So you're in the middle of the worst drought anyone can remember, and the plants in your garden are starting to droop, fall over, and die. Which plants should be watered first and how much water should be given to each plant? You start to feel like the leader of a third-world country when you have to figure out how to spend your country's small budget on healthcare, the military, and education. Don't worry, I'll calm your fears about the drought with some tips.
Whoever gets the water first
If water is available, the first plants to water regularly are the ones that were just planted. New plantings, like bare-root trees or shrubs that were planted in the fall or winter before, are at a high risk of damage from drought. So are perennials that were just planted. You can see that these new plants haven't had much time to grow water-seeking roots, which go deep and wide to find water. Because of this, we need to add water to what the plant gets naturally. During a hosepipe ban, recent plantings of annual summer bedding plants like marigolds, impatiens, Nicotiana, etc. should be seen as likely water war casualties. If I only had so much water to give to a Japanese maple and some annual flowers, I'm afraid the maple would get most of it and the flowers would get nothing. As a general rule, you should water if the soil 5 cm (2 inches) below the surface is dry. Here is a short list of plants that can survive a short drought once they are established... Brachyglottis, Corokia, Gleditsia, Hippophae, and Halimiocistus.
During a drought, plants in pots can die.
The next plants to get water are those in pots, hanging baskets, and window boxes. A plant that is grown in a pot is basically growing above the ground water table. The soil in the pot is the only source of water for the plant. If there is no water inside the pot, the roots of the plant won't be able to find any other way to get water. Again, if the compost is dry 5cm (2 inches) below the surface of the pot, it's time to water, and it's up to the gardener to do so. Try to put a plate or tray under the containers. These "catchers" will hold any extra water, which the compost will eventually absorb. Be aware that terracotta and other porous containers can soak up a lot of water that the plant can't get to. Here is a short list of bedding plants for containers that can survive a short period of drought once they are established... Arctotis, Lantana, Plectranthus, Portulaca, and Zinnia are all flowers.
During a dry spell, vegetables and fruit.
Give enough water to vegetables that need a lot of it, like tomatoes, peas, onions, cucumbers, marrows, and lettuce. If there isn't enough water, the specimens will be small, shrivelled, and limp. Fruiting plants, like apple and pear trees, strawberries, raspberries, currants, and currant bushes, also need a lot of water, especially when their fruit is forming. The next time you eat a strawberry or a pear, pay attention to how much water is in them. People say that fruits and vegetables contain between 70 and 90% water. No matter which number is right, you must provide that water during a drought. During a drought, plants that are growing in an exposed or windy area will need a lot of extra water. Have you ever gone for a walk on a windy day and when you got home and smiled at your partner, kids, or pet, you saw that your lips were cracked and sore? This shows how drying a strong breeze can be, since the leaves of plants are always drying out and then getting wet again when there is water in the soil. If that water isn't there during a drought, the leaves will dry up, shrink, and fall off. This is called the drying out of the leaves. This won't happen if you water deeply.
Plants with shallow roots and that like water
During a drought, there is a lot of danger for shrubs and trees with shallow roots or that prefer moist soil. Rhododendron, Azalea, Heather (Erica), Hydrangea, and Birch are examples of plants with shallow roots (Betula). Hosta, Ferns, Helleborus, Sarcococca, Fatsia, and Camellia all like water. If there is water, please give some of it to these plants. Climbers or wall-shrubs that are close to house walls will have a hard time getting enough water, mostly because the house blocks the rain. Don't forget to water these plants that grow on walls. Here is a short list of climbers that can handle a short drought once they are established... Clematis Montana, Fallopia, Jasmine, Trachelospermum, and Vitis.
Lawns when you can't use a hose
During a drought, the lawn is usually the first part of the garden that gets watered. This is probably because lawns take up a lot of space in most gardens and tend to look burned before most plants. But the lawn would be the last plant in my garden to get water from the rationed supply. Lawns are stronger than you might think. A green lawn that turns brown from lack of water will come back to life after a few heavy rainstorms. The burned part is the plant's leaves above ground. The roots will stay put and wait out the dry spell. Of course, long periods of dry weather will do a lot of damage to lawns with only fine grass, but you shouldn't have to worry if you planted your lawn with a mix of grass and weed seeds (No. 2 or Manhattan mix).
How to use water when there is a drought (if water is available)
I think sprinklers waste a lot of the water that is available, even if it is limited. Instead, I would water by hand or let the water slowly seep into the ground. When you water by hand, you point your watering can or hose at the base of the plant you want to water and water it deeply at a rate of about 10 litres per square metre. If you don't water enough, the roots will grow close to the surface, where they are easy to damage. If you put water directly on dry soil, it may run off the top of the soil and away from the plant's roots. If this happens, try the following trick. Put a two-liter pot filled with gravel at the plant's base. Water slowly into this pot, and there won't be any problems with water running off. Seep watering, which is also called drip irrigation, is an effective and inexpensive way to get water where it needs to go. Most garden centres with a good selection of plants will sell seep hose or porous pipe that you can weave between the plants in your beds and borders. When this seep hose is hooked up to a water source, water will slowly leak out of small holes all along the pipe. It is very clear and gets the job done.
