6 Ways To Save Water in Your Yard
Here are some easy ways to save water in your yard, lawn, or garden without having all your plants turn brown!
Water sparingly
When using a water can or hose, aim the water to the roots and not the leaves. Plants absorb water through their root system and many gardeners waste too much time and a lot of water allowing the moisture to fall somewhere else.
Catch excess water
If you have hanging plants or pots placed in elevated areas, it might be a good idea to place other plants directly underneath. Each time you water the plants above, those below can catch the excess water and use it instead, cutting down your watering time by at least half.
Learn how much water each plant really needs
Not every plant in your garden requires watering everyday. Cacti and other succulents, for example, can survive well with infrequent waterings. There is also no need for deep-watering well-established plants. In fact, plants with established roots will do well with just one inch of water. Infrequent watering will also encourage deeper rooting, producing plants that are healthier and stronger.
Avoid shallow watering
Despite appearances, shallow watering actually wastes more water than deep watering. A light sprinkle of water, for example, will only last for a few hours, requiring you to water the plant all over again.
Another problem is that if the atmosphere is too hot, the water will evaporate before it has the time to reach the roots so you’ll have to water more frequently than you should. It’s not only ineffective, it is also wasteful. Go for deep waterings once or twice a week instead.
Schedule watering
The best watering times for plants are early mornings, just before the sun reaches its peak and late afternoons when the sun isn’t too hot. The reason is simple: if you water during the hottest time of the day, water evaporates faster. That means you might have to water again late in the afternoon on the same day.
Use watering devices effectively
Other than the sprinkler, there are also other watering devices that will help you cut down on watering time and save money. Soaker hoses, for example, ‘weep’ moisture during a specified length of time and are very effective with flowerbeds and vegetable plots. Root feeders, which are buried several inches below the ground surface, are great for shrubs and trees.
More ‘Ways to Save Water’ Resources From Around the Web:
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5 responses so far ↓
1 Adrian // May 2, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Thanks for the info….I am trying to put together a list of what celebs are doing to help the environment. Ed Begley Jr. is having a sweepstakes where he flys you to Hollywood and gives you tips on how to go green ( http://www.earthlab.com/life/livingwithed/ ) Pretty crazy stuff. Obviously there are many others. Drop me a link if you have any on the top of your head. Thanks again for the info!
2 Zoe // May 8, 2008 at 12:04 am
Great tips, and thank you for linking to my blog post (30 ways…). Your blog is right up my street and I will definitely be subscribing!
Don’t forget you can use greywater like washing up water to water the garden, or install a waterbutt to collect rainwater.
3 cassiem0221 // May 13, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Very informational! I am just getting a nice flower garden established and finding these tips is very refreshing. Its just like my granmother always told me about the deep watering and evaporation and such. She used to get up at 5am every morning so she could have her coffee and get her flowers watered before 7am. Wise woman!
4 Amelia // May 13, 2008 at 11:41 pm
I agree with using a soaker hose they are very beneficial. Also believe in reusing water. I tend to pour any water I use for boiling food out to the flowering beds and also have the children pour all their liquids into a bowl so that I can put that fluid out into the flowering beds as well. My mother persists that it will end up killing my flowers however to this day they tend to grow fuller, brighter and taller than any of her flowers. I wondering could it be from my “flowering bowl”?
5 Tim // Jun 18, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Great tips. Some very timely advice, given that drought season is just around the corner!
We have a website where we are compiling solutions like these to pressing problems of sustainability. Want to know how that pet poop in your yard could be used for fuel? Please read some of our articles at Bright Future and let us know what you think! Be a part of the solution for a better tomorrow.
Peace
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