by Elizabeth Smith
Now that May is here, we expect to see things heating up outside and when it does, we need to up the watering schedule for our plants. Set your irrigation timer to twice a day for 20 minutes each for vegetable gardens without mulch. But if you want to conserve water, incorporate biodegradable mulch onto the surface of your garden beds and reduce that time in half. Mulch is a great way to keep your plants’ roots hydrated and cool while increasing the health of your soil. Don’t forget your fruit-bearing trees. Spread organic matter out to the drip line of the branches and make a well to capture more water. Rock streams that look like miniature dry river beds can be redirected to lead to your tree wells and other plantings instead of just out to the sidewalk.
Another way to conserve water is to actively harvest the rain. Plants love pure rainwater and rain barrels and cisterns placed under downspouts can collect a lot of rain during a rainstorm to be used later in your landscape and garden. Be sure and put a mosquito barrier on the inlet of the barrel. If you are within Tucson city limits, you can take a class and sign up for a rebate to collect your rainwater. It’s also possible to reuse your gray water, but it will take a little more planning to do it properly. Go to https://www.tucsonaz.gov/water/rainwater-harvesting-rebate to learn more.
And one last way to conserve water is to choose plants that require less water. Purslane grows entirely on its own with the onset of summer rains and is one of the most nutritious plants known to mankind. Native beans, squash, and corn can be grown together in the “3 sisters” tradition with each plant offering the others some benefit. The corn is the trellis for the beans, the beans “fix” nitrogen into the soil and the squash shades the soil for cooler and moister roots. Incorporating just one water saving technique can make a huge difference in your garden this summer.
