Photo courtesy of Calie2Okie at Flickr.com.
We all know the basic water conservation schemes for your garden, involving rain barrels, deep watering techniques, polymer water crystals, and even cisterns, and certainly we’ve promoted them often enough (along with other less obvious tips) on this website. But recently we’ve come across a few ideas that you may not have considered.
Here’s one: when you absolutely have to water your garden, use a water wand at the end of your hose and water each individual plant for 10-20 seconds. As one expert puts it, there’s no need to water the weeds by broadcasting spray all over your garden with a sprinkler; most of the water evaporates anyway.
Master gardeners will also point out that another of our favorite things, compost, can help you save water. One thing about compost that’s rarely noted is that it aids both drainage and water retention, generally without causing the mold and mildew problems that standing water can.
Woven cloth covers can also save water in the garden, particularly in the depths of summer. These garden blankets, which large-scale growers often use, keep the full heat of the sun off plants while allowing them sufficient light for their needs. They’re easy to install on wire supports in the morning, and just as easy to take down at night.
Photo courtesy of Tarawo at Flickr.com.
{ 0 comments… add one now }