In such a drought year it is important to maintain and even improve our water efficient gardening practices.
Help your plants maintain their current growth without excess water by using natural additives like compost and biochar. These changes keep the moisture in the soil. Mulching also reduces water loss through evaporation.
Check your irrigation systems for leaks in pipes, valves, sprinkler heads, and hoses. If possible, replace older irrigation systems with drip irrigation and install rainwater monitors to shut down your irrigation system when it rains. Be aware of our local irrigation restrictions by watering only on your days and between 6pm and 10am
When it comes to plant selection, choose xerian and native plants that require little water once they are established. Consider planting decorative native grasses, and keep in mind that autumn planting will require less watering for establishment.
Proper pruning of shrubs and trees can reduce water requirements. However, dormant pruning can lead to unwanted, heavy growth. Make sure to prune and remove dead wood in spring or autumn.
Andy Kennedy’s comfrey crop. (Courtesy photo)
Group plants with the same water, sun, and soil needs. Consider removing plants that use high water levels and promoting high priority plants like trees that provide shade and reduce water needs for other plants. Keep your beds weed free.
Install a rain garden if you have excessive drainage – use a sunken area in the landscape to collect rainwater from a roof, driveway, or road and let it soak into the ground. Or channel the water into your garden.
Lawns can use a lot of water. Therefore, reduce their size by installing pathways (permeable hardscape), patios or xeriscaped gardens. Other water reduction ideas include overseeding with drought tolerant grass, increasing the mowing height to 3 inches to keep soil temperatures cooler and reducing evaporation, or if possible, allowing the grass to dwell in late summer. Most lawns can survive with 25% to 50% less irrigation.
With the passage of House Bill 16-1005, Coloradans can now collect rainwater with a rain barrel or gutter system and reuse it on lawns, plants or outdoor gardens.
Regularly check your trees, shrubs, and plants for drought stress – wilting, drooping, or brown leaves, insect infestation, and the like – and take steps to prevent loss.
For more information on water-saving practices, visit the CSU website with plenty of information. See CMG.Extension.ColoState.edu/gardening-resources/online-garden-publications.
Andy Kennedy has been a Master Gardener with Routt County since 2015 and has lived in Routt County since 1998. Her garden is focused on food and native plants, and she loves to hunt for native delicacies like glacier lilies in the forest. Andy has worked for both the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council and Yampatika and is passionate about sustainability and the local environment, as well as herbalism and the general magic of plants.
