Gardeners | Master Gardeners To Host Workshop On Gardening During Drought
HUNTSVILLE – Texas may be drier than it’s been in years, but the Walker County Master Gardeners are demonstrating that, with a little know how, you can still have a vibrant fall garden.
The Master Gardeners will present a free workshop on “Fall Veggies During Drought” at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the council chambers at Huntsville City Hall. The event is sponsored by the Huntsville Public Library, which hosts frequent Master Gardeners workshops for the public.
The workshop will feature techniques and strategies for planting and maintaining a successful fall garden despite a drought. Master Gardeners Mark Short and Butch Maywald will present the workshop, which will focus largely on drip irrigation and mulching techniques to retain moisture.
“Most people, when you talk to them about a garden, they’re going to laugh at you,” Maywald said. “They’re going to say it’s too dry. I have a huge garden at my house and it’s growing like crazy, but I do it with drip irrigation.”
Maywald said his garden consumes only 35 percent of the average amount of water used through typical watering. By watering precisely and ensuring that water goes directly to the roots of the plant, drip irrigation eliminates excessive watering, making it perfect for use during drought conditions.
“Ninety nine percent of that (water used in traditional watering methods) just runs off,” Maywald said. “None of it gets to the roots. When you do drip irrigation, you put it right next to the roots of the plant where it can absorb it.”
Master Gardeners will demonstrate four different drip irrigation systems during the workshop, and also will distribute handouts and tips to allow participants to construct their own systems. Depending on garden size, a drip system can cost less than $100 to construct.
“You’ve got a little bit of initial cost, but then next year you can use the same thing, and the year after that,” Maywald
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