Soils become dry, primarily due to specific soil texture
characteristics or less than normal rainfall. High amounts of sand in
the soil tend to increase drainage and make soils drier than silt
loam soils. Clay loam soils also tend to be very dry and very wet
other times.
Generally, adding organic matter to the soil will help both soil
types overcome dryness. Materials often used for soil amendment
incorporation and mulching include peat moss, bark and composted
products.
Mulching after planting to a depth of at least 2 inches will also
assist in reducing moisture loss from the plants.
Rainfall is unpredictable, as was seen during the summers of 1983,
'84, '87 and '88 in Ohio. Very little rainfall occurred for several
months, and plant materials suffered badly. Many plants wilted and
this was followed by twig and branch dieback. A large number of
plants died, especially viburnum, spruce, and a wide range of plants
that had been planted within the past year that had not become well
established.
When rainfall is below average, landscape plants like turf should be
given supplemental water to prevent dessication injury. Water should
be added to thoroughly moisten the root zone; the amount will vary
depending on size and species of plants. Generally, 1 inch of water
per week should be adequate; however, more will be required if there
has been no rainfall for several weeks and the soil is particularly
dry.
Typically, irrigation is applied with some type of overhead
irrigation or sprinkler system, or by hose. A hose is not usually
sufficient for watering woody plants because the pressure is too high
and a large amount of water is lost through surface run-off. A system
that is effective but not yet used extensively in this part of the
United States is drip or trickle irrigation.
Garden centers have systems that connect to the outside water spigot,
operate on low water pressure and considerably reduce water run-off
or waste. The systems involve laying down plastic lines in the plant
beds with an emitter placed by each tree or shrub. A timer can
operate for a certain time period and automatically turn off the
system.
Trees and Shrubs Most Tolerant of Dry Areas
Trees
- Acer ginnala - Amur maple
- Ailanthus altissima - Tree of Heaven*
- Juniperus species - Juniper species
- Koelreuteria paniculata Golden-rain tree
- Maclura pomifera - Osage-orange*
- Pinus virginiana - Virginia pine
- Populus alba - White Poplar*
- Robinia species - Locust species*
- Sassafras albidum - Sassafras
- Sophora japonica - Japanese pagoda tree
- Ulmus pumila - Siberian elm*
Shrubs
- Berberis species - Barberry
- Caragana species - Pea tree
- Chaenomeles lagenaria - Flowering quince
- Cornus racemosa - Gray dogwood
- Cotinus coggygria - Smoke bush
- Cytissus species - Broom species
- Elaeagnus angustifolia - Russian olive
- Hamamelis virginiana - Common witch-hazel
- Hypericum calycinum - Aaronsbeard St. Johnswort
- Juniperus species - Juniper species
- Kolkwitzia amabilis - Beautybush
- Myrica species - Bayberry species
- Rhamnus species - Buckthorn species
- Rhus species - Sumac species
- Ribes alpinum - Alpine currant
- Rosa rugosa - Rugosa rose
- Rosa setigera - Prairie rose
- Rosa virginiana - Virginia rose
- Tamarix species - Tamarix
- Viburnum lentago - Nannyberry viburnum
- Yucca species - Adam's needle
* Not considered by most horticulturists to be the best tree
selections for various reasons; however, in very dry sites they may
be the only plants that thrive.
NOTE: Disclaimer - This publication may contain pesticide
recommendations that are subject to change at any time. These
recommendations are provided only as a guide. It is always the
pesticide applicator's responsibility, by law, to read and follow all
current label directions for the specific pesticide being used. Due
to constantly changing labels and product registrations, some of the
recommendations given in this writing may no longer be legal by the
time you read them. If any information in these recommendations
disagrees with the label, the recommendation must be disregarded. No
endorsement is intended for products mentioned, nor is criticism
meant for products not mentioned. The author and Ohio State
University Extension assume no liability resulting from the use of
these recommendations.
-----------------
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension
are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard
to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin,
gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Adm. and
Director, OSU Extension.
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868
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