If your facing yet another super hot summer you may be noticing that around now your plants are starting to wilt and dry up. There is no easy fix it to a drought issue, but there are a few things you can do to reduce the water loss and plant death.
1. Peat moss, if installed under and around the root ball of a plant in a good, thick layer, will help the plants to retain moisture longer than plain soil. Moss has a sponge like quality that can be used to your benefit.
2. using a mulch (although i never recommend cedar as it has a tendency to kill plants or prevent them from re-seeding) will help prevent moisture loss due to evaporation. Good mulches to try are Jacobs ladder Fern, Black Fern, Blackberry stalk (only after well dried and shredded), Coconut fibre, hay, straw, or newspaper, finely shredded.
3. A layer of clay 2-3 inches thick (or plastic if you dont have clay handy), buried about a foot and a half under the garden will hold water from rain in the garden longer, helping your plants make the most of it.
4. Drip irrigation works wonders in times of drought, conserving your water and placing it only where it is needed. Another trick is to refurbish old gutters, poking holes in them near the plant bases and burying them in the garden walkways to catch and transport excess water back to the plants.
Hopefully these few tips will help you reduce the amount of loss that comes after a long, hot summer.
1. Peat moss, if installed under and around the root ball of a plant in a good, thick layer, will help the plants to retain moisture longer than plain soil. Moss has a sponge like quality that can be used to your benefit.
2. using a mulch (although i never recommend cedar as it has a tendency to kill plants or prevent them from re-seeding) will help prevent moisture loss due to evaporation. Good mulches to try are Jacobs ladder Fern, Black Fern, Blackberry stalk (only after well dried and shredded), Coconut fibre, hay, straw, or newspaper, finely shredded.
3. A layer of clay 2-3 inches thick (or plastic if you dont have clay handy), buried about a foot and a half under the garden will hold water from rain in the garden longer, helping your plants make the most of it.
4. Drip irrigation works wonders in times of drought, conserving your water and placing it only where it is needed. Another trick is to refurbish old gutters, poking holes in them near the plant bases and burying them in the garden walkways to catch and transport excess water back to the plants.
Hopefully these few tips will help you reduce the amount of loss that comes after a long, hot summer.