Drought Tolerant Vegetable Options
Contributed by Jolene Ottosen for the Chaparral Green Thumbs
As you may have noticed from my last few articles, water conservation in gardening is something that interests me. In part, this is inspired by the recent drought we have been facing and the city’s request for voluntary water restrictions, but I already have a history of inconsistent watering, so I am always on the lookout for hardy plants that suit my habits.
If you search online for drought-tolerant vegetables, one common piece of advice you will find is to plant perennial vegetables. More established plants will have a deeper root system that is better able to withstand drought. That is sensible advice. I have a rhubarb plant that my father dug out of a pasture, and it is sitting in the driest and sunniest part of my yard, where it thrives despite the fact that I hardly ever water it. However, there are only so many perennial vegetables that can survive our harsh winters. When we moved into this house, even though the yard was somewhat neglected, a patch of walking onions, also known as Egyptian onions, was flourishing. With these two examples in mind, I started looking for more options. While there is not a huge selection in this category, here are other options that can handle our zone four climate and are fairly drought tolerant:
• Asparagus – once established
• Chives
• Horseradish
• Lovage
• Sunchokes or Jerusalem artichokes – a note of caution: in some zones, these can start to take over, so grow with caution.
• Ostrich fern fiddleheads – these are toxic if eaten raw but safe when cooked.
• Garlic – this is generally planted annually, but as it is planted in the fall, it is well established by the spring and doesn’t need a lot of attention.
• Daylilies – in Asia, the buds are used similarly to green beans, and the flowers are added to salads.
Looking at annual vegetables, beans are often recommended because they do not have high water needs once established, and their root systems pull nitrogen from the air into the soil, potentially allowing other plants to access it. Other suggestions are:
• Potatoes – their slow growth allows them to be more forgiving of dry spells, and their fall harvest allows them to catch up on water during cooler times.
• Swiss chard
• Beets
• Carrots – some varieties have lower water needs, check packaging
• Eggplant
• Peppers
• Mustard greens
If you don’t want to limit your garden to just the above suggestions, there are other things you can do to support your soil’s ability to retain moisture. First is to till or turn the soil as little as possible. While it can be quite satisfying to work up a large patch of soil and can help to manage weeds by exposing the roots, this also breaks up the soil structure, which helps it hold moisture. Try to disturb the soil only enough to plant and leave the rest. I also always recommend mulch as a way to protect the soil from drying heat and to inhibit weeds. Possible mulch materials are herbicide-free grass clippings, herbicide-free straw or hay, leaves, as well as other vegetation clippings.
Growing plants close together can also help them get the water they need. Think of the Iroquois traditional practice of growing the “three sisters”: beans, corn, and squash together. Not only do these plants form a symbiotic relationship providing nutrients, shade, and vertical support for each other, their close proximity reduces the chance of moisture leaching away in the soil. So, consider planting in groups rather than rows. Also, while raised beds do not have the deep-water reserves that deeply rooted plants can access, the water given is better contained and cannot run away.
While the need for water while gardening is unavoidable, especially during seed germination or the establishment of transplants, there are steps we can take to minimize this need later in the season. Adopting some of these ideas might help you to conserve water as well as save you time and money.
Happy gardening!
If you are interested in more information about our garden email us at [email protected].
Click here to the Chaparral Community News home page for the latest Chaparral community updates.
