Water-wise gardening tips from the 9News Kitchen Garden

<!– –>
• 
  Tweet
  
• 
  –
  A
  A
  A
  +
  

<!–

–>

KUSA – Warmer days and especially warming soil conditions make this a prime weekend for planting warm season vegetables.

Because of the drought, we are using a new planting technique this year in the 9News Kitchen Garden called the “waffle garden.” Instead of planting veggies in long rows, plant seeds and starter plants of the same kind within squares that are dug out to be slightly lower than the rest of the garden.

Within each square, lower the soil about 1-2 inches and then rim the edge of the square with a mound of soil about 3-4 inches high. This technique essentially creates a square saucer that holds water and prevents run-off after watering.

This technique also makes plants slightly denser than row planting. This tighter form of planting shades the soil more than row planting which helps hold in moisture. The shade also deters weeds.

Other tips for a water-wise edible garden:
• After planting, apply mulch around the bases of plants. Bark or even grass clippings from mowing the lawn are good mulches.
• Use drip irrigation. It is the most efficient method of watering all plants other than lawns. It is also gardener friendly because you can simply schedule automatic watering via the irrigation system’s timer.

What to plant
Once the danger of frost has past, get warm season crops in the ground. This year, de-emphasize the more ornamental plants, like pumpkins, and plant more serious edibles such as:
• Tomatoes
• Tomatillos
• Peppers
• Squash varieties
• Brussels sprouts
• Beans and peas
• Rhubarb
• Berries, such as raspberries and strawberries

Growing edibles is a sustainable use of resources when we use water wisely in the process.

Information courtesy Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado – sponsors of the 9News Water Wise Garden and the 9News Kitchen Garden. www.alcc.com

(KUSA-TV © 2013 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)