A major concern for gardening in the southwest is getting sufficient water for plants. Utilizing the little water from rainfall is necessary to ensure your plants have sufficient water all year round. Conserving the water you have can also reduce your monthly water bill while preserving water for purposes besides your garden.
These few tips will optimize your water use in your garden and give your plants water to survive.
- Acknowledge your Climate
The seasons in the southwest differ from other parts of the country and vary across the southwest regions. Every region in the southwest has different dates for the first frost, temperature changes, and times for summer rain.
The first step to optimizing your water supply is following your local gardening calendar. With your local gardening calendar, you can take advantage of wetter seasons to plant new seeds and know the right time to plant certain seeds. Cultivating your garden with plants indigenous to the southwest can also help you maximize your water and have healthy plants.
Gardening in the southwest region uses some of the oldest farming traditions, which rely mostly on rainfall and rain flooding. While rainfall patterns and climate have changed in the last decades, you can still use the traditional techniques.
- Invest in Healthy Soil
Healthy soil rich in organic matter can improve water availability in your garden. Organic matter has a high water holding capacity and acts as a sponge to retain and absorb water.
If your garden soil has excess sand components, water will drain quickly beyond the plant’s reach. If the clay is excess in the soil, it will soak in water and allow the water to run off.
You can make your soil rich by adding compost and warm casting. This improves the soil texture and boosts its water holding capacity. Besides water retention, adding compost to soil increases nutrient supply to the plants. Mulching with straw and leaves can also enrich the soil and reduce surface water loss.
- Water the Roots of the Plants
Watering a desert garden is almost unavoidable, and it is a good way to keep the plants hydrated. Water in the soil dissolves nutrients for uptake via the plant roots, making getting water to the plant’s root important.
Although watering parts of the plant have some benefits like reducing the temperature, it can cause more harm and wastes your water. When plant leaves retain water, the water acts as a magnifying glass for the sun to burn the plant cells.
Deep watering also encourages deep roots that give the plant more access to groundwater to protect them in drier seasons. Make sure you calculate the root depth because shallow-rooted roots need more frequent and shallow watering, while deep-rooted plants require deep watering.
- Harvest the Rain
Although rain is limited, it is the best water supply for your desert garden because it is free and doesn’t contain chlorine. During every downpour, make sure to set out extra buckets or drums.
You can also create garden beds to get roof overflow and storm-water runoff. Planting in low-lying areas and downhill will also optimize rainwater. If possible, opt for sunken basins rather than raised beds.