Ten Water–Wise Tips for the Garden:
Posted By kowena on June 18, 2009
Ten Water–Wise Tips for the Garden:
1) Mulch the Soil Surface:
Spreading a protective covering over the soil greatly reduces water evaporation, rain or wind erosion, and weeds growth. There are many different forms of mulch from which to choose, from organic barks and natural wood matter, to inorganic materials such as decorative stones, crushed clay and river pebbles
2) Capture the Rainfall:
Roof rainfall collection can prevent tens of thousands of litres of water going down the drain every year. Consider installing a water tank or rain barrel to collect and store this valuable resource.
The Ontario Horticultural Association has a wonderful and informative booklet with installation instructions:
Roll out the Barrel (download): http://www.gardenontario.org/gar/newsl.php?news=198
3) Increase the Organic Matter in Soil:
Improve the quality of garden soil by adding organic matter such as manure and compost. This promotes healthier plants, which require less fertilizers and less water to grow.
4) Create Shade Plantings: Planting a dense area of vegetation will help conserve water. Multilayering the plantings will successfully keep soil cool and moist. Shade plants also cut down on weeds which pull the water and nutrients away from garden plants. Shade cast across buildings will also dramatically reduce building temperatures.
5) Include Drought Resistant Plantings: Practise Xeriscaping (‘xeros’ meaning dry). One aspect of Xeriscaping is to plan for drought conditions and select drought tolerant plants to save water. Often the best choice will be native plantings that are hardier and best suited to your environment. Your local nursery will have a wealth of information and plants suitable for this purpose.
6) Introduce Devices for Water Storage: Use a buried water storage device next to plantings. Two examples are:
- Cut the bottom out of a plastic water bottle, cut small holes around the neck area, and bury the bottle beside your plant with the bottom side up above your soil line. Fill the bottle up with water which will slowly leak below the soil surface near the root line.
- Plant a clay pot filled with river stones or pebbles, with rim just above the soil line near plants, and cover with a clay saucer to act as lid for the pot. Once filled, water will leak slowly through the porous base and sides below the soil line. The lid will help prevent evaporation.
7) Target Watering: Water the garden only where water is required. This means watering the root area of the plants instead of the whole plant, and each plant instead of a whole bed or area of the garden.
Morning Watering: Avoid watering through the hottest times of the day to cut water loss through evaporation. Try to water before 6am or after 7pm.; ideally the absolutely best time is to water in the morning.
9) Use the Alternate Day Watering System: Many municipalities have mandatory alternate day watering policies, but if not, then volunteer to follow this watering schedule:
• Odd house numbers on odd days of the month
• Even house numbers on even days of the month
This will reduce the pressure on your local water treatment system as well as help conserve overall water use.
10) Maintenance of Watering Equipment
Keep your water equipment in good working order. Check tap and hose fittings to see if there are any leaks. Replace washers to prevent thousands of litres of wasted water each year.
