After this season’s mild summer, the heat and humidity of the past week have been hard to cope with for us and the plants. The past year was a wet one and this provided prime growing time. If we now go back to a more ‘normal’ weather pattern, the plants and animals will have to survive on a lot less water.
Now is a good time to observe how the plants in your garden are coping with the drier spell. Are some plants limps and look close to dying? Are any leaves brown and falling off due to the heat? Will they survive with less water?
The plus to having a garden of natives is they don’t need extra watering. However thinking about the past season the ones planted in the past year have not established with the need to seek out water. Species that have a tap root may not have grown down as deep into the ground as water has constantly been available at surface level. These ones will need a little help to adjust.
TIP Mulch is great for keeping moisture in the ground but it also stops water getting into the soil. Moving mulch away from the base of plants before forecast rain and replacing afterwards is one way to maximise available water.
Have a think about water storage? Is there room for another water tank? Do gutters need to be fixed? Buckets left out in rain can collect water for the next weeks watering. The idea isn’t to always need to water the garden but help with the adjustment to less rain and while temperatures are high.
Don’t forget the animals. Bath and water sources will be utilised much more now the creeks are drying up.
Michelle Newall
