longer for short periods of time. This allows the turf to form longer roots beneath the ground instead of always having to mow it down to a few centimeters. In addition, you should before theSummer in the gardenReduce lawn mowing and fertilization to prevent water loss.
It is also recommended to mow the lawn during the coolest part of the dayGrass clippings on the garden floorto leave lying. Also try to set your lawn mower blades higher, as taller grasses shade the garden floor and reduce water loss. Don't worry if your lawn turns yellow, as this will only send its water reserves to the grass roots and will not dry out in summer.
Choose drought-tolerant plants and mulch the garden soil
Try not to plant new plants until fall or choose smaller varieties that require less water during dry periods. In addition, it is advisable to choose plant varieties that tolerate temperature fluctuations well. This will give the plants more time to develop healthier root systems before the weather warms up. Native plant varieties therefore require less moisture and can make life easier for stressed wild animals. For example, you can choose those with long taproots so they can survive droughts with little or no additional water.
When preparing your garden for drought, another important step is toMulch on the garden soilto relocate. Apply a thicker layer of organic materials such as bark or plant leaves to retain moisture during drought. This also protects your garden soil from weeds while slowing down the evaporation of water. An additional benefit of mulch is that as it breaks down it makes the soil more drought resistant.
