HOME
	ABOUT US
	WHY US
	DESIGN
	GAZEBOS
	GAZEBO PHOTOS
	GARDEN TOURS
	GARDEN ART
	JOB PHOTOS
	ARTICLES
	CONTACT US

Member of
Canadian Nursery Landscape Association


Member of
Landscape Ontario
since 1989

Over 25 years in business

Five Ways to Prepare Now for Summer Drought

Spring is the best time to prepare for summer drought in your garden. Here are five things to do now to drought-proof your garden. Improving the soil structure is one of the best things a gardener can do to add nutrients, retain moisture and help plants to survive hot, dry weather. Springtime is the best time to dig in compost, manure and other organic matter into your garden soil. Compost breaks down faster than peat moss--another common soil amendment. Peat moss lasts longer in the soil, at least a year or more, but adds few nutrients and acidifies the soil.

1. Improve your soil to make it moisture retentive: use organic material like compost and manure when you plant and to top dress in the spring.

When shopping for new plants, try to do some homework before you get to the garden centre. Plant tags and catalogue descriptions can be very vague and generic. Tags might list zone hardiness and light requirements, but ignore the subtleties of soil type, drought or heat. Buy your plants where they know their plants. Getting answers and suggestions from experts helps reduce your risk of killing your new plants and losing your investment.

It’s hard to go wrong using native Canadian plants. They are reliable performers, require very little care and just grow whether the weather is cold and wet or hot and dry.

Xerophytic plants are a term for plants that are able to survive in very dry conditions, either by reducing stems and leaves to minimize water loss or by having water storage tissue as in succulents.

2. When buying new plants, select native plants and drought-tolerant varieties.

Understanding plant growth habits and needs is important for choosing the right plants to fit the space and ecosystems of your garden. Trying to grow a plant from a different climate or in an unsuitable environment causes stress for both the plant and for yourself as you attempt to keep it alive. And when we have a drought, this is even more evident. There is great truth in the saying - “Put the right plant in the right place”.

3. Plant the right plant in the right place. Group together plants with like-moisture requirements

Putting two inches of aged tree bark mulch on top of moist soil will help keep it cool and reduce evaporation. Thicker mulches (3-4 inches deep) help suppress the weeds that will be competing with plants for water. Various materials can be used - composted bark, ordinary garden compost, dead leaves, clear gravel, grass cuttings, straw, card board, even old carpets, but avoid any material which may contain weed seeds. Organic mulches like bark, compost and grass clippings will break down every year and add to your soil.

4. Mulch: To conserve moisture, add two inches mulch in the late spring after the soil warms up. Add more to discourage weed growth

Reduce your reliance on municipal or well water. Spring is a good time to install a rain barrel to collect rain water from your downspouts. You can also divert runoff rain water into flowerbeds. Repair leaks in hoses and fittings. This may be as simple as replacing the washers in hose fittings. A slow leak of one drip per second can lose nine gallons of water a day, 260 gallons a month. Purchase a soaker hose to use when hot dry weather arrives. A soaker hose gets water directly to the root area and is a more effective way of watering.

5. Collect rain water and fix hose fittings. A soaker hose is more effective than sprinkling.

Investing time now in your garden is your best defence against a hot dry summer. Denise Sheedy denise@living-landscapes.ca Denise Sheedy is a gardening enthusiast in Georgina

Denise Sheedy
Living Landscapes
7130 Old Homestead Road
RR#1 Pefferlaw, Ontario L0E 1N0
Tel: 905-722-9569 Email:denise@living-landscapes.ca