Thirsty or drowning? How to tell what your desert plants need

THOUSAND PALMS, CALIF. (KESQ)- With triple-digit temperatures, it’s tempting to water your plants more often. But in the desert, too much water can actually damage some plants.

We’ll talk to local experts about how to tell the difference between a plant that’s thirsty and one that’s being overwatered and what homeowners should be doing differently during extreme heat.

Data from specific desert cities (such as the City of Palm Desert) confirm that up to 70% of local residential water consumption is driven entirely by outdoor landscaping and turf irrigation.

Randy Meyers, owner of Randy G Myers Nurseries, cautioned against reacting solely to high outdoor temperatures. “Our minds immediately say, oh, it's 100 degrees. It's warm. We need to add water. But it's not necessarily true,” Meyers said.

He recommends a simple soil squeeze test to determine moisture levels. “If you can squeeze the soil and let go and it stays in a ball, that's perfect. If you squeeze it and it squishes, that's way too much. If you squeeze it and it falls apart, that's not enough,” Meyers said. Without proper air space in saturated soil, root health rapidly declines. “Basically, they'll sit there and rot,” Meyers said.

Water conservation specialists emphasize that efficient techniques are just as important as watering schedules. Nisha Ajamani, a senior public affairs specialist with the Desert Water Agency, explained that plants do not require continuous hydration to survive.

“People think that they should be constantly watering their plants to keep them alive. But actually, the plants here don't need constant watering,” Ajamani said. She noted that effective care depends on water penetrating deep into the soil.

“What's really important is to make sure you're watering deeply so that the water is getting the roots,” Ajamani said. Utilizing drip irrigation systems can deliver water directly to root systems while reducing loss through evaporation.