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What role does WATER play in your garden?

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james

Gardens Need Water to Survive 

Whatever your position on the global warming argument, the month of June helped make the first half of the year record-warm and the nation's entire year the warmest since records first began to be kept in 1895. That pattern appears to be set to continue in July! 

Plants are thirsty and the soil is DRY as per Commercial Strata Maintenance maple ridge. Don't let your automatic irrigation system to lull you into complacency. The evaporation rates have increased due to the extreme heat and humidity, which means that more watering is reaching the air than the soil. 

Okay, so some rain finally fell in a few towns. I'm sure a lot of you are thinking, "Great, I'm off the hook!" 

Wait a minute. One rain event won't fix the problem, especially after a period of intense heat. A large portion of this water will immediately evaporate into the dry air or run off the parched soil. To stop the current dry spell, we need numerous and frequent rain showers. 

The good news is that when it rains as the sun sets at the end of the day, the water has a better chance of sinking into the ground (where it didn't flow off). Your soil was ready to absorb additional water if you watered before this event. If you water after the event, the soil will be ready for additional absorption. So make sure to include frequent watering on your to-do list (several times per week for certain particularly dry areas). 

A HANDWASH 

Please be considerate of how you water, keeping in mind that most communities now have some sort of water ban in place that needs to be observed. To reach plants in planters, this typically entails using a hand held hose and maybe even a watering can. Consider recycling clean water from domestic use if you live in a town where drinking water is completely prohibited. 

BLUE WATER 

Despite the controversy surrounding "grey water," it is a practical method of watering. Use environmentally friendly dish soap and only save the clean rinse water while washing your dishes. That will be low in surfactant and ideal for recycling into the environment. Again, bath water that contains only a small amount of soap or salt is perfectly safe to use in the landscape. Laundry water is still up for debate, but it is permitted in some places. 

Please give any annuals you planted this summer frequent, even daily, watering. Inspect the soil before watering. If you haven't watered them since you planted them (and they aren't already completely dead), do so TODAY. Don't put your plants through unnecessary hardships; they depend on YOU and can't just drive off and grab a smoothie. 

These plants may require your attention if you just planted new seeds or sod, trees or shrubs, perennials, or ground coverings. Irrigation systems are efficient at preserving normal soil moisture, but they are NOT made to handle drought. Your plants will let you know what they need by the way they look, so you must go out and check on them. Are they fading away? The tips, are they brown? Is the plant's inside turning brown? They might then be thirsty. 

Tips For Garden Watering 

A watering wand is a terrific tool for providing your plants with a constant trickle of soft water. Direct the water directly at the plant's base. Not the plant directly, but the soil is what you are watering. 

Beware of water runoff! Verify that the water has been absorbed. This calls for moving gently. The crusty dirt or mulch surface can be broken up by scratching the ground with a cultivator. 

Water a little, go on to the following plant, water a bit there, and so on. Then repeat the process. It is challenging to get full absorption on the first pass when the soil is extremely dry. Repeating certain places two or three times will have an impact. 

Dehydrated plants shouldn't be fertilised. Water them only until they appear fresh and luscious once more. Then fertilising is okay. This also applies to lawns. Spending money on fertiliser a dry grass is not very wise. 

In the summer, avoid watering! Decide whether to water in the morning, preferably before 9am, or the evening, preferably after 5pm. However, if it's midday and you come across a completely dejected plant. Bring water to it, concentrate it at the base, work the soil, and get that water DEEP. After that, add it to your regular watering schedule. 

Don't only mist the plants' leaves. When watering plants that are prone to fungus, such as roses, lilacs, peonies, phlox, and many annuals, make sure to wet the soil rather than the foliage. 

Please write your comment or query if you feel overburdened or unclear on how to handle the summer heat and drought. Let's start a discussion about watering and the challenges of maintaining the landscape's needs, particularly in this heat. 

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james
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