WHY DEEP WATER?

Let’s lay out the contrast between surface and root zone watering, and examine how differently plants respond to each. Surface watering encourages shallow roots that dry out in summer and freeze in winter. Without deep root systems, plants are more likely to topple in winds, suffer in droughts, and will never perform like well-rooted plants. Since water dries out much more quickly at the surface of the ground, plants depend on constant care in order to stay alive. Weeds love surface water. This all adds up to weaker plants and a lot less vacation time. 

On the other hand, desert plants are hard-wired for deep watering. Even in summer deeply rooted plants can go weeks without water. A well developed root system gives plants that have been reduced to the ground by an herbivore or a freeze a much better shot at coming back in spring. Since water is held underground for longer, less is needed. Cha-ching! If you’ve been surface watering, retraining roots to search out underground water may take a few months but the benefits pay off quickly. Check out our Deep Watering Video!

DEEP ROOTS/INFREQUENT RAINS JUNCTION

Desert plants are happiest at the junction of Deep Roots and Infrequent Rains, having evolved to wait for long soaks that put moisture below ground where it dries out slowly. There’s a garden practice called ‘benign neglect’, which holds that the best and easiest way to care for a plant is to let its inherent traits take over by recreating its natural conditions then sitting back and enjoying watching it do its thing. 

In order to get water down to roots, slow watering is key. Just like we chew food bite by bite, soil needs processing time to absorb moisture. A quickly formed brimming well won’t penetrate effectively and an impatient deluge can flush oxygen and nutrients out of topsoil, away from plants. Other than that, there are as many good methods for deep watering as there are practitioners and we’re sharing a few of ours here. 

WATER AND BIODIVERSITY IN YOUR GARDEN

Watering in the desert means providing for plants AND wildlife. Offer wildlife a small pond or even a shallow pan of water, especially if you have a pool. Be sure that any critter ponds have sloped sides or rocks and escape ramps to prevent baby birds and other small animals from drowning. Putting out a little water helps reduce chewed hoses and plants.