prompter: How to make a garden more drought-resistant?

assistant: Here are some tips to make your garden more drought resistant: 

1. Mix compost into your plant soil. This increases the soil’s capacity to hold water and prevent water pooling and root rot as well. 

2. Mulch your plantings. A 5 to 8cm layer of organic mulch shades the soil and slows evaporation. 

3. Choose plants that tolerate drought and a wide range of temperatures. Plants that are native to particular regions require less moisture and can help make life easier for stressed wildlife

4. Minimize and drought-proof your container plantings, as these requires more water than ground plants. 

5. Cut down on mowing and fertilizing. Mow during the coolest part of the day and leave the clippings on the ground as compost.

6. Reduce your lawn as it consumes a large amount of water and consider drought resistant landscaping instead.

7. Use conserving watering equipment. Watering cans, soaker hoses and drip systems minimize evaporation by sending water directly to the soil instead of spraying it into the air. 

8. Water your plants early in the morning, since water doesn’t evaporate as readily in cooler morning temperatures as it does in the heat of the afternoon. You can do it in the evenings, too, but water sitting on leaves overnight may cause fungal diseases.

9. Water less frequently but deeply. Frequent, shallow watering leads to weak, shallow-rooted plants; Less frequent, thorough watering encourages roots to grow deeper.

10. Put off major planting projects until after severe droughts, since newly established plants tend to require a lot of irrigation.

assistant: One way to make your garden more drought-resistant is to use conservation strategies such as mulching, reducing water evaporation, and planting drought-resistant plants that require less water.

1. Use mulch: Add a layer of mulch to your garden to help retain moisture in the soil and reduce water evaporation. This can be done by using mulch materials like hay, straw, leaves, or bark chips.
2. Reduce water evaporation: Use a drip irrigation system that slowly releases water directly to the roots of your plants. Avoid using overhead sprinklers that can waste water through evaporation.
3. Plant drought-resistant plants: Choose plants that need less water and choose plants that are appropriate for your climate. Plant trees, shrubs or groundcovers that create shade to reduce evaporation.
4. Use rainwater harvesting: Collect rainwater by using a rain barrel or cistern and use it to water your plants when they need it.
5. Monitor soil moisture: Check your soil moisture every week and only water your plants when the soil is dry.
6. Avoid watering during peak sunlight: Water your plants early in the morning or late afternoon to reduce water evaporation.

assistant: Making a garden more drought resistant requires decreasing the amount of water required to maintain it. Some ways to help achieve this are:

* As lawn takes a large amount of water to maintain, reduce the lawn area or replace it completely with synthetic turf
* Design water smart slopes so water runs towards plants
* Plant native trees and plants as these will be best suited to your local climate
* Use permeable hardscape elements such as gravel to reduce the area planted and prevent water run off
* Plant densely to protect the soil from the sun, reducing evaporation