How to Start a Drought Tolerant Garden
Drought Tolerant Lambs Ear, Perfect for Rock Gardens
Low water landscaping is becoming increasingly popular as more and more municipalities restrict the days and times of landscape irrigation. Plants that can survive and thrive with less water often come with the label “Drought Tolerant Once Established.”
What is a drought tolerant plant?
Drought tolerant means the plant can survive on less irrigation than other landscape plants. This does not mean no water. All plants need SOME water. But some plants might never need any additional irrigation because they are adapted to the local environment and do well with the amount of water available from rain, fog and humidity, and the moisture already in the soil.
The first step is choosing the right plant for your local environment is important. The goal is NOT to choose plants that require the least amount of water total. The goal is to choose plants that thrive with the amount of rain and moisture typical for your area. For example, a desert adapted plant, like many cacti and succulents, will not thrive in a coastal area with daily mist and fog nor would a coastal plant survive a hot dry desert. Working with the local nursery, paying attention to the plant ID signs at arboretums, or working with the local university extension are all great ways to determine the best adapted plants for your local climate.
The next step is to prepare the soil. Too much sand and gravel will cause the soil to drain too quickly while too much clay can prevent the water from penetrating. Adding organic matter like compost will help the soil keep the optimum amount of moisture.
Once you choose the right plants and prepare the soil in the planting area, you will need to establish the plants. The best time to plant low water plants is in the fall. We don’t want to plant these plants in the hottest, driest part of the year. Despite being low water adapted, they are still grown in a small container and they need to be given a chance to root out fully. By planting in the fall, the days will be a little cooler and there will be some rain which will make the plant require less supplemental irrigation. If your fall is dry, you will still need to irrigate. The best method for establishing low water plants is to do heavy irrigation infrequently. We want the water to really soak into the soil and get deep down. If we irrigate smaller amounts more frequently the plant is being trained to keep its roots near the surface and never develop the extensive root network required for long term low water environments. Even a drought tolerant species of plant can be taught to be “lazy” when it comes to root growth if it is watered too often. As spring turns to summer, you will really have to pay attention. The plants might still need occasional supplemental water in the first year. But you don’t want to give them any unless they really need it. Watch the temperature, wind, and humidity, and pay attention to the condition of the plants. Only water if they start to flag a little [flagging = the drooping of leaves], and then give them a deep watering again. You will hopefully only have to do this a few times the first year. Most well chosen drought tolerant plants will not need supplemental irrigation after the first year unless there is an extreme hot and dry weather event in your area.
Lastly, it is a good idea to mulch your low water garden. Mulch does a lot of great things for plants: it keeps water in the soil, prevents the surface of the soil from hardening, and keeps the soil temperature cooler. Adding a layer of mulch will help your low water garden thrive even longer between those deep irrigations.
Now you can invest in those low water plants, establish them well, and watch them thrive, all while reducing your water usage.
