A Few Smart Water Wise Tips for Missouri:
Combines beauty and function with Missouri –friendly plants that thrive on efficient water use! Here are a few very basic principles of eco-smart landscaping for your garden:
1. Select plants for your region and local situation. Dry areas are perfect for less-than-thirsty plants. Match moisture lovers to low spots, swales and dry creek / storm water runoff areas. Consider turf as an accent for your garden. Treat it like a plant, chose the best type of grass, grow it well and mow it at a height that supports and cools good deep roots- For most grasses, that means setting your mower high as possible, to at the least 3” high.
2. Group plants carefully and consider trees, shrubs, ground covers, perennials and annuals for your garden. Learn about what grows together naturally in the same or similar plant communities and be sure they require about the same amount of water.
3. Use water as a resource not a waste product. This means pay attention to your plants need for water instead of by timers or calendars. Plants in flowers require more water than when they are not flowering. Water stress reduces flowering! Always monitor your water application to avoid runoff and overspray. Better to turn off too soon than to overwater!
4. Loosen your soil. Routinely cultivate it, incorporating reasonable amounts of organic matter such as compost. Annually! Doing so improves the soil’s ability to resist evaporation and retain moisture. Be careful when aerating heavy or compacted soil around trees!
5. Mulch. A maximum of two- to three -inch layer of mulch evens out temperature extremes, keep soil cool on hot days and warm on cool days. It needs raking and fluffing monthly to prevent crusting, this allows better air and water penetration. Take a cue from nature and choose one of many organic mulches that add great visual texture to your landscape, such as shredded bark or chips, wood grindings, or compost. Even low-growing ground cover can be used but remember-it doesn’t know your limits! You set the the boundaries! Inorganic mulches, such as gravel or rock, especially with barrier cloth create pearched water situations, compact the soil and hold heat. Ocassionally gravel is appropriate for use with plants susceptible to crown rot.
6. PLANT TREES! Trees help to lower air and soil temperatures, reducing plant and soil moisture loss. They do drink a lot of water- but they give back to the environment so much more!
Join me at Oma’s Barn April 7th for First of my Walk and Talk-Bloom and Groom Sereis- call for Lisa for details- it is free and everyone is welcome!
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