Water Restrictions. These are a gardener’s worst nightmare, right? I started nursing my seeds in January just to watch the poor pepper and tomato plants drop their leaves and turn brown when I stopped watering during voluntary water restrictions. Then- when I misunderstood the next level of restrictions, my water was temporarily shut off. How Rude.
But wait- water restrictions do serve a purpose. Growing up on a shallow well, I learned early on that you can run out of water. Pumps can burn out if they run too long. The city of Gunther Tx, located in Grayson county, has issued a water emergency asking its residents to stop all outdoor watering in an attempt to avoid running out of water. An emergency order was released in Maypearl, Tx, on July 21st, halting all outdoor watering due to the “dangerously low” water levels in the storage tanks. You can check the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality website for a list of public water systems that have reported restrictions or check with your water provider.
Water shortages are no joke. But there are things we can do now and in the future to help us manage our landscapes during a drought.
What to do now:
1. Assess the situation
- What plants do you have? Which ones will go dormant and come back vs. which ones will not return if they die? What is the financial investment in the plants?
2. Prioritize
- My vegetable garden is already gone. The St. Augustine I foolishly sodded in a full sun- no irrigation- zone has died. The Bermuda grass will come back no problem. But my new fruit trees, citrus trees, and Shumard Oak I planted this year take priority. If I can use water- these will be the ones I try and save.
3. Use Gardening best practices.
- Mulch. As a somewhat lazy gardener- I never got around to mulching my trees. I go out each morning and check and see if they need water when I check on my chickens. Then- I water. However, I am restricted to watering one time a week now. How will I keep these trees already showing stress alive in the extreme heat and drought? Mulch is a great place to start. And it will probably save me money compared to how much I spent on watering.
- Water early or late in the day to reduce water loss through evaporation.
- Use drip systems or soaker hoses. I can no longer be lazy and put my sprinkler on my oak tree. I went to the local big box store and picked up a short soaker hose to wrap around the tree. This is best practice anyway. I’m getting water to the exact place I need it, and the slow watering rate will help as well. Now the water is actually going to the tree instead of straight through the cracks in my blackland prairie clay soil.
4. Relocate or Shade.
- I have moved potted trees I am trying to keep alive into partially shaded areas. My fence blocks the west sun for a few feet starting at about 5:00. Sheltering my plants in the evening may be just enough to help keep them alive.
- Erect shade. If time and budget aren’t a problem, you can add shade cloth above plants and bushes you want to save- and animals. We have attached shade fabric around our chicken run to help them stay cool. You can do the same for your plants.
5. Gray Water Recycling
- My great-grandmother grew up during the great depression. It left scars on her life and a few odd practices. Why were there bowls in all the sinks that captured the water when you washed your hands? And buckets in the shower? I no longer think this is odd. I now have a bucket in my shower capturing the water that comes out of the faucet while waiting for the water to warm up. I get about 1/2 gallon of fresh water each time I shower. This is just enough that I can keep the citrus trees on my porch alive. Can I get the rest of my family to do this? Probably not, but that 1/2 gallon daily may save my investment in the citrus trees.
- You can also recycle kitchen water. I set a bucket by the kitchen sink to empty the kids’ water bottles in before I wash them. I can also save water from pasta and soaking dishes. “Some detergents may have a high salt content in the form of sodium, chloride or boron, which could potentially ‘burn’ a plant,” I’m not great about tracking what soaps I can and can’t put in my garden, so I avoid the soapy sink water. I make a trip to the apple trees each day to empty my kitchen water savings.
- Get creative. Are there other places you can save water from?
6. Other options?
- There are a lot of products on the market claiming to help. I have ordered a few to test myself. Rings that go around trees and slowly drain water over 8 hours. 30-day tree watering rings. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of data to support whether these will help or not. I’m desperate to keep my plants alive and am willing to experiment a bit, knowing they may or may not be of help.
What should you do to plan ahead for droughts? Let’s talk about that next month. In the meantime, check out WaterSmart and Earth-Kind from Texas A&M to help you brainstorm how to build drought-tolerant landscapes. Another great resource is waterisawesome.com which provides outdoor watering tips and alerts.
Maybe these tips will help you think creatively about how to conserve water and take care of your garden during these dry times. Check regularly with your water provider or municipality- as water restrictions are frequently changing. Everyone can do their part to help save this precious resource.
Resources:
- List of Texas PWSs Limiting Water Use to Avoid Shortages. (2022). Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. https://www.tceq.texas.gov/drinkingwater/trot/droughtw.html
- WaterSmart Landscapes for the Upper Texas Gulf Coast | Teaching, Research, Extension and Service. (2022). Tamu.edu. https://watersmart.tamu.edu/
- Schattenberg, P. (2012, December 7). Can gray water keep Texas landscapes green? – AgriLife Today. AgriLife Today. https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2012/12/07/gray-water-landscapes/
- Russell, A. (2022, July 14). Tips for gardeners during a Texas heat wave – AgriLife Today. AgriLife Today. https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2022/07/14/tips-for-gardeners-during-a-texas-heat-wave/
- Efficient Use of Water in the Garden and Landscape – Earth-Kind® Landscaping Earth-Kind® Landscaping. (2022). Tamu.edu. https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/drought/efficient-use-of-water-in-the-garden-and-landscape/
- Home. (2022). Water Is Awesome. https://waterisawesome.com/