WATER-SMART GARDENING WITH OHIO NATIVES

As the cool days of spring subside, sweltering summer heat quickly takes command, leaving many of us with dry soils and thirsty plants.  Most of us spend more time watering our lawns and gardens than actually enjoying them.  Of all the water in the universe, the usable portion is less than 1% of the total amount.  If you are ready to save time, money and reduce your lawn and gardens watering needs, xeriscaping is the solution.  The term  ‘xeriscape’ was coined by the Denver Colorado Water Department to describe the gardening style that requires the least water consumption.  The thought was that if gardeners used drought tolerant plants, less irrigation would be in order.  Ohio may not be as hot or dry a Denver, but our soils still get parched enough to consider xeriscape as an alternative to high water maintenance lawns and gardens.

Ohio native trees, shrubs and perennials are often overlooked for those difficult and dry areas of our yards.  Because many of our native Ohio plants have adapted to the climate and soils of our area, they should be considered when you are selecting ornamental landscape plants for your yard and gardens.  There are many drought tolerant Ohio native plants for sun or shade, and should be selected according to their ability to withstand the many sun and soil conditions for each potential location. Even the most drought tolerant plants need to be watered until their root systems have established, which could be as much as a year.  Many of our native plants cater to bird and beneficial insects as a source for food and habitat.  Also, most of our native plants are resistant to serious pest insect and disease issues, so chemical pesticides are never needed.  Marvin’s Organic Gardens carries a large inventory of drought tolerant native Ohio trees, shrubs and perennials and seed mixes for all your gardening spots.

You may already be practicing some xeriscape methods without even knowing it.  Mulching ones garden plants could reduce watering needs by as much as 80%.  Pine straw, pine bark or shredded hardwood mulch all help to keep the moisture in the soil and the weeds out.  Also, by amending landscape beds with compost, we can lessen our plants water needs.  Compost helps to not only create better drainage in our clay bound soils, but also to regulate soil moisture so that plant roots can more affectively absorb water and nutrients.  Water deep, but infrequently.  Roots chase water, so if we irrigate once per week in the spring for thirty minutes to an hour, roots systems go deep into the soil.  When using a sprinkler, 1” of water per week is best for most lawns and gardens.  Plant a rain gauge nearby and count the time it takes to fill to 1”.   If we sprinkle coat our lawns and gardens, roots become shallow and susceptible to drought.

Tired of watering hungry lawns?  Remove your lawn and seed or plant a true Ohio native prairie.  Once established, prairie gardens are easy to care for and display year-round interest.  The best part is that the prairie requires only one cutting per year in the early spring.  The prairie garden attracts a host of beneficial birds, butterflies and friendly mammals, and looks terrific during the driest parts of the year.  Smaller lawn areas and larger sweeps of native prairie wildflowers and grasses also work well to choke out weed competition.  What better garden style, than one which thrives on neglect?