Landscape Designing

LANDSCAPE DESIGNING FRMT 325 Cr. Hr. 3(1+2)

Lesson 14:Landscape Resources: Water And Climate

Water requirement of plants

• Water in plants is needed for nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, cell formation, cell elongation and transpiration.
• High temperature and low humidity cause plants to give off (transpire) huge quantities of water into the air, creating a drain on soil reserves.
• Enormous amount of water is released to the air by plants through transpiration. Therefore, the amount of soil moisture present in any soil is of vital importance for plant growth.
• Plants need water table at an optimum depth and too close or deep water tables are bad for plant growth.
• The shortage of soil moisture can be supplemented by timely irrigation, mulching and crop planning.
• The plants should be watered at least twice daily during summer. Mist or sprinkler irrigation is the best.
• The watering schedule in a day should be timed in such a way as to leave sufficient time for the water to evaporate so that the plants are not damp during night hours.
• The quality of water is also important. It should be preferably free from dissolved salts.
• The optimum pH of water is between 5.5 and 6.0.
• Deep watering saves both time and money.
• Water applied to only the top inch or two of soil is wasted because it evaporates before the plants can use it.
• Roots will penetrate deeply into moist soil.
• Top growth depends on a continuous supply of deep water to promote strong supporting roots, especially important for trees in windy regions.
• Light watering results in shallow root systems.
• Sandy soil dries out at least three times faster than clay and twice as fast as loam.
• Adding organic matter improves the filth of the soil. It binds sandy soils for better water retention, and opens up clay and heavy loam soils for better penetration by water and air.
• Mulches also save soil moisture.
• Weeds in the garden steal water and plant food from the soil.
• Prevailing winds injure a garden by increasing soil water evaporation and plant transpiration