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As the days get warmer and summer approaches, now is the time to give gardens a little preparation for the hotter, drier and often windy months forecast as the El Nino weather system takes hold.
Mitre 10 MEGA Silverdale Garden manager Fiona Aitken says one of the best places to start is with the soil.
“Make sure you use a good quality soil,” she says. “If you are planting into the ground, every new season add a fresh layer of compost. This will help boost water retention in the soil.”
Choosing a growing media designed for what you are planting can also give young plants a better start. Vegetable, citrus and fruit, and general garden mixes contain ingredients designed to improve water penetration and retention.
For plants grown in pots, Aitken recommends using a good quality container or potting mix that includes water-retaining agents.
Once plants are in the ground, mulch can make a significant difference during dry spells. As well as suppressing weeds that compete with plants for water, mulch helps protect the soil from extremes of temperature and reduces moisture loss.
Plant choice can also make a garden more resilient. A wide range of plants will tolerate dry conditions once they are established, including New Zealand natives such as hebes, pittosporum, mānuka, kōwhai, Muehlenbeckia, flaxes and grasses.
Cacti and succulents, including aloes and echeverias, are another option, along with Mediterranean plants such as lavender, rosemary and olives. Australian and South African plants including grevillea, kangaroo paw, protea and leucadendrons are also well suited to dry conditions.
However, even drought-tolerant plants need care while they are young.
Newly planted plants require regular watering and some protection from extremes of temperature until their root systems become established. Older plants can usually cope with less frequent watering, but Aitken says they benefit from a thorough soak rather than frequent light watering.
“Deep watering encourages their roots to grow downwards,” Aitken says.
For larger gardens, irrigation systems controlled by timers can make watering more efficient. Soaker or weeper hoses are another option and generally direct water closer to where it is needed than conventional sprinklers.
Longer-term preparation could include installing a rainwater tank to collect water for use around the garden.
Wind can be just as challenging as heat, particularly in exposed coastal gardens. Shadecloth and windbreak cloth can provide temporary protection during prolonged hot or windy periods.
Excessive heat and wind can stress plants and prevent them thriving, Aitken says, so a little preparation now can help gardens come through summer in much better shape.
