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Many people try to save water just to do the right thing.
许多人试图节约用水，只是为了做正确的事情。
But when a serious drought hits, state and local governments enforce restrictions.
但当严重干旱来袭时，国家和地方政府会强制执行限制措施。
Saving water then becomes non-negotiable.
那么节约用水就成了不可谈判的问题。
So far this summer, nearly 65 percent of the United States is experiencing “abnormally dry” weather, the U.S. Drought Monitor reports.
据美国干旱监测机构报道，今年夏天到目前为止，美国近65%的地区正在经历“异常干燥”的天气。
Almost 43 percent of those areas are dealing with “moderate” drought.
其中近43%的地区正在应对“中度”干旱。
And nearly 47 percent are dealing with “severe,” “extreme,” or “exceptional” drought.
近47%的地区正在应对“严重”、“极端”或“异常”干旱。
That means more than 109 million people are living under drought conditions.
这意味着超过1.09亿人生活在干旱环境下。
And a lot of them have plants or yards to worry about.
他们中的许多人还要担心植物或院子。
Jessica Damiano with the Associated Press has these suggestions for how to keep your garden healthy during periods of dry weather.
美联社的杰西卡·达米亚诺就如何在干旱天气下保持花园健康提出了以下建议。
If you are gardening under water restrictions, decide which plants need water the most.
如果你在限水的情况下干园艺活，确定哪些植物最需要水。
Newly planted trees and shrubs are high on the priority list.
新种植的树木和灌木是优先考虑的事项。
They require regular watering until their roots become established.
它们需要定期浇水，直到生根。
That process can take a full year.
这个过程可能需要整整一年的时间。
Older trees -- especially fruit, nut, ornamental, and even evergreens -- can suffer during drought as well.
较大的树——尤其是果树、坚果树、观赏树，甚至常绿树——也会受到干旱的影响。
Perennial flowers are those that return year after year.
多年生花卉是那些年复一年开花的花。
They should be next on the list, along with vegetables in their flowering and fruiting periods.
它们应该是第二优先考虑的事项，还有处在花期和结果期的蔬菜。
Melons and squash have deep roots.
甜瓜和南瓜的根扎得很深。
They can usually get by with less water than crops like corn, which have shallow roots.
与玉米等根扎得浅的作物相比，它们通常需要更少的水就能生存。
Low on the list of priorities should be annuals -- plants that only live for one growing season.
排在首位的应该是一年生植物——只存活一个生长季的植物。
Others include crops with high water needs, like beans, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, and radishes, as well as plants growing in pots.
其他作物包括需水量高的作物，如豆类、卷心菜、花椰菜、芹菜、生菜和萝卜以及盆栽植物。
None will likely survive with the little water that can be offered under forced restrictions.
在强制限制水的条件下，没有植物可以仅靠提供的少量水存活下来。
Most plants require an average of 2 to 4 centimeters of water each week under normal conditions.
在正常情况下，大多数植物每周平均需要2到4厘米的水。
That need could increase, however, during periods of extreme heat, when the soil dries out more quickly.
然而，在极端高温时期，土壤干燥得更快，这种需求可能会增加。
Do not offer your plants their weekly water needs all at once.
不要一次性给你的植物提供它们每周所需的全部水分。
Divide it over two or three times per week.
每周分两到三次。
Use deeper, less-frequent watering instead of daily sprinkles.
更深度浇水、减少浇水的频率，而不是每天洒水。
That can be wasteful and ineffective at getting the roots really wet.
这样做既浪费水又不能有效地湿润根部。
Watering deeply also establishes stronger, deeper roots that are better able to support plants when surface water becomes less available.
深度浇水还可以使植物的根系更强壮、扎得更深，当地表水更难以获取时，这些根能够更好地支撑植物。
Avoid using overhead sprinklers.
避免使用顶部洒水装置。
They wet the leaves and other areas instead of directing water to plant roots.
它们湿润叶子和其他地方，而不能把水引到植物的根部。
Instead, place watering devices on the soil directly over roots.
相反，将浇水设备直接放在根部上方的土壤上。
Watering cans and hand-held hoses aimed at the soil work, too.
浇水罐和手持水管也适用于浇灌土壤。
Avoid watering midday when moisture is likely to evaporate before reaching roots.
中午不要浇水，因为水分很可能在到达根部之前就蒸发了。
Consider using recycled household water, also called gray water, to water plants.
考虑使用回收的家庭用水，即灰水，来浇灌植物。
Unsalted water left over from boiling eggs or vegetables provides extra nutrients.
煮鸡蛋或蔬菜留下的未加盐的水可以提供额外的营养。
Dish and bath water that is not too soapy will not harm ornamental plants.
不含太多肥皂的洗碗水和洗澡水不会对观赏植物造成伤害。
And water captured while rinsing fruits and vegetables can be used around the garden.
清洗水果和蔬菜时收集的水可以用在花园里。
Keep beds and borders free of weeds.
保持花园和边缘没有杂草。
Weeds compete with your plants for water and nutrients.
杂草和你种植的植物争夺水分和养分。
A 7.5-centimeter layer of bark mulch, wood chips, or gravel around plants will help prevent weed seeds from taking hold.
在植物周围覆盖7.5厘米厚的树皮覆盖物、木屑或砾石将有助于防止杂草种子扎根。
This layer will help keep the soil cool and moist.
这一层覆盖物有助于保持土壤凉爽和湿润。
Avoid fertilizing plants during drought.
避免在干旱期间给植物施肥。
Fertilizers cause fast growth, which increases the need for water.
化肥导致植物快速生长，从而增加了其对水的需求。
And avoid using weed killers.
避免使用除草剂。
These can move to other areas in hot weather and are less effective in high temperatures.
它们在炎热的天气下可能会转移到其他区域，在高温下效果较差。
Do not plant anything new.
不要种植任何新的植物。
And avoid cutting plants, which increases their water needs.
避免修剪植物，因为这会增加它们的用水需求。
In the future, consider replacing the lawn with native groundcovers.
将来，可以考虑用本地地被植物取代草坪。
Use large amounts of compost in beds and planting holes to improve water retention.
在花园和栽植坑中使用大量堆肥，以提高保水能力。
Take note of the sun requirements of each of your plants.
记下你种植的每一种植物对阳光的需求量。
And use more native plants.
种植更多的本土植物。
I’m Anna Matteo.
安娜·马特奥为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
