Strategies to Beat the Heat -- and Drought -- of the Long, Scorching Summer

Proper watering begins with common sense. First, make sure the supplemental water is needed. The best way to find out is to stick your finger in the soil and see if roots are moist. If you don't want to get dirt under your nails, try a moisture meter, which is available at garden and home-improvement centers. Different areas of your garden will have different drainage patterns, so you might not need to water everywhere. A rain gauge can also be helpful because the exact amount of water that fell on your property can differ from that reported by the weather service.

If you can't feel moisture, irrigate -- but do so efficiently. Don't just sprinkle plants. Provide a soaking, enough to penetrate down and around the roots.

One do-it-yourself method is to punch four or five small holes into the bottom of one-gallon plastic beverage jugs and fill them with water. Set one to five around each plant, depending on its size. Most of the water will drip into the area where the plant can absorb the moisture.

Timing is also important. Water plants in the early morning or early evening, when temperatures are lower and winds are lighter, to minimize evaporation. Foliage should have enough air circulation and daylight for it to dry before dark. A soaking hose is better than a sprinkler. A timed irrigation system is ideal for turf and can even save water.

Drip irrigation, in which a porous hose leaks water slowly into the soil, is preferable, but lawns need to be watered from above with sprinkler heads. Turf can go three weeks to a month without rain. Leave it a little taller when you mow (2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches). Longer blades shade root systems and hold soil moisture. Leave clippings to help hold moisture. And you can cut down on water consumption by reducing the amount of lawn.

If you use movable sprinklers, check them frequently and adjust so that only your lawn or garden is being watered -- not the pavement. Direct downspouts and other runoff sources toward shrubs and trees. Use a rain barrel under downspouts to collect water. For a selection of rain barrels available via the Internet, check http://www.rainbarrelsandmore.com, http://www.gardeners.com or http://www.aquabarrel.com.

Save water by collecting it from other sources and directing it to the garden. Some sources of secondhand household water are air conditioners, dehumidifiers and fish tanks. Use the latter sparingly, as it's high in nitrogen and will encourage growth. Gray water, such as bath, dish and cooking water, can also be used in the garden. Put it on the soil, not on the foliage. Don't use water that contains bleach, detergent or fabric softener.

Weed regularly. Weeds use moisture that could be available to the plants you want.

Joel M. Lerner is president of Environmental Design in Capitol View Park, Md. E-mail or contact him through his Web site, http://www.gardenlerner.com.