Growing plants in the desert is challenging all the way
around; from the heat to cold to minimal rainfall, getting plants to thrive can
be frustrating. If you are puzzled as to how to tell if you are over or under watering
your landscaping in the desert southwest, here are some guidelines.
It is frustrating to try and figure out what your plants
want, as by the time they show symptoms in many cases, it’s too late to save
the plant. Do not wait too long, however, or you may lose most of your plants.
Under and over watering symptoms often overlap, creating
even more frustration. Evaluating symptoms carefully, however, will guide you
in the right direction.
Under watering symptoms include loss of plant vigor,
wilting, yellow leaves, leaf curling or drop, pest attack, stem and branch
dieback and eventual death. Over watering symptoms include leaves yellowing,
leaves smaller than normal, chlorosis (both iron and nitrogen), slow decline,
soil-borne pathogens, and eventual death.
If your home was built within the past few years, chances
are pretty good your irrigation timer is set for initial planting. After the
first few months, the irrigation system should have been rescheduled. In this
case, almost guaranteed your plants are being over watered. If you are a minimalist
and either don’t have an irrigation system or try to water by hand, chances are
pretty good you are not watering enough or deep enough.
Although desert plants are drought and low water
specialists, most do need some periodic irrigation to look their best. Just
don’t kill them with kindness (water).
