How to Garden During a Water Shortage
2022-07-11
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1Many people try to save water just to do the right thing.
2But when a serious drought hits, state and local governments enforce restrictions.
3Saving water then becomes non-negotiable.
4So far this summer, nearly 65 percent of the United States is experiencing "abnormally dry" weather, the U.S. Drought Monitor reports.
5Almost 43 percent of those areas are dealing with "moderate" drought.
6And nearly 47 percent are dealing with "severe," "extreme," or "exceptional" drought.
7That means more than 109 million people are living under drought conditions.
8And a lot of them have plants or yards to worry about.
9Jessica Damiano with the Associated Press has these suggestions for how to keep your garden healthy during periods of dry weather.
10If you are gardening under water restrictions, decide which plants need water the most.
11Newly planted trees and shrubs are high on the priority list.
12They require regular watering until their roots become established.
13That process can take a full year.
14Older trees -- especially fruit, nut, ornamental, and even evergreens -- can suffer during drought as well.
15Perennial flowers are those that return year after year.
16They should be next on the list, along with vegetables in their flowering and fruiting periods.
17Melons and squash have deep roots.
18They can usually get by with less water than crops like corn, which have shallow roots.
19Low on the list of priorities should be annuals -- plants that only live for one growing season.
20Others include crops with high water needs, like beans, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, and radishes, as well as plants growing in pots.
21None will likely survive with the little water that can be offered under forced restrictions.
22Most plants require an average of 2 to 4 centimeters of water each week under normal conditions.
23That need could increase, however, during periods of extreme heat, when the soil dries out more quickly.
24Do not offer your plants their weekly water needs all at once.
25Divide it over two or three times per week.
26Use deeper, less-frequent watering instead of daily sprinkles.
27That can be wasteful and ineffective at getting the roots really wet.
28Watering deeply also establishes stronger, deeper roots that are better able to support plants when surface water becomes less available.
29Avoid using overhead sprinklers.
30They wet the leaves and other areas instead of directing water to plant roots.
31Instead, place watering devices on the soil directly over roots.
32Watering cans and hand-held hoses aimed at the soil work, too.
33Avoid watering midday when moisture is likely to evaporate before reaching roots.
34Consider using recycled household water, also called gray water, to water plants.
35Unsalted water left over from boiling eggs or vegetables provides extra nutrients.
36Dish and bath water that is not too soapy will not harm ornamental plants.
37And water captured while rinsing fruits and vegetables can be used around the garden.
38Keep beds and borders free of weeds.
39Weeds compete with your plants for water and nutrients.
40A 7.5-centimeter layer of bark mulch, wood chips, or gravel around plants will help prevent weed seeds from taking hold.
41This layer will help keep the soil cool and moist.
42Avoid fertilizing plants during drought.
43Fertilizers cause fast growth, which increases the need for water.
44And avoid using weed killers.
45These can move to other areas in hot weather and are less effective in high temperatures.
46Do not plant anything new.
47And avoid cutting plants, which increases their water needs.
48In the future, consider replacing the lawn with native groundcovers.
49Use large amounts of compost in beds and planting holes to improve water retention.
50Take note of the sun requirements of each of your plants.
51And use more native plants.
52I'm Anna Matteo.
1Many people try to save water just to do the right thing. But when a serious drought hits, state and local governments enforce restrictions. Saving water then becomes non-negotiable. 2So far this summer, nearly 65 percent of the United States is experiencing "abnormally dry" weather, the U.S. Drought Monitor reports. Almost 43 percent of those areas are dealing with "moderate" drought. And nearly 47 percent are dealing with "severe," "extreme," or "exceptional" drought. 3That means more than 109 million people are living under drought conditions. And a lot of them have plants or yards to worry about. 4Jessica Damiano with the Associated Press has these suggestions for how to keep your garden healthy during periods of dry weather. 5Choosing which plants to water 6If you are gardening under water restrictions, decide which plants need water the most. Newly planted trees and shrubs are high on the priority list. They require regular watering until their roots become established. That process can take a full year. 7Older trees -- especially fruit, nut, ornamental, and even evergreens -- can suffer during drought as well. 8Perennial flowers are those that return year after year. They should be next on the list, along with vegetables in their flowering and fruiting periods. 9Melons and squash have deep roots. They can usually get by with less water than crops like corn, which have shallow roots. 10Low on the list of priorities should be annuals -- plants that only live for one growing season. Others include crops with high water needs, like beans, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, and radishes, as well as plants growing in pots. None will likely survive with the little water that can be offered under forced restrictions. 11Watering effectively 12Most plants require an average of 2 to 4 centimeters of water each week under normal conditions. That need could increase, however, during periods of extreme heat, when the soil dries out more quickly. 13Do not offer your plants their weekly water needs all at once. Divide it over two or three times per week. 14Use deeper, less-frequent watering instead of daily sprinkles. That can be wasteful and ineffective at getting the roots really wet. Watering deeply also establishes stronger, deeper roots that are better able to support plants when surface water becomes less available. 15Avoid using overhead sprinklers. They wet the leaves and other areas instead of directing water to plant roots. Instead, place watering devices on the soil directly over roots. Watering cans and hand-held hoses aimed at the soil work, too. 16Avoid watering midday when moisture is likely to evaporate before reaching roots. 17Consider using recycled household water, also called gray water, to water plants. Unsalted water left over from boiling eggs or vegetables provides extra nutrients. Dish and bath water that is not too soapy will not harm ornamental plants. And water captured while rinsing fruits and vegetables can be used around the garden. 18Other suggestions for dry weather gardening 19Keep beds and borders free of weeds. Weeds compete with your plants for water and nutrients. 20A 7.5-centimeter layer of bark mulch, wood chips, or gravel around plants will help prevent weed seeds from taking hold. This layer will help keep the soil cool and moist. 21Avoid fertilizing plants during drought. Fertilizers cause fast growth, which increases the need for water. And avoid using weed killers. These can move to other areas in hot weather and are less effective in high temperatures. 22Do not plant anything new. And avoid cutting plants, which increases their water needs. 23In the future, consider replacing the lawn with native groundcovers. Use large amounts of compost in beds and planting holes to improve water retention. Take note of the sun requirements of each of your plants. And use more native plants. 24I'm Anna Matteo. 25Jessica Damiano reported on this story for the Associated Press. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English. 26_________________________________________________________________ 27Words in This Story 28garden - n. a piece of ground in which fruits, flowers, or vegetables are grown 29drought - n. a long period of time during which there is very little or no rain 30priority - n. a condition of being more important than other things 31shallow - adj. having little depth 32sprinkle - n. a light rain 33recycled - v. to process (as paper, glass, or cans) in order to regain or reuse materials 34hose - n. a flexible tube for carrying fluid 35moist - adj. slightly wet 36retention - n. : the act of continuing to possess, control, or hold : the power or ability to keep or hold something 37__________________________________________________________________ 38What do you think of gardening? 39We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 40Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.