How to Protect Your Vegetable Garden During Drought Periods

Unlike some plants, vegetables cannot respond to a drought by simply going dormant – they just die. You just want to make sure they have consistent water. Learn how to protect your vegetable garden during drought periods in this P. Allen Smith video:

It’s best to water in the very early morning, deep soaking the soil around the plants. Avoid any water contact on the leaves – you just want to soak the soil. And be consistent – don’t let the plants dry out and then come in with water and expect to save them.

Eradicate any weeds as soon as they appear. Avoid letting them spread as they will compete for the water your vegetables need.

To conserve moisture, place an organic mulch like grass clippings, leaves or straw around your vegetables to reduce the loss of water to evaporation. When applying the mulch, put down at least 1/4 inch – 2-3 inches is better.

How can you keep the soil consistently moist? Water your vegetables with a soaker hose. Place the hose along the rows of plants and water at a low pressure for about 15 to 20 minutes early in the morning.

Take advantage of Mother Nature. If you don’t have a rain collection system, install one. Place a rain collection barrel under the gutters to collect rain and use it to water your garden.