Summer Fruits are Here!

Keeping your plants hydrated in the summer heat

1. Water in the morning! Evapotranspiration rates are lower in the morning before the heat of the day. Your plants will be able to take up water more easily in the early morning and less water will be lost to evaporation. While evapotranspiration rates are also low at night, watering at night can cause fungal or mildew problems.
2. Mulch, mulch, mulch! Having a thick mulch on your soil will drastically cut down on your watering needs while also helping to build soil. There should never be bare or exposed soil around your plants. Just make sure the mulch is not touching the trunk of your tree as it could cause the bark to rot.
3. Drip irrigation! Installing a drip irrigation system is a worthwhile investment. The water goes right to the plant’s root zone and minimal water is lost to evaporation.
4. Water deeply rather than frequently. A deep watering once or twice a week will establish a deeper root system that is able to pull water and nutrients from further down in the soil. Plants that are watered too frequently develop shallow root systems and are much less resilient.
5. Plant diverse multi-layered polycultures. Planting out a well designed overstory, midstory and understory in your home orchard or food forest can create spaces for plants that might prefer part shade. Although some plants’ yields may be reduced in shady conditions the overall yield from the space should increase. Consider plants that also have different rooting depths to avoid root competition and encourage a synergistic design.
6. Invest in a soil moisture meter. These will tell you exactly how much moisture is in your soil and therefore when you need to water. The only drawback is the meters usually don’t reach very far into the ground so you’ll only receive moisture readings for the top 6 inches or so of soil.