VOA健康报道2022--缺水时如何园艺

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How to Garden During a Water Shortage

Many people try to save water just to do the right thing. But when a serious drought hits, state and local governments enforce restrictions¹. Saving water then becomes non-negotiable.

So far this summer, nearly 65 percent of the United States is experiencing "abnormally dry" weather, the U.S. Drought Monitor reports. Almost 43 percent of those areas are dealing² with "moderate" drought. And nearly 47 percent are dealing with "severe," "extreme," or "exceptional" drought.

That means more than 109 million people are living under drought conditions. And a lot of them have plants or yards to worry about.

Jessica Damiano with the Associated Press has these suggestions for how to keep your garden healthy during periods of dry weather.

Choosing which plants to water

If you are gardening under water restrictions, decide which plants need water the most. Newly planted trees and shrubs³ are high on the priority list. They require regular watering until their roots become established. That process can take a full year.

Older trees -- especially fruit, nut, ornamental⁴, and even evergreens⁵ -- can suffer during drought as well.

Perennial⁶ flowers are those that return year after year. They should be next on the list, along with vegetables in their flowering and fruiting periods.

Melons and squash have deep roots. They can usually get by with less water than crops like corn, which have shallow roots.

Low on the list of priorities should be annuals -- plants that only live for one growing season. Others include crops with high water needs, like beans, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, lettuce⁷, and radishes, as well as plants growing in pots. None will likely survive with the little water that can be offered under forced restrictions.

Watering effectively

Most plants require an average of 2 to 4 centimeters of water each week under normal conditions. That need could increase, however, during periods of extreme heat, when the soil dries out more quickly.

Do not offer your plants their weekly water needs all at once. Divide it over two or three times per week.

Use deeper, less-frequent watering instead of daily sprinkles. That can be wasteful⁸ and ineffective at getting the roots really wet. Watering deeply also establishes stronger, deeper roots that are better able to support plants when surface water becomes less available.

Avoid using overhead sprinklers. They wet the leaves and other areas instead of directing water to plant roots. Instead, place watering devices on the soil directly over roots. Watering cans and hand-held hoses aimed at the soil work, too.

Avoid watering midday when moisture is likely to evaporate before reaching roots.

Consider using recycled household water, also called gray water, to water plants. Unsalted water left over from boiling eggs or vegetables provides extra nutrients⁹. Dish and bath water that is not too soapy will not harm ornamental plants. And water captured while rinsing¹⁰ fruits and vegetables can be used around the garden.

Other suggestions for dry weather gardening

Keep beds and borders free of weeds. Weeds compete with your plants for water and nutrients.

A 7.5-centimeter layer of bark mulch, wood chips, or gravel¹¹ around plants will help prevent weed seeds from taking hold. This layer will help keep the soil cool and moist.

Avoid fertilizing¹² plants during drought. Fertilizers cause fast growth, which increases the need for water. And avoid using weed killers¹³. These can move to other areas in hot weather and are less effective in high temperatures.

Do not plant anything new. And avoid cutting plants, which increases their water needs.

In the future, consider replacing the lawn with native groundcovers. Use large amounts of compost in beds and planting holes to improve water retention¹⁴. Take note of the sun requirements of each of your plants. And use more native plants.

Words in This Story

garden – n. a piece of ground in which fruits, flowers, or vegetables are grown

drought – n. a long period of time during which there is very little or no rain

priority – n. a condition of being more important than other things

shallow – adj. having little depth

sprinkle – n. a light rain

recycled – v. to process (as paper, glass, or cans) in order to regain¹⁵ or reuse materials

hose – n. a flexible tube for carrying fluid

moist – adj. slightly wet

retention – n. : the act of continuing to possess, control, or hold : the power or ability to keep or hold something

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

3 shrubs   

灌木( shrub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gardener spent a complete morning in trimming those two shrubs. 园丁花了整个上午的时间修剪那两处灌木林。
• These shrubs will need more light to produce flowering shoots. 这些灌木需要更多的光照才能抽出开花的新枝。

4 ornamental   

adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物

参考例句：

• The stream was dammed up to form ornamental lakes.溪流用水坝拦挡起来,形成了装饰性的湖泊。
• The ornamental ironwork lends a touch of elegance to the house.铁艺饰件为房子略添雅致。

5 evergreens   

n.常青树，常绿植物，万年青( evergreen的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The leaves of evergreens are often shaped like needles. 常绿植物的叶常是针形的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pine, cedar and spruce are evergreens. 松树、雪松、云杉都是常绿的树。 来自辞典例句

6 perennial   

adj.终年的；长久的

参考例句：

• I wonder at her perennial youthfulness.我对她青春常驻感到惊讶。
• There's a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications.有理科教学资格的老师一直都很短缺。

7 lettuce   

n.莴苣；生菜

参考例句：

• Get some lettuce and tomatoes so I can make a salad.买些莴苣和西红柿，我好做色拉。
• The lettuce is crisp and cold.莴苣松脆爽口。

8 wasteful   

adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的

参考例句：

• It is a shame to be so wasteful.这样浪费太可惜了。
• Duties have been reassigned to avoid wasteful duplication of work.为避免重复劳动浪费资源，任务已经重新分派。

9 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 rinsing   

n.清水，残渣v.漂洗( rinse的现在分词 )；冲洗；用清水漂洗掉（肥皂泡等）；（用清水）冲掉

参考例句：

• Pablo made a swishing noise rinsing wine in his mouth. 巴勃罗用酒漱着口，发出咕噜噜噜的声音。 来自辞典例句
• The absorption of many molecular layers could be reestablished by rinsing the foils with tap water. 多分子层的吸附作用可用自来水淋洗金属箔而重新实现。 来自辞典例句

11 gravel   

n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石

参考例句：

• We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
• More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。

12 fertilizing   

v.施肥( fertilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Sometimes the preliminary step must be taken of reducing weed population before fertilizing. 有时候，在施肥之前，必须采取减少杂草密度的预备性步骤。 来自辞典例句
• The self fertilizing garden can also be planted in raised beds. 自我施肥的菜园也可以在苗圃床中种植。 来自互联网

13 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

14 retention   

n.保留，保持，保持力，记忆力

参考例句：

• They advocate the retention of our nuclear power plants.他们主张保留我们的核电厂。
• His retention of energy at this hour is really surprising.人们惊叹他在这个时候还能保持如此旺盛的精力。

15 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。