BY MICHELINA ANDREUCCI
As climate change continues to affect the globe, gardening in dry climate conditions can be really challenging for the gardening enthusiast.
Many gardeners in Zimbabwe, and around the world, have been struggling to keep their flower and edible gardens flourishing. Extreme temperatures, drought, extended heat waves, and long periods without any significant rain in many places are some of the biggest problems faced by many gardeners.
It is not surprising therefore that many gardeners have given up trying. Yet a garden, no matter how big or small, gives us hope,feeds our minds, body and soul and is a welcome sanctuary to escape to. Gardens, even a single, well-cared-for plant, can bring great joy and healingand provides wonderful relief from stress.
The biggest challenge for many gardeners is lack of water. Without sufficient water in hot and dry weather, crops cannot take up nutrients from the soil to grow, flower or fruit. Struggling, water-stressed plants become magnets for pest insects as they move intofeed. Even small container gardens need more frequent watering.
However, there are many simple strategies gardeners can apply to make gardening in dry climate conditions easier. The following are some suggestions:
Make tough choices – audit your garden
Priorities and focus on keeping the most valuable plants alive. Turn thirsty, low-value plants intocompost to feed your soil. Some plants may have to survive without your help or be sacrificed to save others. If conditions get worse and you have limited water resources, concentrate on perennials and essential crops.
Downsize your Garden
Take areas out of play. How? By mulching or growing a hardy groundcover, you will still protect your soil without asking too much of it until better climate conditions occur.
Are you struggling to get water to plants in your garden beds? If so, consider digging smaller plants up and transplanting into self-watering pots. Then bring in closer to your home where you can more easily manage them. If you’re growing lots of the same plant, try saving just one or two.
Be water-wise
Established plants are more resilient to hot dry weather than young ones. Water early mornings. Longer, deeper watering may help root development rather than short quick watering.
Avoid planting newvulnerable seedlings orplants until conditions are more favourable. New plants need more water to support root growth. Drip irrigation is idealto minimise moisture loss.
Time your planting wisely
Avoid planting on very hot, dry and windy days or when a storm has been forecast. Pounding rain can damage young plants, plant in the cool of the day (early morning or late afternoon) rather than in the heat of the day. Shade protection can help increase their survival chances.
Hold off fertilising in the heat
Unless you can water your garden well, minimise plant stress by holding back on applying fertiliser in hot, dry conditions. Plants photosynthesize less as a survival mechanism. So, additional nutrient availability and resulting growth may stress the plant if you can’t consistently keep the moisture up. Sometimes it’s better to keep a plant alive even if it’s not actively growing, than risk losing it by providing nutrients at the wrong time.
Fertilise after rain
Best time to fertilise plants is after watering or rain. So while the soil is still moist, add your organic soil conditioners and rock minerals, then mulch well to retain the moisture. Your plants will thank you!
Add compost
Compost stores a reservoir of nutrients and moisture that can slowly be released to your plants, helping them survive longer. Soil organic matter helps reduce soil compaction and drying out. Compost also helps water penetrate into the soil, supports beneficial microorganisms and insects, and can sustain plant growth without the need for fertiliser.
Recycle all organic ‘waste’ from your kitchen and garden including food scraps, grass clippings and leaves. Compost these to build healthy resilient soil and plants.
Lose the lawn!
An average of 40% of household water is typically used outdoors. Watering lawns uses up to 90% of that water yet much of this precious resource evaporates. Unless you really need green grass for children or pets to play or to cool your urban hard landscaping, consider swapping lawn for more drought-hardy options.
Green grass
Mow grass on a high setting and remove no more than one-third of the leaf blade. Keeping the grass taller helps to shade the roots. Allow the grass clippings to self-mulch to feed the root system and reduce moisture loss.
Grow locally adapted plants
Select your plants carefully. Research cultivars that tolerate prolonged periods of dry weather, especially plants that do well in your climate conditions.
Create beneficial ‘microclimates’
Shady protected microclimates can help to minimise water loss from sun, winds or dry conditions. Useshadecovers, a tree canopy,windbreak or other forms of plant protection. Groupingplantstogetherincreases humidity, creates shade and reduces moisture loss.
Mulch consistently
Mulch should be atop of the list strategy. a layer of mulch covering the soil is a valuable moisture-holding safety ‘blanket’ for garden plants and in every pot. Mulch areas of your garden until it rains and cools down; this way you are still feeding your soil.
Grow less, but better
Gardens tend to ebb and flow in their growth according to the time and resources we have available to invest. When nature is against us, it’s a good time to assess your own needs and work with what you can reasonably manage. So, to give plants the very best chance at survival, grow less but healthier plants that you can manage. It is better than losing themall to harsh weather conditions!
Dr. Michelina Andreucci is a Zimbabwean-Italian Researcher, Industrial Design Consultant and is a published author in her field. For Comments E-mail: linamanucci@gmail.com
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