Becoming water-thrifty

Watering thoroughly allows the moisture to travel deep into the soil where it will stay moist longer. It also encourages plant roots to grow deeper in search of water. Frequently watered plants often develop shallow roots, making them dependent on frequent watering. With sheet mulching, you shouldn’t have to water more than once a week if there’s no rain.

The best time to water your garden is in the morning or evening; during the day, more water will evaporate before reaching the plants. Soaker hoses and drip irrigation conserve more water than sprinkler systems, as the water is directed only where it is needed, and less water evaporates. Ideally, the soaker hoses or drip systems should be positioned 3-4 inches from the base of the plants to encourage new root systems to grow towards the drip line.

These fibers (sold under the brand names Soil-Moist, Terrasorb, Quench, and other names) swell when wet and then dry out very slowly. A teaspoon of polymer can swell into two cups of gel, supplying a plant with a source of moisture for weeks. 

If you don’t plant a plant deep enough, after watering, the swelling gel may heave the roots out of the soil. To prevent this, wet the gel first, to know how much volume it will take up. Wet a couple of cups of gel in a bucket (it takes about an hour to fully expand), and then mix two cups of the expanded gel with soil in the planting hole.

Yarrow, salvias, and most anything that looks like a daisy are great hardy plants that don’t mind a dry spell.

Grow wildflowers. There are many beautiful wildflowers, and they are easy-care because, well, they’re wild. Get a wildflower mixture that’s right for your area, loosen the soil to about two inches, scatter the seeds. Don’t bury wildflower seed; just step on them and then water.