The Green Thumb
Watering Garden
during Summer !!
Arun Pratap Singh
Summers usually have an extended period of
drought, although in most parts of Uttarakhand, it does rain sometimes even
before the monsoon sets in. This year it has been a relatively cool summer so
far. But the coming weeks are going to bring more heat. Come Summer and it is
common to see garden enthusiasts tensed up. For a careful gardener, there is no
need to worry. There are a lot of simple, practical ways to keep the garden and
the potted plants green and healthy even during the dry season. Usually while
the water requirement for the garden goes up, the supply goes down
significantly during summer months. It is therefore a wise thing to be
water-wise in the garden too and one can save lot of water. It is not
impossible to manage with lesser water even in summer months!
As a general rule, 1 sq metres of vegetation
requires the equivalent of about 25mm of rainfall every week, from the soil,
rainfall or watering. During the hot summer months, there are serious problems
seen with the garden plants. Over 75% of these problems are the result of
improper watering. One should pay attention to proper watering techniques during
the first summer of the plants in the garden or the plants will fail to thrive
and possibly even perish! Unfortunately, just like us the plants also need more
water in summer and it is the time when water becomes a scarce commodity.
MULCHING: Mulching the soil is an effective measure to
conserve water and keep the greenery intact. Mulching refers to covering the
soil with matter organic or inorganic in order to retain soil moisture by
preventing evaporation. Mulching keeps a garden and landscape healthy. Mulching
occurs regularly in nature with fallen leaves, twigs, spent flowers, and other
materials. These natural mulches provide a protective covering for the soil.
They, along with inorganic mulches, can do the same in a home garden too. They
also control growth of weed in the garden. Use of organic matter like dried
leaves, bark, or cattle dung manure is preferable to other material as they
also contribute towards better aeration and soil conditioning besides adding
nutrition to the soil. Mulching also adds nutrition to soil. Cattle-dung
manure, dried or green leaves can be used for mulching the soil. Weeds derive
moisture from shallow rooting plants thus depriving other plants and trees of
vital moisture. This unwanted vegetation should be removed and used as mulch.
Weeds derive moisture from shallow rooting plants
and this unwanted vegetation could be removed and used as mulch. Coarse sand
can be spread around shallow rooting plants to retain moisture. Mulch can be
spread between rows of annuals and vegetables to a depth of 10 cm, and if it is
available in plenty it can be used up to a depth of 20 cm.
WHEN AND HOW TO WATER?
Water whenever the soil seems dry. Inspecting
the soil at a depth of 6" can provide clues. If the soil feels damp there
is unlikely to be any need to water, but if it is dry, then watering is
required. But remember that Clay feels
damp even when all available water has been used and sand can feel dry even if
some water is available. Watering should be done in the night or early morning
to avoid evaporation.
Don't just lightly "sprinkle" the
plants and the surface of the soil each morning or evening after coming home
from work. Applying too little water will only wet the upper layers of the soil
where there are few roots and may actually encourage the plants to keep their
roots in these areas which are especially prone to drying out and resulting in
less drought resistance. Instead, water deeply so that the water penetrates
down into the root zone, at least 6" or more.
If possible, instead of flooding the shrubs,
climbers and trees, use drip irrigation to water them. The house plants need to be watered daily
during this month. Sprinkle some water on their leaves to during the evening
hours. Do not feed the plants with chemical fertilizers this month. If the
plants are in pots, keep moist Moss on the top soil of the pots, this will
provide the plants some aerial humidity as the air gets dry in May and June.
Shrubs, vegetable and annual flowering plants
can be cultivated around trees to conserve moisture. If water is scarce,
preference can be given to flower and vegetable crops instead of lawns and
trees. Sprinkler system can be used to water plants. Micro-irrigation systems like
Drip irrigation system use up to 40% less water than conventional sprinklers or
hand-hosing because they water the root ball of the plant, not the whole
garden. Drip irrigation is very useful micro irrigation system. In a smaller
garden, a rose-can can be used to conserve water instead of using a hose-pipe.
Shrubs can be watered once or twice a week, and annuals and vegetables every
alternate day if planted in the soil. In case of shallow rooted plants, regular
light irrigation prevents damage to shallow rooting plants and also retains the
moisture content in the soil. In the dry months, fertilisation should be
avoided.
Using Waste Water: In the summer months, you can use drain water
from your kitchen to water your garden. You can construct an underground water
tank where water from the kitchen can be inlet. This stored water can be used
for irrigating your garden beds and pots.
Lawns: Don't water too heavily at first if your lawn
is dry. The water will run off before getting soaked. Instead, water lightly
and allow the water to percolate deep into the soil.
Trees and Shrubs: Trees and shrubs also suffer from the lack of
rain and excessive heat. That's especially true of young or newly-planted trees
and shrubs. Use a slow-trickle watering method for trees and shrubs. Allow the
water to slowly seep into the soil over a period of an hour or more.
Mist your plants: This technique can save both plants and water
during periods of drought and heat. Misting is intended to add moisture to the
air rather than the soil; it can work wonders on heat-stressed shrubs, climbers
and other perennials.
WATERING THE POTTED PLANTS
Watering the potted plants is a different story
altogether. In summer months, the earthen pots dry out very quickly and may be
needed to be watered everyday. There are some weeks in May and June when one
may need to water the potted plants even twice daily depending on the weather
and the soil condition. Remember that certain house plants need constantly
moist soil while some prefer the soil to be dry between watering. Moist soil
also does not mean wet soil.
It is useful to cover the top soil of the pots with wet moss
to increase aerial moisture and to conserve soil moisture. If possible, move
the pots to shade to prevent direct sunlight reaching them at least during
afternoon hours.
