Watering your garden properly can save water and money and keep your plants healthy.
Hose irrigation directs water exactly where you need it: at the roots. Eliminates waste and reduces the risk of certain diseases.
An equally effective method is to tie a rubber hose or drip irrigation hose around the plant. Other suggestions include watering in the morning to prevent surface water from evaporating in sunlight. And water deeply, maybe less often, so the soil can really soak it up.
As long as it is not salty, you can use the cooking water for the garden. Choose plants that are native to your area because they don't need a lot of water to thrive.
Until I installed a soaker hose in my flower bed this year, I had always watered my plants by hand, which became tedious over the years.
Standing outside holding a garden hose wasn't my idea of fun, but it directs the water over the roots and directly into the soil, making sure it lands where it belongs. Eliminates waste and prevents diseases such as mold. Good for plants, environment and water textures.
Another popular way to water is to run a flexible, perforated cloth or rubber hose into the soil around the plant, as this allows the water to flow slowly over the roots. Drip irrigation pipes (rigid pipes with drip or drip outlet holes) work in a similar way.
There are many other easy ways to save water in the garden.
When and how deep is the water?
For example, if you apply water in the morning, it can penetrate deep into the soil without the sun getting too hot. Wait until most of this water has evaporated from the soil surface at the end of the day before doing the job. Even then, moisture can remain overnight and there is a risk of mold and fungal diseases.
How you water is just as important as when. Quick, daily watering of the plant does little or no good to the roots, which can reach a foot or more into the soil, depending on the plant. Instead, water less but deeply.
When the floor is really dry, it's even more important to slow down, otherwise the water will run off the surface like a dry kitchen sponge struggling to absorb anything.
Collects a rain barrel attached to a water well for use in the garden. - Deborah Martin/VIA courtesy of The Associated Press
Collect and reuse water
Collects a rain barrel attached to a water well for use in the garden. - Deborah Martin/VIA courtesy of The Associated Press
As long as the water from boiling pasta, vegetables and eggs is not salty, you can reuse it instead of pouring it down the drain. You can also use water from humidifiers. Don't waste it, don't want it.
Replace the downspout to fill the rain barrel, then use the collected water to fill the showers. Or use an adapter to connect a garden hose or soaker hose to the tap hole at the bottom of the barrel.
Some plants are more thirsty than others.
When we start a garden, we usually think about what will do best and (hopefully) what sunlight each plant needs. Also, consider watering needs so you don't overwater drought-tolerant plants when trying to quench nearby drought.
For the same reason, if you use an automatic sprinkler system, it's a good idea to separate your lawn from trees, shrubs, ground covers, perennials, and annuals that will wet disease-prone plants and leaves.
It is best to use native plants, most of which are drought tolerant. They will need regular watering for the first year or two, but once established they can usually survive in rainwater, except for prolonged heat waves. To find native plants in your area, enter your zip code into online databases at the National Wildlife Federation (www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/Plants) and Audubon Society (www.audubon.org) websites. /native plants).
moisture retention
When planting in the garden, add plenty of compost to the holes to increase water retention in sandy soils and improve drainage in clay soils.
Apply 2 to 3 inches of mulch around trees, shrubs, and plants to retain soil moisture, reduce surface evaporation, and prevent weeds. Wait for the soil to warm before mulching, keeping the material a few inches away from stems and trunks.
When planting in containers, look for potting soil that contains vermiculite, a moisture-retaining mineral. Soil moisture polymer granules such as SoilMoist can be added to reduce water requirements by up to 50%.
You can even tear up a (clean!) diaper and mix the absorbent hydrogel into the potting soil, or place an open diaper in the bottom of the pot (plastic side down, with drainage holes) to soak it. . Moisture Do not use if you have succulents or other plants in your container that require dry, well-drained soil.
postman in the rain
If using an automatic sprinkler system, set the timer early in the morning, preferably before sunrise. Look for a rain-sensitive timer, or manually override its programming to avoid waste on rainy days.
Most lawns need about 1 to 1½ inches of water per week, including rain, but you won't know how much your system is producing until you test it. Place the tuna can on the grass for one lap, then measure the water retention in the can.
A rain gauge, which looks like a test tube with measured values, also provides information on the amount of rain.
