Increasing Drought Tolerance and Using Water Wisely

With water being metered and hose bans in various areas of the country, it makes both financial and environmental sense to cut down on the amount of watering that we do, as well as making life easier.

Water efficiently

Choose your time of day for watering carefully. Water in the early morning or evening keeps to allow plants to soak up water before the hottest hours of the day when there is the risk that the water will evaporate. Store excess water in water butts where possible. You can also get drainpipe connecters to make this even more efficient.

Micro-irrigation is also worth considering for various areas of the garden. This can be timed to keep it both efficient and effective and, of course, it is very labour saving and handy if you are away. New to the market is the Hozelock AquaPod which uses 90% less water than a normal hand held device and operates from one tap with a self cleaning pressure regulating dripper at the end of each hose. The Auto Aquapod 10 kit costs £64.99 and will water 10 planted containers or one Aquapod costs just £16.99.

Borders and vegetable plots

In order to make sure that the soil is holding the optimum amount of water and plants are able to extract it from the soil easily, it is a good idea to improve your soil, particularly if it is either sandy or if it is very heavy.

Sandy soils are easy to work but tend to be very free draining and don’t hold water or nutrients well. In order to make them more water-retentive incorporate some organic matter, such as garden compost or ready bagged New Horizon Peat-Free compost as a soil improver. Farmyard or well-rotted horse manure is also beneficial with regard to creating a crumbly soil with structure.

Clay soils hold water well but don’t release it easily to plants. They are also harder to work. To improve a clay soil, dig in some organic matter and fine grit or grit sand. Well rotted horse manure dug in to the soil on an annual basis preferably in the autumn, but can be done in spring, is always beneficial especially on vegetable plots or in newly created beds and borders where shrubs or perennial plants are going to be positioned for some time.

Mulching is also a great way to retain water and cuts down dramatically on weeding. It can also make borders look more neat and attractive. Chipped or composted bark may be used in flower borders. The best time to apply is in early spring, before weeds emerge and whilst there is still plenty of moisture in the soil. If the soil happens to be on the dry side, water it thoroughly before applying your mulch.

In most borders it is possible to use artificial mulch mats that act as a weed suppressant whilst allowing water to penetrate. This can then be dressed with chipped bark or grits and stones to make an attractive contrast and serve a purpose. The inclusion of a drip irrigation system is beneficial too.

Containers

It is a time consuming task watering containers up to twice a day to keep them looking good throughout the summer. You can reduce the need to water your plants up to 4 times by adding water retaining gel at planting time - such as Watergel by Gardman at £2.99 for 150g and £4.99 for 500g - or by using compost that has water-retaining gel already incorporated, such as Scotts ‘Moisture Control’, or Westland ‘Container & Hanging Basket’ compost.

Lawns

Nobody likes to see their lawn looking yellow or, at worst, brown through lack of water. To make your lawn more drought resistant and help it utilise water well, apply an autumn feed between September and November. Not only does this toughen up the grass and keep it healthy over winter, it encourages root growth so that the roots can tap down for water more efficiently. Any build up of thatch should be raked out using a spring tine rake. If it is not removed thatch can impede the downward flow of water.

Spiking the lawn in autumn to a depth of about 15cm, then applying a top dressing and working this into the channels that have been spiked will help your lawn retain water. In the spring it is a good idea to lightly prick over the surface of the lawn with a garden fork to a depth of 4-6cms so that any rain that falls will permeate down to the roots more easily.

Standard granular lawn fertilisers need to be watered in if no rain falls within 48 hours of application. If you wish to avoid watering in, either use a soluble or liquid product that is actually applied with water or choose a granular product that does not need to be watered in, such as Scotts ‘Lawn Builder’ range or Westland ‘Aftercut’.