All of Virginia is experiencing drought conditions, and the majority of the state is under a drought warning from to the state’s Department of Environmental Quality. Governor Abigail Spanberger is asking residents to conserve water. One of the ways to do that is changing how you water your garden.
Dana Acimovic, agriculture expert with Virginia Cooperative Extension, says one of the biggest mistakes she sees people make with their garden is watering in the middle of the day or evening.
“You should go early in the morning and water your plants,” Acimovic suggests. “Also when you water your plant, try to deliver water near to the roots. So don’t just go and spray on the top of the bush.”
Most of the water evaporates if it doesn’t sink deep into the soil. Acimovic recommends making sure the water soaks at least 5 to 6 inches underground. She says if you water your plants deeply, you don’t have to water them as often, so it will conserve water in the long run. It will also encourage plants to grow strong, deep roots, which is better for their health, and will make them more drought tolerant.
Another tip is to make sure you are adding organic material, like compost or mulch, to your soil, which will help retain water.
“You should start mulching your garden,” Acimovic says. “Mulching is really important.”
This year, farmers are also seeing rising costs due to increased oil prices from the war in Iran, and freezing events in March and April. Acimovic says this is one of the worst years she’s seen for farmers across Virginia. Many vineyards, apple orchards and berry growers suffered near total losses earlier this spring due to freezes. Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved disaster assistance for farmers across most of Virginia who lost crops this spring.
This comes after Governor Abigail Spanberger requested disaster assistance for farmers who lost crops during the freezes.
Spanberger estimates the freezes cost farmers between $32 million and $100 million in damaged crops. Freezing events are not unusual, but warmer temperatures in spring caused many grapes and fruits to bud early. When the freezes occurred, most of those early buds were killed.
It’s not clear yet what impact the ongoing drought may have for agricultural businesses.
