Rain Rain, Please Come Our Way!

A gardener's worst nightmare is lack of rain and drought. State of California has declared a state of emergency. Are those words supposed to be capitalized? 

My water conservation methods have been improving over the years. The key to water conservation is knowing what crops to plant, amending the soil, and mulching. Water retention is a big factor here. Water should seep right in and go deep. Plants should be watered deeply so their roots go deep in the ground and not so much on the surface or midway. Then comes the mulch. If you turn your soil after a hot day and see that the soil is still moist under that mulch then you got it right. The mulch will help with the evaporation rate. You don't want your soil to be muddy inside your mulch either. Then you are watering too much and your soil sucks! Worms are a good indicator of good soil. What worm would want to live in soil that lacks organic matter and moisture? The soil should be airy. Compacted soil is just terrible. It is good to turn the soil once in awhile but not too often or it will disturb the soil balance. The key is not to water too frequently so you can save on water usage. Plants can tolerate it. You just have to experiment with your soil and see what works best for your garden. Just because we are facing drought and lack of rain does not mean I can't garden. People have been gardening in deserts and other desolate places. It just makes us realize how precious water is.