For your garden, staying alive is a challenge in the heat of July, especially in this year’s early heat and water-challenged environment. In Western Washington, we are less impacted by the snowpack, which, at the time of writing, is a mere nine percent of normal. Nevertheless, water restrictions are inevitable.

Not only do we need to be water-wise, but we also need to tailor our plant feeding and other gardening activities to the heat. Here are some tips to keep your garden and houseplants thriving through the glorious Pacific Northwest summer.

Water deeply but less often. If you water thoroughly, roots will develop deep systems and seek groundwater, requiring less frequent watering. Shallow roots absorb less, need more frequent watering, and provide less physical support for the plant. Don’t wait for plants to droop or yellow before breaking out the hose or watering can—some plants won’t recover.

Give your lawn an inch of water. How can you tell when it’s an inch? Every sprinkler and home has different water pressure. Place a broad pan in the yard and time how long it takes to accumulate an inch, or use a rain gauge if you have one. This constitutes deep watering for a lawn.

Enjoy the harvest. It’s prime time to savor your garden. This month, veggies will astonish you with their rapid growth. Peek under those broad squash leaves and pick the zucchini often. Don’t allow fruit and berries to rot on trees or vines—this creates stress and sometimes disease in the garden. Cut flowers at their peak to make and share bouquets. Many varieties, such as roses, will bloom again and again.

Dead leaves and twigs should be removed so that water goes to healthy plant tissue. Deadhead spent flowers.

Use water-conserving methods. Water plants at ground level and avoid wetting leaves—water evaporation can cause damage. Plants drink from their roots. Ideally, a drip irrigation system that delivers water below plant foliage is best because it uses less water and places it directly where it is needed.

Don’t water mid-day. Choose early morning or later in the evening to water. Mid-day watering invites evaporative water loss and adds to the high daytime demand on city water systems.

Moderate plant feeding. Compost and organic fertilizers can be used during this rapid growth period. Be certain to use them exactly according to the manufacturer’s directions. A word of caution: do not feed plants unless you can also water in the nutrients. Overfeeding is just as detrimental, if not more so, than underfeeding. Failure to properly water in nutrients can cause chemical burns to foliage, potentially reducing productivity or killing a plant.

Plan vacation care for houseplants. Outdoor sprinklers or irrigation systems can be set to run on a timer. Houseplants are likely to suffer from a closed house for a week or longer. What can you do if you don’t have someone to stop by to care for your plants? Many of the same principles apply indoors. Potted plants need thorough watering to stimulate deep roots. You can tell a plant needs water if the pot is too light when you pick it up or if the soil is dry when you poke a finger an inch into the soil.

Potted plants that dry out too quickly may need a bigger pot. If possible, tip them out to see if they are root-bound. The roots will have grown to the outside of the soil ball and encircled it repeatedly. Repot to a container at least three to four inches larger in diameter. Be sure to loosen the roots from their circular pattern. New soil should come to an inch below the rim. When watering, fill the pot almost to the rim and let it soak through twice. About a tenth of the water should run out the hole in the bottom.

One technique for leaving houseplants on their own for extended periods is to first thoroughly water them, then take them to the bathtub. Protect the bottom of the tub with a plastic mat before filling it with about an inch of cool water. Place the plants in the tub. It’s important that the plants be watered first so they can wick moisture upwards as needed—dry soil can’t do that.

Hotter, earlier summers might start you thinking about what to do in the future. Now is not the time to start a new garden or make big changes. July’s sweltering, dry weather is not a good time to establish new plants. Wait until September to plant winter crops, shrubs, or trees. Focus on keeping what you have alive.

You could, for the sake of water conservation, elect to let your lawn go dormant over the summer months. Simply don’t water it. The grass will turn brown, but in the fall, it will turn green again when the rain returns. This is a common natural yard care technique.

In southern climates, xeriscaping—a gardening practice that uses very little water—is popular. It can also be adapted for our area. The technique uses porous hardscapes such as gravel and drought-resistant plants. Here, it’s also necessary that the plants be able to tolerate large amounts of rain.

Rain gardens are the answer. These highly specialized gardens feature catchment areas for large amounts of water and plants that thrive in both rainy and dry seasons. For more information on rain gardens, classes, and local incentives, contact resident expert Philomena Kedziorski, who runs the Rain Garden Program for Washington State Extension at McCollum Park. (p.kedziorski@wsu.edu)

To see drip irrigation in action, visit the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden at Jennings Park, 8915 Amar Road, Marysville, WA 98270. It is wonderfully eclectic, featuring themed gardens including a Children’s Garden, Best Picks Garden, Vertical Gardens, and many others.

For more information on drip irrigation, contact the MG hotline: (425) 357-6010.