Tips for Surviving a Texas-Sized Drought and Heat Wave

Here are three ways my garden got through a record-breaking drought and heat wave

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Records for heat moving ridge and drouth seem to be broken regularly now . Many areas of the country are affected by these changes , primarily the South . As a gardener in the Dallas area , I can safely say that we have been right in the cross hair’s-breadth of worsening drought for years .

Three things you can do in the garden to protect against drought

I ’ve had more than a few deterrent example in dealing with ironic condition and heat on an amazing scale of measurement , such as the 2011 drought that caused wildfires across Central Texas . As such , I have a few top for how to get through the worst of it .

1. A drip-irrigation system provides consistent moisture

We all know that a very effective style to provide ordered wet to your plants is a drip mould - irrigation system . Here are some of the advantages this method acting has over hand-held tools or sprinkler :

• It applies the water decently where the plants ask it — at the soil surface.• Almost no water is wasted through evaporation.• The system can be automated with a timer.• Lots of choice are available in stores or online.• It is comparatively well-heeled to pose up .

I ’m chagrined to say that it took me TEN year of gardening here to finally install such a organisation . The incredible conditions of this year called for drastic measures to be taken . I purchased a organization from DIG ( digcorp.com ) at my local home nerve center . When I say “ system , ” I do n’t mean a outfit that had everything I needed in a loge . Rather , it was all of the different components ( hoses , connectors , nozzles , clamps , etc . ) purchased separately . In summation , I adjust up the system in phases . Since I was only using one-half of the bring up bed at the time , I did n’t interest about irrigate the empty one until I set out to plant fall crops in them . The reasonable amount I ’ve drop was n’t too spoilt , take that my garden is over 1,200 hearty feet .

2. Shade heat- or light-sensitive plants with coverings

While I ca n’t ascertain the changeless oppressive heat , I can control the amount of sunshine some of my more sensitive plants receive . I had already built bug aegis screens around most of my fall leaf crops , as they were a favorite meal for pests . This made for a natural support in which to hold a spectre cover .

I used regular tan burlap purchased at a framework / craft shop and anchor it down with staples . If I had to separate or space out seedling that I had thinned out ( scratch in particular ) , I give them full refinement for two to three days . Once they were over the transplant shock , I adjust the gunny natural covering to give them more Dominicus . In some cases , I only hatch the side of the evoke bed that got the more intense good afternoon sun , allowing the plants to receive sun during the cooler morning hour .

3. Mulch to help retain soil moisture

With the drip mould irrigation and ghost covers in spot , the last form of protection was mulch . As soon as most of my industrial plant were large enough , they obtain a 1- to 3 - inch layer of mulch made from pasturage clippings and chop farewell . I routinely check the grease under the mulch to verify it was take wet well .

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