Rain and cool weather is a surprise for July which reminds us how unpredictable weather can be.
Rain is normally a rare resource in July making this is a good time to consider how you can best leverage every drop.
The keys to optimizing rainfall include slowing the flow, soaking it in and saving it, all which help you save money.
Pull weeds, sow seeds and mulch
Rain-soaked soil makes weed pulling easy. It is also the perfect medium for seeding. Plant vegetable seeds like pumpkin, okra, peas and sweet corn, or flowers like marigolds and sunflowers.
Conserve moisture and slow its evaporation by spreading a 2–3-inch layer of mulch around trees, shrubs, and flowers.
Slow the flow and soak it in
If rainwater flows quickly off your lawn or puddles in inconvenient places, you are not benefiting from it. And those powerful currents and standing water can erode topsoil and kill your lawn.
Luckily there are strategies to slow the flow and direct rainwater where it can benefit your garden.
- Redirect rain flow with a dry creek bed, swale or French drain, all which steer water away from foundations, protect top soil and root systems, and move water slowly through your landscape.
- Rain gardens are shallow depressions which can collect rainwater and slowly soak it into the soil. Filled with water loving plants and natives, like milkweed, rain gardens are attractive, improve water quality and reduce flooding.
- Permeable pavers are a great way to create patios, driveways or walkways that actually collect water instead of allowing it to run off.
Save it for a non-rainy day
Our ancestors always collected rainwater and installing a rain barrel to a downspout is easy way to capture gallons of chlorine-free water for your garden. Simply add a soaker hose to your rain barrel and you have days of free water at the twist of the spigot.
