Everybody strives to improve our survival skills and be more resilient in our daily lives. This could be achieved by eating healthy, exercising, or learning new skills that can help you get a job. Plants, like all living things, want to survive. Why is it that dry spells can cause plants to suffer?
If the plant can grow here, logic would dictate that it will be able survive there. If you water your plants regularly by hand or have an automatic irrigation system, shouldn’t they be happy?
This logic may not be universally accepted, but it does not mean that this is a difficult problem. To enjoy better plant performance, think less about your plants and more about the soil. This is the other half your plant’s environment.
It’s like this: When you eat junk food, drink too much caffeine, and ingest junk food, how does that affect your mood the next day? You’ll feel thirsty. Re-hydration is the best way to cleanse and replenish your body. You will feel more hydrated if you eat lots fresh fruits and vegetables.
Okay, now stay with me…
Plants do not have digestive tracts. The SOIL is the plant’s DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. It’s where nutrients and water are stored and processed to allow the plant to grow strong and resilient in difficult times. It can’t support healthy growth or resilience in times of stress, such as a hot and dry summer, if it is dry, drained, devoid of biology (the critters who do the digestion), and/or buried with mulch. It won’t. It’s not SOIL. That’s DIRT.