Drought tolerant plants
In the Algarve, where Orchard of Flavours is set up,summer is dry and hot; winter is wet (some of the time) and warm. Many varieties of fruit trees, such as olive, carob, almond, fig and citrus, have adapted to this climate and are highly productive.But many other drought tolerant plants, among them fruit trees, if grown in the right conditions during the first few years of their life, can flourish here.
What is true for the south of Portugal is true for most European regions, which will be confronted with longer and more frequent periods of drought. Adapting the choice of varieties in your garden to these new constraints could, alas, rapidly become an imperative.
There is a difference between drought resistant and drought tolerant!
Drought resistant plants are those which will continue to produce biomass with little to no water, for example – Carob, Baobab, and our other edible succulents.
Drought tolerant plants are those which can handle long periods without water but generally need water to produce biomass or fruit. Many of our plants such as the Surinam cherry tree here are drought tolerant.
Few tips when looking to develop a drought tolerant garden:
Don't be too severe
Just as it’s not a good idea to plant an exotic fruit tree directly in the ground when “playing” with its hardiness limit, you should avoid exposing your young plants to too drastic a water regime in the first few years.
Many drought tolerant plants can only become so after being established well. You should water the plants regularly after planting. If not, many of these drought tolerant plants will not survive. Generally between 2 or 3 years, you can progressively decrease the amount and or the frequency of watering
Drought tolerant does not mean that the plant does not like water
Think of the Pomegranate tree, they are very drought tolerant but will bear little fruit if you do not water them regularly at the right moment.
Know your microclimates
Notice which areas are more protected from the wind or sun by other trees, near bodies of water, houses or other structures. This may be an opportunity to plant something that is a little less drought tolerant, or for a drought tolerant tree to be happier and more productive! If you do not have any visible microclimates you may be able to create some by building a multipurpose composting wind break or similar.
When to water?
Water young trees deeply about once a week or as often as needed to keep the soil moist but not soggy. Older trees require less frequent but deeper watering, once every week or two weeks depending on your soil type. Think about how deep the roots are and how deep you would like them to go, don’t only water directly at the base of the tree but also a slightly wider circle as the tree ages. This will help the tree develop a stronger, more resilient root system, sometimes spreading far outside the tree canopy.
Our drought tolerant fruit trees list
Quite a long list!
When we listed all the drought tolerant fruit trees at Pomar Dos Sabores, we discovered a surprising amount, here are a few of them :
Among others: ACCA SELLOWIANA, ALOE VERA, ARBUTUS UNEDO, ARGANIA SPINOSA, BUTIA CAPITATA, CARISSA MACROCARPA, CASIMIROA EDULIS, CEIBA PENTANDRA, CHRYSOPOGON ZIZANIOIDES, ELAEAGNUS UMBELLATA, EUGENIA UNIFLORA, HIPPOPHAE RHAMNOIDES, INGA EDULIS, MORINGA OLEIFERA, MUSA “Lep Chang Kut”, PERESKIA ACULEATA, POUTERIA LUCUMA, PRUNUS DULCIS, PSIDIUM CATTLEIANUM, PSIDIUM GUAJAVA, PUNICA GRANATUM, SCHINUS MOLLE, SCHINUS TEREBINTHIFOLIUS, SYZYGIUM AUSTRALE, SYZYGIUM CUMINI, SYZYGIUM PANICULATUM, UGNI MOLINAE, ZANTHOXYLUM BEECHEYANUM, ZIZIPHUS JUJUBA, ZIZIPHUS MAURITIANA
To see the complete list please check our database, to see the Rayon de Serre drought resistant plants list , click here.
This article was compiled by Miguel COTTON & Jackson KNIGHTS.