Many of us live in areas where water is just naturally scarce, and water use restrictions are always in place. Others of us are concerned about using less water in case of drought. So how do we, as gardeners, balance a need to grow our own food and in some instances food for others with the need to use less of a very precious resource? Let's explore three techniques to keep your garden growing with less water input from the gardener.
Mulch
A good layer of mulch is going to increase moisture retention. The less surface area of the soil that's exposed to the elements the less evaporation is going to happen, especially when it gets really hot out or it’s very windy. Not only is this going to keep the moisture where it belongs, it means the plants will need less water when you do need to apply it.
Mulch also acts as an insulator, keeping the plant roots at a more consistent temperature. Fewer temperature fluctuations help the plant regulate its others processes more effectively and that means less stress and less water use. Plus, plants that are less stressed about resources in general are healthier plants and more productive.
Mulch will also help keep weeds at bay. Those weeds are going to steal moisture from the soil that your plants could be using which means you’ll have to water more frequently. Mulch is your friend!
Properly space your plants.
Spacing plants too far apart is just as bad as having them too close together. Too wide and there is much more space for evaporation without the plants creating shade cover over the soil. Plants given too much room can also consume too many resources. This is bad for the plant and bad for the soil.
Putting plants too close together means you have too many plants fighting for the same water resources. There absolutely is flexibility in how close you plant because interplanting actually helps plants share resources and helps keep weeds at bay, but overcrowding can lead to a need to water more, not less.
Using interplanting and succession planting techniques can help shade the ground from the heat and the wind and choke out weeds while allowing plants to use their water resources in tandem with each other.
Choose drought-resistant plants.
This can be a two-fold approach. There are some plant families that just naturally require less water to be productive. Some of this is due to escape, avoidance, and tolerance.
Fast-maturing crops that set a crop before a drought sets in or ones that just require less moisture to do so escape drought all together and are great for using less water in the garden. These are things like fast-maturing snap beans and early pole beans and peas. Most herbs fall into this category, too. Cowpeas, garlic and onions also do well without much water.
Next, we see plants that have the avoidance trait, plants that have very deep roots or that are moisture scavengers. This includes plants like tomatoes, squash and melons that establish deep root systems very quickly and can draw moisture from the deeper soil long after the surface has become dry. So long as they have adequate moisture early on, they can scavenge water during dry periods and avoid damage from drought. We can slow that effect down even more by providing a deep layer of mulch to further prevent moisture loss.
Then there’s actual tolerance. Plants that came from a native environment that is dry and arid will naturally do better with very little water. This includes things like sweet potatoes, hot peppers, swiss chard, chickpeas, okra, mustard greens and arugula. Look for plants that are native to the Mediterranean, Chile, the American Southwest, the southwest portion of south Africa, and southern and western Australia. These areas generally get most of their rainfall in the cooler parts of the year and little to no rain during the hottest part of the summer. Plants indigenous to these areas are naturally adapted to growing with very little water and still being productive.
Finally, look for varieties of plants that have been specifically bred to grow in drought conditions. Plant breeders are always working on improvements to varieties, and this is one of them. You can also work toward having your own drought resistant varieties by selecting for those traits when saving seeds from your own garden.
Group plants by water needs.
If you can manage to keep plants together in the garden that need less water and group together the ones that need more water, you can focus the water you do use on one area and use less water overall.
Plants that typically don’t do well without sufficient moisture are many of the ones we grow in the cooler shoulder seasons anyway; things like lettuce, spinach, all the large brassicas like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips and shallow-rooted crops like sweet corn. Group all these crops together, be sure they’re properly mulched and water according to when they need it and you’ll be able to use only what’s necessary.
Use these techniques to use less water in your vegetable garden and protect yourself against drought conditions during the growing season!
Your friend in the garden,
