How To Conserve and Recycle Water In The Garden
Water Conservation and Recycling

It`s usually during the Summer that we fall victim to the dreaded hose pipe ban. Whether that`s due to over usage by householders washing their 4×4 motors, over indulgent gardeners sprinkling their lawns for hours, leaky underground pipes and water lost by water companies, or just lower than normal rainfall, it seems to be happening more and more regularly each Summer. Of course there are those that say it is global warming and shifting weather patterns or whatever, but in general terms it means just one thing.

`We need to conserve water supplies`

Collecting Water

In the UK we receive a reasonable amount of rainfall. We should all be collecting this water for use in our gardens, as it drastically reduces demand on water supplies. Connect water butts to guttering systems on greenhouses, sheds and don`t forget your house. If one water butt isn`t enough then why not set up a larger tank or a series of water butts. Make sure when you do to allow plenty of room to get a watering can underneath the tap!

Grey Water
Grey water is the name given to used domestic water excluding sewage. In extreme conditions it can be used, if not too contaminated with detergents, fat or grease to supplement your watering. The best form is water from a shower, or bath which can be collected and recycled for use in your garden. Grey water should only be stored for a few hours and preferably used as soon as cool. Apply grey water around plants never directly on foliage. Do not use on fruit, veg, herbs or acid loving plants or with sprinkler or drip feed systems and try to rotate the areas you water with grey water to avoid build up of sodium and an increase in the pH of the soil.

Reducing Water Consumption In The Garden
The inherent problem here is that people do tend to have the opinion `What difference can I make with the little bit I use, my neighbour uses lots more than me?`, and I suppose, the answer is simply that every little bit helps, and you can always encourage your neighbour to cut his usage by introducing him to water conservation methods….

The misconception here is also with the phrase `conserve water`. People often think this means that they have to take drastic measures. This is a complete misnoma, as there are very simple methods we can implement to reduce our water consumption without altering our daily life.

Watering
If you have to water then use collected rainwater wherever possible from water butts, or use grey water if appropriate. Watering in the early morning or evening reduces transpiration, and if you have to water do it thoroughly to encourage deeper rooting, stronger plants. Watering just the surface encourages surface rooting which makes plants more vulnerable.
Use seep hoses and targeted watering systems for crops and other plants so that any supplementary watering targets the plants precisely.

Mulch
Wherever possible apply mulches to your borders and plants, these aid considerably with water retention and help to suppress weeds too.

Soil
Soils of poor quality and structure will not absorb or retain water well. Soils that fall into this category should be improved by digging in well rotted farmyard manure or garden compost. Improved soils require less watering.

Water Features
We all love to have running water in our gardens and will fork out huge sums of money for the privilege, but did you know that running water, particularly in sunny spots, evaporates more quickly than still water does. So why not convert your water feature to still water! It will need less topping up.
Plant surface aquatic plants to cover the water surface, in turn, reducing evaporation, and if you do need to top up the water level, use water from a stored rainwater source i.e a water butt that has collected water from a greenhouse or shed roof.

Lawns
A simple method for reducing the water consumption of your lawn is to raise the height of cut. Feed your lawns to improve the strength of the grasses to resist drought. You could also consider reducing the size of your lawn by converting areas to gravel beds.
If you are considering laying a lawn or seeding new areas, then you should select a mixture of lawn grasses that are strongly drought resistant.

Hanging Baskets and Containers
It`s common practice to water your hanging baskets and containers daily to keep your flowers blooming but this too can be reduced.
Make sure that your growing medium in containers is a good 2.5cm below the rim, so that when watering the water doesn`t just run off, but gathers and soaks downwards. Place containers in shady spots if possible, and plant with plants that are shade / partial shade loving. Group containers to shade each other. Site containers and baskets out of windy areas, as wind evaporates moisture extremely quickly. Try placing containers underneath hanging baskets so that when they are watered any excess run off, drips down onto the container below.
Use water retaining granules or gel in the planting medium used in all your containers and baskets, and use gravel mulches on the surfaces of containered plants where possible (for example potted shrubs / trees).

Planting Schemes
In dry areas it may be worth considering changing planting schemes, using plants that are drought tolerant. Gravel gardens / mediterranean planting schemes work well. Use plants with silvery, fleshy or waxy leaves mixed with grasses which are well adapted for dry conditions. A bit of research will show that you can still create colourful, interesting gardens using these kinds of plants.

Recent Posts RSS 2.0 trackback leave a response