How to water in summer, new routines and drip systems

Adapt your garden to summer climate conditions with eco-friendly watering habits. This will give your plants the upper hand on drought.

Has your garden ever suffered from drought in the past?

Get ready for it starting early in spring with the planting of resistant heirloom and local varieties.

In regions where summers tend to be very dry, forget about water-loving plants altogether! Go for drought-loving plants instead.

This a great way to make gardening a cinch and work towards saving the environment, too.

Adopt new manners of growing

Bring the sowing forward so that your plants may bask in the mild, moist spring weather and grow faster. Go for mulch, and remember to wet the ground first before spreading it. Organize your growing beds in such a manner that smaller, weaker plants are sheltered by taller shade-dispensing older plants.

If your vegetable patch is in direct sunlight, plant a field hedge around it in fall to protect it from the sun, all your plants will take advantage of its soothing shade.

Teach roots to dig into the soil for water by maximizing your watering. For instance, water your tomato by watering abundantly in a furrow around 8 inches (20 cm) from the foot of the plants. A month later, move the furrow 8 inches (20 cm) further away. This method teaches the roots to grow to reach water at a greater distance or deeper down.

Technical solutions to water best

Set up a micro-pore tube system: water will be absorbed through the ground and the plant won’t suffer from surface watering. In case of extended dry spell, water the entire planting surface abundantly, so that roots don’t gather around the drip system. Use oscillating sprinklers or misters long enough for the soil to dampen down to a depth of 4 inches (10 cm). To avoid fungal diseases, it is always best to water in the early morning, and above all avoid getting the leaves wet.

Collect rain water from the spout and use a watering can for flower beds or garden boxes that require a lot of water.

M.-C. H.