Watering Your Garden in a Drought: The Guide
To water your garden during a drought, water early in the morning or in the evening, less often but deeply, and keep the water for the plants that really need it: young plantings, recently planted trees and the vegetable patch. The rest of the garden is protected by mulching, a higher mowing height and well-chosen, adapted plants. In dry summers the authorities may also impose restrictions, in which case you need to follow the instructions of the canton and your commune.
Watering at the Right Time and in the Right Way
Water applied in full sun largely evaporates before it reaches the roots, and hot soil absorbs it poorly. Two time slots are best:
- early in the morning: the soil is cool, the wind is generally light, and the foliage has time to dry during the day;
- in the evening, once the heat has eased: the water benefits the soil all night, with the drawback that foliage stays damp for longer, which can encourage certain diseases.
The most useful principle fits in one sentence: it is better to water less often, but generously. Light daily watering only wets the surface, and the roots stay near the top, where the soil dries out fastest. Generous watering, spaced several days apart, pushes the water deep and encourages the roots to go down, where the soil stays cool for longer.
A few simple habits:
- water at the base of the plants, directly onto the soil, rather than over the foliage;
- let the water soak in slowly, in several passes if the soil is hard or sloping;
- check moisture with your fingers: if the soil is still cool a few centimetres down, there is no need to water;
- avoid watering “out of habit”: it is the state of the soil that decides, not the calendar.
Protecting the Soil to Reduce Watering
The best watering is the one you do not need to do. A covered, well-kept soil loses far less water.
Mulching is the most effective step. A layer of straw, chipped branches, dried grass clippings or bark laid around the base of beds, shrubs and trees limits evaporation, keeps the soil cool and holds back weeds, which compete with your plants for water. Renew the layer when it settles, without pressing it against the trunks.
Hoeing breaks the crust that forms on the surface of dry soil and helps water soak in rather than run off. Weeding regularly works in the same direction.
Adding organic matter (well-rotted compost) improves the soil’s ability to hold water, which matters particularly in soils that dry out quickly.
The Lawn: Accept That It Will Turn Yellow
A lawn that turns yellow in midsummer is not necessarily dead. Many lawns go dormant when water is short and recover when the rains return, often at the end of summer or in autumn. Trying to keep it evenly green throughout a drought takes a lot of water for a questionable result.
To get it through in good condition:
- raise the cutting height: longer grass shades the soil and holds moisture better;
- mow less often when growth slows down, and never during the hottest hours;
- leave fine clippings in place if they are dry and thin: they act as a light mulch;
- limit foot traffic on a stressed lawn;
- if you do water, do it rarely and generously rather than in small touches.
A truly damaged lawn can be patched or resown at the right time of year. Our page on lawn mowing and care covers these tasks in detail.
Giving Priority to What Needs Water Most
In a drought, you cannot water everything to the same extent. A simple order of priority helps you decide:
| Plants | Need | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Young plantings and recently planted trees | Priority | Their roots have not yet explored the soil in depth |
| Vegetable patch, potted plants and planters | High | Little soil reserve, directly dependent on watering |
| Recent hedges | High | Same vulnerability as young trees during the first seasons |
| Well-established trees and shrubs | Moderate | Deep roots; generous, infrequent watering is enough in a severe drought |
| Lawn | Low | Can go dormant and recovers afterwards |
For a recently planted tree, slow watering at the base, repeated at spaced intervals, is better than small, frequent amounts. Freshly planted hedges need the same attention: our guide to the privacy hedge and its plant species helps you choose species suited to your plot.
Collecting Rainwater and Choosing Suitable Plants
A tank or barrel connected to a downpipe lets you store water from rainy spells and use it when the weather is dry. This water, naturally free of limescale, suits plants well. Provide a lid and a draw-off tap, and check what the rules of your condominium (PPE) or property management company allow for the installation.
In the long term, the choice of plants makes a big difference. Drought-tolerant plants (for example Mediterranean herbs, grasses, and many perennials with grey or thick leaves) need little water once established. Grouping plants according to their needs avoids watering a whole bed for a few thirsty specimens. This is a point to build in from the start of garden creation or when redesigning a garden.
Automatic Irrigation: Drip Lines, Programming and Sensors
A well-designed automatic irrigation system delivers water to the right place at the right time, with no omissions or excess. The elements that matter:
- drip irrigation for beds, hedges, trees and vegetable patches: the water arrives at the base, with very little loss through evaporation;
- programming to water at dawn or in the evening, by zone, with durations adjusted to each area;
- a moisture or rain sensor that pauses watering when the soil is damp enough: the system no longer runs needlessly after a storm;
- separate zones for the lawn, beds and trees, whose needs differ.
A badly set system wastes as much as careless manual watering: it should be checked in spring, adjusted during the season and drained before winter. To find out more, see our page on automatic irrigation. Seasonal follow-up is also part of garden maintenance.
In Geneva: What Changes
The climate of the Lake Geneva basin alternates hot, sometimes dry summers with thunderstorms that run off more than they soak in. The bise, a dry and steady wind, dries out soil and foliage much faster than you might imagine, especially in exposed gardens. In areas with clay soils, the ground cracks in dry spells and water penetrates poorly: slow watering, hoeing and mulching are particularly useful there.
Above all, during a drought the authorities may decide on restrictions, for example on water abstraction from watercourses. Before watering with water drawn from a river or stream, find out about the rules in force from the canton and your commune, and follow them.
Depending on your situation, more specific advice can be found on our commune pages, for example Cologny, Carouge or Versoix. To plan work through the year, the Geneva garden calendar shows you the right times.
Calling on a Landscape Gardener
If you want to install an irrigation system, rethink your beds with more drought-tolerant plants or have your garden looked after over the summer, a landscape gardener will visit to look at the exposure, the soil and your needs. The quote is free and without obligation, and you are contacted within 24 hours of your request. You can request a quote by simply describing your project.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time should I water the garden during a drought?
As early as possible in the morning, or in the evening once the heat has eased. At these times evaporation is lower and the water genuinely benefits the roots. Avoid the middle of the day, when much of the water is lost.
Should I water the lawn when it turns yellow?
Not necessarily. Many lawns go dormant during a drought and turn green again when the rain returns. Instead, raise the mowing height and keep the water for young plantings. If you do water, do it rarely but generously.
How many times a week should I water?
There is no universal rhythm: it depends on the soil, the exposure, the plant and the weather. Check the soil moisture a few centimetres down and water generously when it is dry, rather than in small amounts every day.
Is mulching really useful against drought?
Yes, it is one of the most effective steps. It limits evaporation, keeps the soil cool and reduces competition from weeds. A regular layer, kept clear of the trunks, noticeably reduces the need to water.
Can I water with water from a stream or pond?
It depends on the rules in force, which may be restricted during a drought. Check with the canton and your commune before any abstraction, and respect the posted instructions.