Water Efficient Gardening: 6 Tips For Backyard Gardeners
Water is a precious necessity that must not go to waste, so if you want to save more water, you can take the following steps to ensure that every drop is put to good use.
25/02/2022
Whether you are raising flowers or fresh produce, there is a habit that you must develop when gardening, and that is how to conserve water. Water is vital to the survival of your lush backyard garden, but it doesn’t mean you have an endless water supply you can give away freely. Water is a precious necessity that must not go to waste, so if you want to save more water, you can take the following steps to ensure that every drop is put to good use.
1. Utilize Adjustable Sprinklers
Conserving water is not about being stingy with how much you can impart. It’s about rethinking how you can efficiently use every bit of water to benefit the recipient, your plants. For instance, if you have an oscillating sprinkler, you might want to opt for one with a head that you can adjust to create various watering patterns. Adjustable sprinklers allow you to redirect the water flow to where you need it and avoid wastage.
2. Make Use Of Self-Watering Planters
When technology is applied to pots or planters, they become efficient water conservation tools. Self watering flower pots are available for both indoor and outdoor use. Unlike regular pots wherein excess water drains at the bottom, self-watering options keep the nutrients, water, and soil in its closed system.
Self-watering pots keep water consistent without putting the roots in danger of rotting or making the water stagnant. The water is kept separate from roots and soil, and the plants get a steady supply of moisture to grow continuously.
3. Consider Drip Irrigation
Serving low-pressure water and liquid fertilizer directly to the plant roots is called drip irrigation. Also known as a trickle irrigation system, it involves a network or connection of plastic tubes, valves, pipes, and emitters placed on the surface or buried below the soil.
According to their mechanism, there are various types of drip irrigation, but the benefits are the same. The method allows water to penetrate the soil deeper while moisturizing the roots. It helps improve soil health as water is also less likely to evaporate. Water is redirected to the roots, conserving it with uniform watering that establishes the best environment for plants to prosper.
4. Add Organic Matter
How fast water penetrates the soil depends on how you raise your plants. Soil with larger particles like sand will allow water to pass through, whereas water will go through slowly with smaller particles like clay.
Without worrying about the type of soil your backyard has, you can add organic matter around your plants. They can be chopped leaves, compost, mulch, or composted manure. It will help improve the capacity of your soil to hold water. It keeps moisture for your plants, so you don’t have to keep watering as much. Add an inch of compost annually to your plants to help them grow.
5. Reuse Old Water And Collect Rainwater
You don’t have to use water directly from the faucet and increase your water bill. You can collect rainwater and use it to water your plants instead.
Collecting rainwater can be as simple as
redirecting your drainpipe into a large
container like cisterns where water will fill it
up.
You can also make use of greywater to
water plants. These are used up water from
baths, showers, washing machines, or washing up.
If you can find grey water diverters, you can
set that up into an irrigation system or
straight to a container.
You don’t have to worry because soaps and detergents won’t harm your plants. But water contaminated with disinfectants, bleach, dishwasher salt, or chemical cleaners can harm plants, damage soil quality, and influence overall plant health.
6. Water In The Afternoon
The time you choose to water your plants also influences how much is retained within the soil.
You can water in-ground plantings in the morning and then water plants in containers in the afternoon. If you have plants in pots or planters, they are healthier when watered later in the day.
But, if the planters and pots get full direct sunlight, you might want to shift the watering in the evening. If it gets too hot, the water evaporates quickly. Watering at night will allow the plants to absorb water faster before disappearing.
In Conclusion
You can apply these steps to save water, and you can do it for free. It only takes your time and dedication to raise plants and discipline to protect your resources. If you’re paying for water in your location, take advantage of the rain and gather as much as you can. Likewise, apply other ways that can help you sustain the health of the soil as well.