Where your garden is concerned, the best bet to work with the extreme Texas heat in the summertime is to continuously water as opposed to sporadically. Don’t allow the earth to get cracked and bone-dry before you release a drink of water onto it. In the long, hot summers we tend to have, everything dries out faster. Plus, reoccurrences of wilting and then re-hydration is harmful to many plants. Subsequently, one of the largest hurdles Texas Hill Country gardeners need to get over is how to provide a steady stream of moisture to their earth. In doing so, they’ll maintain healthy growth as well as assist the plants in dealing with insects and summer diseases.
Lifestyle
A Guide to Watering a Texas Hill Country Garden in Extreme Heat
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Photo: Diynetwork.com
To focus on maintaining such consistent levels of moisture, consider mulching around the base of the plants in the garden. Not only does this allow for the earth to hold the moisture longer, but it can often inhibit weeds. Also, water deeply, and perhaps consider (depending on the type of plant) watering more than once per day – especially in some of our worst heat. If you’re doing container gardening, any plants (flowers, vegetables, or herbs,) which are grown in containers will require more frequent watering. In this method, you’ll also want to consider how to maintain nutrient levels within the containers – because frequent watering depletes the soil.
Also, consider incorporating timed-release fertilizer pellets into your gardening processes. Each time you water the garden, a small amount of fertilizer is then released. If you don’t opt for this method, make it a point to fertilize more often than you normally would – i.e., each week or two. Do so using a fertilizer which is dissolved in water. However, be careful not to fertilize when your garden is dry. This could result in the burning of your plant’s root system.
Photo: Pxhere.com
For shrubs and young trees, set your hose speed to a slow trickle and place it at the base of each plant every few days in the hot, dry Texas summer weather. This will allow for their roots to become thoroughly soaked. For the rest of your garden, look to water early in the day when it’s less windy and cooler. This will allow your plants to receive the water more efficiently, as less of it will evaporate as it would in the heat. Similarly, avoid watering your plants later in the day. If they’re unable to fully dry prior to sunset, the moisture could allow for the generation of fungus or bacterial disease.
