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Tips for Helping Your Garden Survive in a Drought

Release Date: 8/11/1999
Contact Information: Bonnie Lomax (215) 814-5542 & Dan Welker (215) 814-2744

PHILADELPHIA - The Middle Atlantic States are in the midst of one of the worst droughts in history with water restrictions mandated in most of the area. Our urban forests, a collective term that encompasses our street trees, yards, parks, and other landscaped areas are under tremendous stress. Collectively, these plants are invaluable, not only for their beauty, but for the substantial role they play in cooling our neighborhoods, cleaning our air, absorbing noise and harmful UV radiation, providing wildlife habitat, and increasing property values. While trying to conserve water at home, it is important to not forget the needs of our urban forests. Here are some tips to help your garden survive while conserving water.

Choose your battles. With a large property, focus efforts on your most valuable plants. Trees should be at the top of the list. They take the longest to grow; add the most value to property; do the most to cool your house and yard; and provide the greatest environmental benefits. Old trees and those planted in the last five years are most vulnerable to the drought. Trees with deep tap roots, like oaks and sycamores, are best able to survive drought, but because of their great value in the landscape, should not be ignored if the drought persists much longer.

Abandon drought-sensitive plants. They will only give you problems during future dry spells. Instead, concentrate on the hardiest trees and shrubs, especially natives.

Concentrate on the most stressed plants. With a small property where you can provide water to all plants, start with those that are most stressed, as evidenced by browning and/or curling leaves or a “wilted” look. Rhododendron, azaleas, dogwoods, and arborvitaes are among the plants faring the worst, especially where inappropriately planted in full sun.

Learn the water needs of your plants. Many plants are drought tolerant and you needn’t waste much water on them. Examples include junipers, mountain laurel, locust, redbud, hosta, day lilies, lilyturf, bayberry, honeysuckle, ornamental grasses, and forsythia.

Check the soil moisture first. Use a moisture probe or a trowel to determine how dry the soil is a few inches below the surface, where most of the plants roots are found. Repeat this procedure in different parts of the garden to assess water needs so that you can apply it most judiciously. According to arborist, Bill Hascher, not all plants exhibit moisture stress in the same way. While a droopy appearance and curled and/or browned leaves is a common signal, other plants may exhibit few signs, but still be under great stress. All plants, except for the most drought-tolerant, are currently under significant stress if they haven’t received any supplemental watering.

Water wisely. A general rule of thumb is that plants need about one inch of water per week. One substantial application is preferable to several light ones since it enables the water to penetrates deeper into the soil, reaching most roots and encouraging the growth of a hardier root system. Use a water gauge (an inexpensive plastic container available at most garden centers and hardware stores) or dig a small hole with a trowel to assess the amount of water applied. As most roots are within the top 6 inches of soil, it’s wasteful to apply more water than what is needed to reach that depth; but try to water so that at least the top three inches get moist.

The ideal time to water is early in the morning. Late evening watering, when there are warm, muggy nights, can result in fungal problems as the foliage remains wet overnight. As evaporation rates are high during hot weather, try to keep the water off the plants and apply close to the ground, over the roots. The root systems of most plants extend out to or beyond the drip line (the outermost reach of their branches) so apply water to that entire area. If you don’t have time to water the entire area under a tree, it’s better to water part of it well and at a later time water the remainder.

Recycle water. Gray water, or that collected from sinks that is not contaminated with soap, can be used to water plants. Where permissible by local ordinance, connect downspouts to rainbarrels for use in the garden.

Apply mulch around trees, shrubs and most perennials. In addition to conserving moisture, the mulch keeps roots cooler and helps to block weeds. A layer 2-4" thick is ideal. Keep mulch from contact with trunks and stems to reduce chance of disease.

Start a compost pile and create your own mulch for next year. It’ll save you money and reduce the amount of solid waste you generate. You can compost non-diseased plant material, including leaves, grass clippings, twigs and chipped branches, as well as, fruit and vegetable scraps from the kitchen.

Don’t water the lawn. Even where permissible, this is wasteful in a drought. When lawns turn brown they are not dying, they are going dormant and will stay that way until the next good rains. Don’t mow the lawn. In fact, most types of grass should be allowed to grow tall in hot whether so that their roots are shaded, keeping them cooler and more weed-free.

Don’t add new plants now. If you’ve already purchased plants, keep them well-watered and in a shady location. Next time you shop for new plants, give most consideration to drought-tolerant plants, particularly ones native to our area; they have evolved to flourish in our climate. And remember to plant them in the appropriate place, matching the plants specific requirements with conditions in your yard. Shade-loving plants, like rhododendrons and azaleas, should not be planted in full sun.

Don’t prune. Resist the urge to severely prune stressed trees and shrubs thinking the smaller size will reduce moisture requirements. The extra stress from pruning may kill them. Even less severe pruning will do little to help reduce plants’ moisture needs.

Don’t fertilize. Fertilizing during a drought will only encourage new growth at a time when the plant is struggling to get enough moisture to survive.

Conserve water in the home. Do all you can to reduce water use inside the home; that way you’ll feel less guilty about using it judiciously for landscape use.

For more information visit the EPA Drought Website at www.epa.gov/region3/drought.htm.

These tips were compiled by Dan Welker, an Environmental Protection Specialist with the U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency Region III. Special thanks to the staff of the Morris Arboretum of the University Pennsylvania, particularly Bob Gutowski and Bill Hascher, for their assistance with this article.


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