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Home > Flower and garden articles > Water, Water everywhere ….
Water, Water everywhere ….
“Water, Water, everywhere.....”
The rise in popularity of gardening as a way to enhance our home environment and lifestyle means increasing demand on our water supply. With the decline in our annual rainfall continuing to be of real concern, it is more important than ever that we consider how we use this precious resource responsibly.
In our busy lives, it’s only human nature that we look for the easiest and most convenient options. As domestic consumers we can choose appliances that offer economy cycles to conserve water, and we can make conscious decisions to avoid water wastage by something as simple as taking shorter showers and ensuring that taps are turned off properly.
But how many easy ways are there to conserve water in the garden ? Is it all too hard and really we can’t be bothered, or that we think that as individuals we can’t make a difference ? The fact remains that we all have a responsibility to think about how much water we use, and how to avoid unnecessary waste in the easiest and most convenient ways.
So here are a few ideas to help you reduce the amount of water you need to sustain your garden. Not only will you be making a difference, but you should also see an improvement in your next water bill !
1. When to water ?
Don’t be tempted to sprinkle the hose around on a hot day – it might make you feel cooler but it won’t do your plants any good at all ! In hot winds, the water will just evaporate in a matter of minutes. Wetting the foliage can actually scorch delicate leaves by magnifying the sun’s rays ! And wetting only the surface of the soil actually encourages shallow root growth and reduces your garden’s ability to withstand dry conditions.
Something as simple as choosing the best time to water your garden not only saves water but will also be of much greater benefit to your plants.
It is not desirable to water daily, and if you have the right approach to water-wise gardening, you shouldn’t need to.
Ideally, you should water your garden deeply and less often. A good soak is much better for encouraging deep root growth, which helps your plants resist heat stress and reduces their dependence on constant watering.
The best time to water is in the evening, when cooler temperatures will greatly reduce the amount of water lost through evaporation. This will ensure better penetration of water into the subsoil around the root systems. But if you can’t water in the cool of evening, then early morning is the next best thing.
2. How to water ??
There are many options available to help us water our gardens, and many opinions as to which are the best methods. The basic rule is that water should be applied around the roots wherever possible, so ideally you should choose a system that delivers water slowly to the soil around the base of your plants.
Drip system hoses are a brilliant choice for efficient watering, so if you are creating new garden areas don’t forget to incorporate them into your ground work. Of course, they can be added to existing areas but require a bit of extra work to install them around your plants.
Sprinklers are a convenient option, particularly for lawns, but there is a risk that they can be forgotten and left to run for hours, which of course leads to massive water waste. Reticulation systems also offer convenience and are very good for watering specific areas, but again should be used responsibly. Ideally, both of these options should be used in conjunction with an automatic timer for maximum efficiency and minimum waste.
Hoses can be used very effectively, but should be used on a gentle spray rather than a high burst of pressure, which makes this method quite slow and time consuming. However, it can be very therapeutic for the gardener, so if you can afford the time this method is certainly effective if the ‘deep-watering’ principle is applied. But a word of warning ….. don’t allow wasteful run-off on paths and driveways when watering – use the hose wisely.
Use of the reliable old watering can is, without doubt, one of the best ways to control the amount of water used, but for many gardeners this is not a convenient option - “It’s too heavy to carry, it’s too far to carry it, my garden is too big, I don’t have time “!!!
3. How can I save water ???
The golden rule of reducing water waste in the garden is simple – mulch, mulch, mulch ! This is absolutely the best method to reduce moisture loss from the soil, keeping the roots cool and reducing the need for frequent watering, which in turn encourages hardiness in your plants. The added bonus is that mulch is excellent for weed control, and also improves the appearance of your garden.
Consider carefully when buying new plants for your garden. Look out for some of the gorgeous varieties of drought tolerant plants that are now widely available, such as penstemons, clivias, euphorbias, and echeverias. It makes much more sense to plant these and know they will thrive without the need for constant watering. When planting new additions to the garden, raise the soil slightly to form a ‘moat’ around the base of the plant as this will help to prevent water run-off.
Never use the garden hose to clean leaves and dirt off your driveway – that’s what brooms are for ! It’s horrifying how many people waste hundreds of litres of water with this lazy approach.
Install a water tank to collect the rain water from both your house and shed roof. Choose from a wide range of tank sizes, and locate in a spot that’s handy for you to water your garden. Make sure the tap is also at a convenient height for you to easily fill a watering can or bucket.
In some areas of Australia, household waste water recycle systems are now installed as a standard practice, which allows “grey” waste water from your home to be recycled very conveniently to your garden. Check with your local council to find out if these systems are available in your locality.
If not yet available in your area, there are still many ways to easily save or recycle water in your home…….
When washing the car, turn off the hose when not rinsing - don’t let the hose keep running until you’re ready to use it again. And park the car up on the grass or nature strip, so that all the run-off will water the grass.
One very easy way to save water is to keep a plastic bowl in the kitchen sink, and every time you rinse something, tip the water into the bowl instead of down the sink. You’ll be amazed how soon the bowl will be full ! Then you can simply tip it on the garden beds or pots near the kitchen door. The same principle can be applied in the laundry, to collect water from hand washing.
In the laundry, we can recycle large amounts of water by collecting the rinse water from our washing machine rinse cycles. This can easily be collected with plastic buckets in the laundry trough, or by installing a waste bypass pipe that can take the water outside to an external tank for convenience.
Keep a plastic bucket next to your hot water system or air conditioner to catch the overflow. You’ll have a bucket full of clean water every 3 days, and no unsightly damp spot on the concrete !
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How do we feel when the water is turned off for a short time and we can’t flush the loo or boil the kettle ? Stop and think about what it would be like if the water supply ran out !
Because endless water on tap is a convenience, we tend not to stop and think about it, but rather we take it for granted. But we can all make a difference by changing our attitude to the way we use water in our every day chores.
The most effective way to control how much water your garden needs is by carefully planning your garden and choosing the right type of plants, and so reducing the need for excessive watering. This long term approach should be considered by all serious gardeners as the most effective way we can control our water usage as individuals and still enjoy the many pleasures of gardening.
Jenny Waldock
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