Verdant View - May 2026 - El Ojo del Lago

Liliana in the Garden
Photo by Francisco Nava

Small Steps, Big Impact: Actionable advice for a positive environmental effect.

My carbon-lean lifestyle fits me well and makes me feel good. Several studies have shown that most actions that lower our environmental impact make us more happy, not less. Having the feeling that we’re contributing to something bigger and more important than ourselves can be psychologically powerful. A study published in 2024 confirmed that there can be a strong connection between sustainable behaviors and mental well-being.

Watering Methods

One thing we know here in the Ribera de Chapala is that the month of May is hot! We anticipate the rains to start mid-June, so until then your plants will need extra watering and protection. Container plants and hanging baskets may need daily watering now that they have established themselves and the temperatures have risen. Some plants may need to be relocated to a shadier location where the brutal direct sun is tempered with shade. Water perennial plants, vegetables and shrubs thoroughly and allow the plants to dry adequately between watering.

The garden will definitely need irrigation, so start applying water either by hand or via soaker hoses, drip irrigation, or an overhead sprinkler. Each method differs in how it moistens the soil surrounding the plant, and consequently different plants do best with different modes.

By hand works best when a plant needs individual attention, like filling the basin around a tomato plant.

A soaker hose that weeps along its entire length (rather than through holes placed every 12 inches) can be laid about nine inches apart throughout and around the plants so the entire bed is evenly moistened. This is ideal for closely planted vegetable beds.

Drip irrigation can be applied to individual plants that grow several feet from other plants. Be sure to use the appropriate head that will moisten the soil completely around the plant. One great fault with this method is for the head to provide water only directly onto the center or stem of the plant alone and leave the rest of the root zone dry.

An overhead sprinkler is ideal for grass. The problem with its use for perennials or other ornamentals is that once they grow larger after a year or two, chances are the sprinkler spray will be blocked for any longer-distance plant.

Depth and Frequency

Depth of watering is consistent year-round depending on the individual plants – however much is necessary to reach just below the full root zone. For grass, this is six inches. For most ornamentals, this is 12 inches. For many vegetables this is also 12 inches. For tomatoes it can be three feet. For trees it’s 18 to 36 inches.

Frequency of watering changes with the seasons because of the intensity of the heat and evaporation, and the bulkiness of the plant’s foliage. To determine how long to water, irrigate one day and dig into the soil the next day to check how deeply the moisture penetrated. Then adjust your watering time accordingly. If your soil is heavy, such as clay, you may need to water one day until runoff begins, then water again the next day until runoff begins again. This allows the moisture to soak deeply without excessive surface runoff. Watering may be needed as little as once a month during winter, once every two weeks in the summer and fall, but as frequently as twice a week during our months of high temperatures.

Avoid overhead irrigation so late in the day that foliage cannot dry completely before sunset. Fungal and bacterial diseases thrive in warm, moist conditions and can develop overnight.

You might want to keep a pest journal to track your unwanted visitors. Walk around the garden with your garden journal and note the pests you see in your May garden. Consider what companion plants will attract predatory insects to your garden to combat pests this season. Today I spotted leaf damage due to a grasshopper I saw in my garden. In the past, I’ve left it to its own devices, rationalizing that one will not do much damage… Now I am rethinking this approach and plan on capturing the ‘hungry hopper’ and relocating the critter.

It’s also a great time to fertilize your vegetable garden, perennial gardens, and container plants. You can add compost around your fruit trees to give them a boost. Remember to always fertilize after you have weeded so that you are not feeding the weeds.

Encourage bees to visit your garden for better pollination. They’ll come more readily if you provide them with their favorite plants including basil, borage, calendulas, catnip, hyssop, lemon balm, mint, summer savory, thyme, and other plants with blue flowers.