Rainy Day Watering is Best for Plants

Rain in the forecast. Dark clouds coming toward my house tell me I have to get my new perennials in the ground quickly. Rainwater is the best!   A little water from the hose as backup in case the rain clouds pass over without sharing. And it begins to rain.

As much as possible I try to keep the weather in mind when putting in new plants. Free water that benefits my plants is my goal.

Obviously, there are many times when my schedule doesn’t coincide with a weather front full of rain. I plant when I have time. But I always keep track of the weather and rain possibilities.

The rain doesn’t cost me anything and it’s better for the plants. Rainwater gives them the nutrients they need to grow well. It’s a green way to water.

I have looked into rain barrels – buying one or two I mean! I also checked out making my own. Because we generally get enough rain in a timely fashion, I‘m not pushed into action.

My hairdresser made one rain barrel. She assures me the flowers she can reach from it, do very well, compared to the flowers that get hose water.

Container plants are a special case. Containers dry out faster because the sides of the container are exposed to more heat versus plants in the ground. I’ve lost annual plants because I didn’t get water there fast enough.

Keep as much moisture in the containers as you can:

• Line the pots with two layers of newspaper to keep the pots cooler and retain moisture.
• Add organic potting mix that has fiber in it to hold water a little longer. 
• Put a light layer of mulch around the plants once they’re in the container.
• Plant heat and sun friendly annual flowers. The ones I’ve found through trial and error that like it hot and muggy (humid) are: Salvia, Petunia, Zinnia, Vinca, Million Bells, and Geranium.

Most of my container plants are out under the sky where they can catch the rain. A green way to water. If there’s no rain during hot and muggy days, hose water works. I usually water containers every two to three days.

In hanging baskets this year, I’m trying dianthus. So far so good with the heat. Watering is the same as for the other containers, two to three days.

Rainy days can ruin outdoor plans. They can cause over watering, mold and flooding. And rainy days are the best way to keep plants green.

For more info on the benefits of rain on plants see:
http://www.gardenguides.com/126494-effects-rain-water-plants.html 
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/13/for-plants-rain-has-benefits-that-tap-water-simply-cant-deliver-9/

Grow It in the Right Place

If ever there was a gardening maxim to live by, "grow the plant in the right place" is mine. Sort of like raising a child: the one who loves to move might blossom in dance or sports; the one who loves to study fossils and insects might be successful in nature camps or science fairs.

What does a particular plant need to thrive? Plants that are native to my area might seem common, but they've developed so they'll flourish in this climate and soil. Other plants have been brought from other parts of the world that have similar climates and soil conditions. They will do fine if I find out what they need.

Of course some plants introduced from other places like a climate so well, they take over! This last group, called invasive, should be avoided. There is plenty of information about plants considered invasive in different parts of the country.
 

Gardening magazines and books, garden shows, lectures at garden centers are helpful in answering the question, what does the plant need?

I've discovered that I have to pay attention to the soil in my yard. For the most part, my yard has three to four inches of good top soil and then clay the rest of the way down into the ground, probably to the middle of the earth. I could open a pottery shop with what's laying under my yard - my own gold mine of clay!

The soil is probably more alkaline than acid given the part of the country I live in. I could ask for a soil test kit from the local office of the State Extension Service. They test the samples sent to them. The results they send back tell me what kind of soil I have. I usually amend the soil with compost. I try to plant things that grow well in my area. I want happy, successful plants without a lot of extra work! 

Wacky Yard

My garden designs have been almost exclusively determined by the wacky yard we bought which came with the house we live in. I just this year found out that our piece of the pie, which I thought was roughly the shape of a pie slice, was actually some strange version of a polygon – lines, angles and one curve. Add the rain water which has come down a gentle slope at flash flood speed from houses up the street, an encroaching neighbor, neighborhood folklore about the use of my yard, more folklore about the property line at the back and lastly the microclimates that existed around the house – near desert conditions in front, water park conditions in back. Why didn’t I see this before we bought the house?
No matter - gardening has been a source of peace, very hands on way to be in and with nature and a serious challenge to my creativity. It has excited me, frustrated me. I haven’t been able to sleep at night trying to figure out what to do. Gardening problems made me wake up in the morning early/ready to get to my solutions! As our family celebrates ten years in this house, the yard has started to look settled in some areas – finally found something that worked in the microclimates and fit in with the rest of the yard. A small collection of problems solved. There’s more to be solved.