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Published on
Saturday, August 29, 2026
We
were out walking in the rain this morning,
which is not as odd as it sounds.
After
all, this is the rainy season.
El
Niño plays havoc with weather systems. We
have had 4 days straight now with some
sort of rain. It has
even been moderately heavy at times.
Another
odd thing is that it happens at unusual
times. Two in
the afternoon, and we
get a sudden rain that lasts for 20
minutes and disappears. It’s
hard to plan a pool party when the weather
is uncertain.
On the other hand, there is nothing like a nice daily rain to keep the plants happy. We have no water restrictions here, but I still feel guilty when I water the wilting plants.
So, for those of
you with no rain, mostly in the
Guanacaste zone, here is some advice. Top dress all your
plants. Top dressing, or
surface mulching, was a lot easier in
the U.S. when Lowe's was just two
miles away, and you could buy by the bag. Of course, my
favorite way to top dress was to go into
the woods with a hatchet and bags and
chop up a decayed tree trunk. That stuff was perfect. Well-rotted, chunked by the
hatchet, and just ready to spread around
my plants. A couple sheets of
newspaper or a piece of landscaper’s fabric under it
to keep the weeds down and water
retention was assured. Try Hugelkultur. This German method for
water retention starts before you put in
your first plant. It involves digging
a hole and burying logs (my guess would
be partly rotted ones), wood, and other
natural debris. The hole is then
backfilled and planted. The buried material
holds moisture that might otherwise run
off, and the decay products provide
natural fertilizer. For more info, watch
the " Understanding
Hugelkultur, How and Why to Do It" video on YouTube. Drip irrigation
will minimize water usage, and systems
can be found at any number of hardware
stores. If you use a drip
system or water with a hose, evening is
the best time to do so.
Your biggest “no-no” during drought is
using stones even though you hear them
suggested. Yes, water runs
through stones to the plant roots, but
during a drought, you are getting a lot
more sun than rain, and stones hold heat. Use stones, and you
are actually cooking those poor plant
roots. No-no. Pull them out and try
something else.
Thick,
hairy stems and leaves shed water
quickly.
This
reduces the risk of powdery mildew and
downy mildew.
The
aggressive, sprawling root system
absorbs oxygen efficiently, even in
waterlogged or compacted clay soils.
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