Why letting your garden wilt might actually save it
In short: Gardener Jerry Coleby-Williams shares how to maintain a thriving Brisbane garden during extreme heat and drought by using 'cruel' watering techniques and strategic barriers.
To build resilience against heat, Coleby-Williams advocates for watering fruit trees and vegetables on alternate days. While this causes temporary wilting, it encourages plants to develop deeper root systems and prevents the growth of root-rot fungi and nematodes that thrive in consistently wet soil.
Other key strategies include applying mulch up to 5cm deep to insulate soil, using hay bales as windbreaks to reduce water needs by two-thirds, and selecting heat-tolerant species like warrigal greens or purslane. He also utilizes 'seed crops' during extreme dry spells to rejuvenate plants naturally.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Surviving summer: water saving tips to get through a hot and dry weather summer
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