Optimizing Your Garden for Drought or Water Conservation

Living in Colorado and being a gardener has been rather stressful in the

past few years, as this state has been undergoing a rather severe drought.

The city is imposing watering restrictions which are not giving enough

water to lawns and plants. I’ve had to renovate my garden to make it more

water efficient. Now, because of the techniques I’ve employed, I’m the

only one in my neighborhood with a garden that isn’t completely brown. So

if you live in an area that is going through a drought or if you just want

to save water, I suggest you use some of these techniques as well.

First, I took out all my plants. The soil I was using didn’t retain water

very well, so I had to water about twice as much as necessary in order to

get it to actually absorb into the roots. If you have this same problem,

you can fix it by loading the soil up with lots of compost. This not only

prevents water from escaping, but encourages the plant’s roots to be

healthy and able to survive more.

Once I was done optimizing the soil for my new low water consumption plan,

I was ready to replace all my plants. I decided that the placement of all

my plants would reflect the amount of water necessary to keep them alive.

All the plants that don’t require much water I placed in on one side of my

garden, and then just progressed in the amount of required water to the

other side of the garden. As a result of my new arrangement, I don’t have

to waste water on plants that don’t need it as much.

The installation of a drip irrigation system was another move on my part

that reduced the amount of water I needed to fully water my garden. The

great thing about these systems is that they constantly drip into your

plants, so that every single drop is absorbed. With traditional watering

systems, usually the roots get too overwhelmed with the sheer amount of

water in the soil. Thus, lots just seeps right past. This is all taken

care of with the drip system.

If you still seem to need more water than you can supply to your garden,

you might consider which plants you could replace with less water

dependent plants. If you want a good shrub that doesn’t use up more than

its share of water, look for Heavenly Bamboo. It is not only tolerant of

droughts, but looks rather decorative in any garden. Herbs such as

rosemary are useful in preparing meals, and are rarely thirsty.

If you’re trying to find flowers that will still be lush and beautiful

despite the lower amounts of water, look for penstemon varieties like

Garnet, Apple Blossom, Moonbeam, and Midnight. You can attract

hummingbirds and butterflies with varieties like Cosmos and Yarrow. The

best part about all these plants is that they don’t look rugged and

withstanding, but they sure are. Your neighbors wont be saying “Look at

them, they downgraded their plants just to withstand the drought. What

chumps!” Instead they will be marveling over how you keep your flowers so

beautiful in the midst of the watering regulations.

One of my favorite drought resistant plants is the Lavender plant. I could

go on for pages about it. A large group of Lavender plants looks

unbelievably gorgeous in your garden, and hardly requires any water to

flourish. Pineapple sage is another personal favorite. It is a 2+ foot

shrub that smells strangely of pineapple. It’s another major attracter of

hummingbirds, and the leaves are also useful to add taste to drinks.

So if you are in the position I was, and you’re dealing with a drought and

perhaps watering regulations, I suggest you try some of the things I’ve

mentioned. Even if you’re just trying to conserve water or be generally

more efficient with it, I think you’ll still be able to benefit.

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FIGHTING PLANT ENEMIES.

The devices and implements used for fighting plant enemies are of two sorts:

(1) those used to afford mechanical protection to the plants;

(2) those used to apply insecticides and fungicides.

Of the first the most useful is the covered frame. It consists usually of a wooden box, some eighteen inches to two feet square and about eight high, covered with glass, protecting cloth, mosquito netting or mosquito wire. The first two coverings have, of course, the additional advantage of retaining heat and protecting from cold, making it possible by their use to plant earlier than is otherwise safe. They are used extensively in getting an extra early and safe start with cucumbers, melons and the other vine vegetables.

Simpler devices for protecting newly-set plants, such as tomatoes or cabbage, from the cut-worm, are stiff, tin, cardboard or tar paper collars, which are made several inches high and large enough to be put around the stem and penetrate an inch or so into the soil.

For applying poison powders, the home gardener should supply himself with a powder gun. If one must be restricted to a single implement, however, it will be best to get one of the hand-power, compressed-air sprayers. These are used for applying wet sprays, and should be supplied with one of the several forms of mist-making nozzles, the non-cloggable automatic type being the best. For more extensive work a barrel pump, mounted on wheels, will be desirable, but one of the above will do a great deal of work in little time. Extension rods for use in spraying trees and vines may be obtained for either. For operations on a very small scale a good hand-syringe may be used, but as a general thing it will be best to invest a few dollars more and get a small tank sprayer, as this throws a continuous stream or spray and holds a much larger amount of the spraying solution. Whatever type is procured, get a brass machine it will out-wear three or four of those made of cheaper metal, which succumbs very quickly to the, corroding action of the strong poisons and chemicals used in them.

Of implements for harvesting, beside the spade, prong-hoe and spading- fork, very few are used in the small garden, as most of them need not only long rows to be economically used, but horse- power also. The onion harvester attachment for the double wheel hoe, may be used with advantage in loosening onions, beets, turnips, etc., from the soil or for cutting spinach. Running the hand- plow close on either side of carrots, parsnips and other deep-growing vegetables will aid materially in getting them out. For fruit picking, with tall trees, the wire-fingered fruit-picker, secured to the end of a long handle, will be of great assistance, but with the modern method of using low-headed trees it will not be needed.

Another class of garden implements are those used in pruning but where this is attended to properly from the start, a good sharp jack-knife and a pair of pruning shears will easily handle all the work of the kind necessary.

Still another sort of garden device is that used for supporting the plants; such as stakes, trellises, wires, etc. Altogether too little attention usually is given these, as with proper care in storing over winter they will not only last for years, but add greatly to the convenience of cultivation and to the neat appearance of the garden.

As a final word to the intending purchaser of garden tools, I would say: first thoroughly investigate the different sorts available, and when buying, do not forget that a good tool or a well-made machine will be giving you satisfactory use long, long after the price is forgotten, while a poor one is a constant source of discomfort. Get good tools, and take good care of them. And let me repeat that a few dollars a year, judiciously spent, for tools afterward well cared for, will soon give you a very complete set, and add to your garden profit and pleasure.

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Dealing with Garden Pests

While tending to my own garden, I have found that one of the most

frustrating things that can happen to a gardener is to walk outside to

check on your plants. It’s just a routine walk to make sure that your

garden is thriving, but you end up finding holes in all of your plants

that looked fine only hours before. The explanations for some of these

plant-destroying holes are garden pests. Some of the main garden pests are

slugs, worms, caterpillars, birds, snails, and the occasional gopher.

Although you can never wipe out these pests entirely, after all your hard

work in the garden you have to do something.

Insects are one of the worst things to have in your garden; they can live

under the soil, in old weeds or piles of leaves, or in a number of other

places. In order to help keep insects away, always try and eliminate

places in your garden and near your garden that these insects and other

plant diseases could be living. Remove old leaves, weeds, or any other

decaying matter that insects and diseases could be living in from your

yard. Also, regularly turn over your garden soil and break apart any

clumps of dirt so that you can eliminate the living spaces any insects

that might be hiding underground.

Another way to rid your garden of the pests is to use dormant spray, which

is used to keep destructive insects and diseases under control. It is best

that you use dormant spray when your plants are dormant, usually around

February or early March. I have used dormant spray many times on my garden

and it has worked wonders on keeping insects out. But as I learned from

experience, dormant spray is only effective if you follow the correct

instructions. When I first decided to use some on my garden, I just dumped

it everywhere in hopes of killing everything harmful. Unfortunately I

ended up killing my entire garden along with my neighbors. Some insects

can be beneficial to your garden though, so be sure to find out which

insects help your garden.

Another pest problem I've had besides insects has been birds. Whenever I

see birds in my garden I run outside a chase them away, but as soon as I

step inside they come right back. The solution that I've come up with to

keep the birds away from my garden is to put a bird feeder in my yard.

Instead of costing me time and money by eating my garden, the birds eat at

the bird feeder. In the long run it’ll save you money. Not only can a bird

feeder help keep birds away from your garden, but they can also be a new

part of your yard decoration. Although not completely eliminating my bird

problem, my bird feeder has made the problem smaller. Getting a dog has

also helped.

If you start seeing mounds of dirt around your yard, and your plants keep

unexplainably dieing, you can assume that you have a gopher problem.

Thankfully, this is one of the few garden pasts that I haven't had.

However my friend has struggled with a tremendous gopher infestation, so I

decided to research it. Gophers are rodents that are five to fourteen

inches long. Their fur can be black, light brown, or white, and they have

small tails. One method of getting rid of these root-eating pests is to

set traps. The key to successfully capturing a gopher using a trap is to

successfully locate the gopher's tunnels and set the trap correctly.

Another way to get rid of them is to use smoke bombs, which you place into

the tunnel and the smoke spreads through out it and hopefully reaches the

gopher.

If you suspect that your gardens are being pillaged by any of the pests I

mentioned, I encourage you to try your hardest to eliminate the problem as

soon as possible. The longer you let the species stay, the more

established it will become.

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Mulching for Free

I’m sure that if you are reading this, you have used some form of mulch during your gardening career. However, you probably didn’t know that there are many other options for organic mulching that you can explore. These days, many gardeners are discovering new sources of free mulch that has been there all along; an untapped resource. These include clippings from a lawn, or woody prunings from other plants in your yard. You will be surprised by how beneficial all these things can be, and how often the opportunity arises to use them.

Many gardeners have taken to spreading out their excess grass clippings across the rest of their yard. You may think this will look tacky, with big piles of grass just sitting in your yard as if you were too lazy to rake them up. However, if you spread them out enough then you won’t even be able to tell that there is an excess amount. Leaving the extra grass on the yard acts as a sort of mulch by preventing evaporation and weed growth. With this extra water, you won’t have to water nearly as much to keep your grass green. When I started leaving my grass clippings, I had to adjust the frequency of my sprinkler system because I was worried my yard was getting too much water!

If your garden is in more need of mulching than your yard, it is not unheard of to rake up all the grass and transport it to your garden. By making a small layer around the vicinity of the plant, you’ll apply all the same benefits from leaving it in your yard. My yard is rather green on its own, but I often have trouble with my plants staying green and healthy. So, rather than leave the grass clipping in my yard, I move them all around my plants. It is just a matter of choosing what your highest mulching priority is.

Sometimes, our pruning activities will lead us to have an amazing amount of branches and twigs. If this is the case, you should consider renting a wood chipper to put all of those branches to use. After one day of intense pruning, you would be surprised at just how many branches you end up with. Rather than throw these away, you can turn them into a huge amount of mulch for your plants. However, if your pruning has not left you with that big of an amount, you should bundle it all up and save it to add onto the next batch. This is because the chipping machines can be slightly expensive to rent, and you want it to be absolutely worth it!

Over time, all organic mulches need to be replenished. This is because they will naturally decompose in the conditions of your yard. Usually you can tell for yourself just by looking at it, but sometimes it can look perfectly regular but still have problems. If you start to notice any poor plant growth whatsoever, you should replace your mulch. Always keep in mind that during the process of decomposition, your mulch will use up the valuable nitrogen in the soil. Without this, the plants will be missing a key nutrient. There are several types of fertilizers available on the market that are specifically designed to deal with this problem.

The use of mulches in the yard and garden is something everyone should try. Not only can it save lots of time by reducing the amount of garbage you have to transport out, but it increases the healthiness and integrity of your plants by putting that so called garbage to good use. So if you think you would be able to save a good amount of branches and twigs for chipping, or if you think that you are ready to stop raking up all your grass clippings, then I think that mulching is for you.

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My First Gardening Experience

Ah, to this day I still remember my first gardening experience. It was

such a disaster that I didn’t think I would ever want to garden again. I

almost decided to turn my casual hobby into the most rage-inducing topic

you could possibly bring up to me.

It all started a few weeks after I moved in to my first house. I was

excited just to have my own grass to mow, since I had been in apartments

and condos for quite a while. In between plans to paint walls and renovate

the inside to exactly how I like, I thought it would be a good idea to

start a fruit garden so that I could have some fresh produce and put my

yard to use. At that point I didn’t really know anything at all about

gardening. But still in my spunky youthful years, I decided I didn’t need

help. How hard could it be to start a garden and grow stuff? After all, it

happens in nature all the time and nobody even has to do anything.

I already had a grassless patch in my yard where it looked like the

previous owner had attempted a garden. But any attempt they had made

turned out to be an utter travesty. The area was full of rocks and weeds,

with no signs of any agreeable plants. I spent several hours of work

spread over several days to clear out the entire area, leaving nothing but

dirt. At that point, however, I didn’t realize the difference between

“dirt” and “soil”. I was dealing with barren, hard, nutritionless, and

unforgiving land.

I made some attempt at making my garden look nice; although I think even

Martha Stewart would have had difficulties. I took some stained boards

that were sitting in my basement (quite convenient, no?) and used them as

a border for my garden, to keep out all the pests that couldn’t jump more

than a foot (I figured I would be safe from lawn gnomes). I used the pile

of rocks I had collected from the garden to make a creepy shrine looking

thing in front of it. I don’t know what I was thinking when I did that.

I went to the store that very day, and picked out whatever looked tasty.

Strawberries? Sure! Watermelon? Yeah! I hacked away a hole in the

rock-hard ground and poked the seed in. After that, I think I watered it

faithfully every day for several weeks before realizing that it was not

going to grow anything. But even after I had that realization, I continued

to water in hopes that my seeds would pull a last minute sprout on me. But

I knew there was no hope, and I was heartbroken. After all those hours of

pulling up weeds and tossing rocks into a pile, I had no fruit to show for

my labor.

So, feeling dejected and betrayed, I logged onto the internet and searched

for a guide to gardening. I quickly ran across a site that led me to

realize the true skill required for gardening. It was then I learned about

soil consistency, nutrients, ideal watering conditions, seasons, and all

those things. After I read up on my area and how to grow fruits, I learned

exactly what to do. I learned how to get the ideal soil, when to plant the

seeds, how much to water, etc. Just a night of browsing the internet and

printing off sources, and I was totally ready for the next planting season.

If you’re in the position I was, and you’re just itching to start a new

garden… I urge you to learn from my mistake. Make sure you do plenty of

proper research on the types of plants you’re trying to grow, along with

the climate. Spend money on good soil, good fertilizer, and good garden

tools. Hopefully you don’t have to go through the emotional disaster that

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Creating a Raised Bed

If your current planting goals involve plants that require good water drainage, I am sure you know how frustrating it is to have a yard that just won’t cooperate. Some plants can handle the excess water that comes about from being in an area that doesn’t drain properly. In fact, it might just cause them to bloom more lushly. However, other plants don’t cope as well, and it will cause them to die a gruesome, bloated death. You should always find out about the drainage required for every plant you buy, and make sure that it won’t conflict with any of the areas you are considering planting it in.

In order to test how much water your designated patch of soil will retain, dig a hole approximately ten inches deep. Fill it with water, and come back in a day when all the water had disappeared. Fill it back up again. If the 2nd hole full of water isn’t gone in 10 hours, your soil has a low saturation point. This means that when water soaks into it, it will stick around for a long time before dissipating. This is unacceptable for almost any plant, and you are going to have to do something to remedy it if you want your plants to survive.

The usual method for improving drainage in your garden is to create a raised bed. This involves creating a border for a small bed, and adding enough soil and compost to it to raise it above the rest of the yard by at least 5 inches. You’ll be amazed at how much your water drainage will be improved by this small modification. If you’re planning to build a raised bed, your prospective area is either on grass or on dirt. For each of these situations, you should build it slightly differently.

If you want to start a raised garden in a non grassy area, you won’t have much trouble. Just find some sort of border to retain the dirt you will be adding. I’ve found that there is nothing that works quite as well as a few two by fours. After you’ve created the wall, you must put in the proper amount soil and steer manure. Depending on how long you plan to wait before planting, you will want to adjust the ratio to allow for any deteriorating that may occur.

If you’re trying to install a raised bed where sod already exists, you will have a slightly more difficult time. You will need to cut the sod around the perimeter of the garden, and flip it over. This may sound simple, but you will need something with a very sharp edge to slice the edges of the sod and get under it. Once you have turned it all upside down, it is best to add a layer of straw to discourage the grass from growing back up. After the layer of straw, simply add all the soil and steer manure that a normal garden would need.

Planting your plants in your new area shouldn’t pose much difficulty. It is essentially the same process as your usual planting session. Just be sure that the roots don’t extent too far into the original ground level. The whole point of creating the raised bed is to keep the roots out of the soil which saturates easily. Having long roots that extend that far completely destroys the point.

Once you have plants in your new bed, you’ll notice an almost immediate improvement. The added soil facilitates better root development. At the same time, evaporation is prevented and decomposition is discouraged. All of these things added together makes for an ideal environment for almost any plant to grow in. So don’t be intimidated by the thought of adjusting the very topography of your yard. It is a simple process as I’m sure you’ve realized, and the long term results are worth every bit of work.

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