Keeping our plants alive during drought in Puerto Rico

It has been a long time ago since the last time I wrote but now it is necessary to write about how to manage our plants and gardens during drought.  The last time it rains in Puerto Rico was a month ago. May is supposed to be one of our wettest months and marks the start of our raining season in Puerto Rico.


The Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority has communicated the people that they will be rationing the water due to the rate that the water is evaporating from our water reserves and dams.

 

 

In order to keep alive our plants in our gardens and farms, it is necessary to take some steps:

Water Your Garden. 
To stay healthy, most garden plants like about an inch of moisture per week. In most cases, it's better to apply the water weekly or every other week. It's a bit of a waste to give your plants less water more frequently: Doing so discourages the roots from growing as deeply into the soil (where it stays moister longer) as they can, and it's also inefficient as more water is lost to evaporation.
Apply Mulch. A 2- to 3-inch-deep layer of mulch over the soil can do wonders: It keeps the soil cooler and shields the ground from direct sun. The benefit is that moisture stays in the soil longer, where it's more available to your garden plants.  Run a soaker hose underneath your mulch to maximize water savings: Water will be delivered directly to the ground (reducing evaporation) and slowly (reducing water loss to runoff). It will also keep plant foliage dry, which helps prevent many common fungal diseases such as black spot on roses.
Stop Fertilizing.
If you apply fertilizers (organic or synthetic), it's helpful to stop at the onset of a drought. Fertilizers encourage plant growth; the more a plant grows, the more moisture it needs. If fertilizer salts build up in your soil because they're not naturally leaching out with rain or irrigation, they can build up and burn plant roots, causing further damage.

Pull Weeds. It might not be fun at the best of times, but getting those weeds out of the garden is especially important during drought. The reason: Weeds' roots steal valuable moisture from the soil.
Deadhead Your Flowers.
Removing spent blooms before they have a chance to set seed saves energy for your plants: They don't need to put extra energy (which they need water for) into producing seeds.

Water your plants at night
Always water your plant during the night. The water remains more time in the soil and does not evaporate as fast as during the day. This way your plant absorbs the moisture and the soil remains wet longer.