Create Drought-Resistant Landscape And Conserve Water
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) —Many plants need ample
moisture throughout the growing
season. Even if we don’t have a
drought this summer, creating a
landscape that is more resilient in
dry weather can cut back on main
tenance time and help conserve
water.
‘To develop a drough-iesistant
landscape, start by conditioning
the soil,” says Dr. J. Robert Nuss,
professor of ornamental horticul
ture in Penn State’s College of
Agriculture Sciences. “Soil with
organic matter holds water like a
sponge
“Before planting, incorporate
about five bushels of compost,
peat, rotted sawdust or similar
material into the top 10 inches of
soil for every 100-square-foot
area. In addition to retaining
water, this organic matter will pro
vide nutrients and create air pock
ets important for healthy roots.”
When you’re ready to plant,
select annuals, perennials, shrubs
and trees that tolerate dry soil, and
ask the supplier if they have been
hardened off. “Hardened-off
plants receive less and less water
prior to sale, so they are used to
drier conditions,” says Nuss. “If
you grow your own seedlings, gra
dually cut back on water before
planting them outside.”
Buy only dark green, sturdy
| plants. ‘Tall, spindly plants with
pale leaves won’t tolerate dry con
ditions even if you provide adequ
ate organic matter and mulch,”
says Nuss.
Drought-resistant annuals
include amaranth, pimpernel,
nicotiana, geranium, marigold,
petunia, spider flower, annual
phlox, cosmos, rose moss, annual
pink, gloriosa daisy, dusty miller,
annual baby’s breath, strawflow
er, verbena, lantana and zinnia.
Perennials that do well in dry
conditions are yarrow, butter
flyweed, indigo, coreopsis, gail
lardia, daylily, ageratum, liatris,
flax, lupine, poppy, ground phlox,
rudbeckia, soapwort, sedum,
prickly pear cactus and many
kinds of ornamental grasses.
Drought-tolerant trees and
shrubs include box elder, silk tree,
gray birch, hackberry, osage
orange, Japanese black pine, bur
oak, black locust, sassafrass, Sibe
rian elm, Japanese barberry, flow
ering quince, sweetfem, gray dog
wood, witch hazel, juniper, privet,
bayberry, bush cinquefoil and
staghorn sumac.
After you have installed your
plants, one of the most effective
methods of water conservation is
weed control. “Weeds can con
sume more water than all your
ornamentals put together,” says
Nuss. “An effective, long-term
method of controlling weeds is to
put a 3- to 4-inch layer of mulch
around your plants. This limits the
need for hand weeding and using
herbicides.”
Determining the direction of
prevailing winds and planting or
erecting windscreens can drasti
cally decrease your landscape’s
water consumption. “Wind draws
a lot of moisture from soil and
plant tissue,” says Nuss. “Reduc
ing air movement over your plants
will reduce moisture loss.”
Most windbreaks modify air
movement for a distance of about
twice their height. For example, a
6-foot screen reduces air flow
about 12 to 15 feet in front of it.
“If you have plants farther away
than 15 feet from your windbreak,
make sure your windbreak isn’t
channeling wind to those plants,”
says Nuss. “You may need more
than one windbreak if you have a
large planted area.”
If appearance isn’t important, a
snow fence covered with burlap or
plastic sheets can be placed about
five feet from plants. “If space
permits, a shrub border provides
-long-term protection and adds to
your landscape’s beauty,” says
Nuss.
Shrubs that .make good windsc
reens include flowering quince (6
feet), mentor barberry (7 feet), pcs
tree 05 feet), bayberry (10-12
feet), gray dogwood (12 feet) and
privet (15-20 feet). Make sure tc
plant these shrubs at least 5 feel
JUNE 29-JULY 8 g
This is the year to head W
North for our best trip B
to the Maritimes t
from your other plants so that they
will not draw water from them.
Under extremely dry condi
tions, you can prevent moisture
loss by spraying your plants with
an antidessicant. Antidessicants
are available at garden centers and
are made of a latex-like material.
The spray forms an invisible,
watertight film over the leaves’
surface. This film does not harm
and wears off after a few
weeks.
“Antidessecants arc most effec
tive on evergreens and mature
foliage,” says Nuss. “New leaves
will need additional spraying as
they grow. Use antidessicant
sprays when the air temperature is
above freezing, and make sure you
cover all the leaves. You will need
to spray several times as plants
grow and the film wears off.”
When watering your landscape,
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 27, IMS-819
you may find that the moisture
beads and runs off before the soil
can absorb it. “Some kinds of soil
absorb water with difficulty,” says
Nuss. “If you can’t water your soil
uniformly because of high clay or
peat content, you can apply a wet
ting agent to reduce die surface
tension of water and allow it to
spread over the soil.”
Soil wetting agents are avail
able at garden centers. Some are
meant for specific crops, so make
sure you get the right one for your
landscape. They usually are effec
tive for about two months and then
must be reapplied.
“It may not be possible to fol
low all these steps in one season,”
says Nuss. “But even following
one or two can cut water con
sumption and make your land
scape resilient in dry weather.”
A LESSON
WELL
LEARNED..
LANCASTER
FARMING'S
CLASSIFIED
ADS
GET RESULTS!