Water-Wise Gardening
July 10, 2008 · Posted in Garden
I receive an email full of advertisements from Wayside Gardens just about every day. Usually it only has plants for sale, but today it had some tips on water conservation in the garden that I thought were very insightful. It is mostly common sense, but I learned something new from it, so maybe it will be useful to others as well.
- Water in the morning so roots have time to take up moisture before it evaporates during the heat of the day.
- Install drip irrigation or soaker hoses to put water right at plants’ roots and prevent runoff.
- Frequently check irrigation systems, sprinkler heads, etc for leaks.
- Water deeply but infrequently, causing roots to reach down into the soil for moisture and strengthen growth.
- Use an organic mulch to keep roots moist and cool.
- Reuse household water as much as possible (e.g. water from rinsing and cooking pasta and vegetables, cleaning aquariums, and emptying coolers, vases, etc).
- Put up a rain gauge to help manage your water needs.
- Clean decks, patios, sidewalks, etc with a broom instead of a hose.
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