How to Save Water in the Garden

You can save water, lower your utility bills, and grow healthy plants by planning and managing your garden carefully.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Choose drought-resistant plants as much as possible.
   
   Choose plants that tolerate drier growing conditions, especially if you live in an area that is prone to drought. Drought-tolerant plants will remain healthy and beautiful with little or no watering, even while thirstier ones are withering.
   
   Some plants, including many common vegetables, do require quite a bit of water to be healthy, but even thirsty plants often have some cultivars that are more drought-resistant than others.

2. Shrink your lawn.
   
   Lawns are one of the thirstiest things around. If you put more water (and money!) into your lawn than you get enjoyment out of it, dig it up and replace it with a flower garden, vegetable garden, or other landscaping project.
   
   If you use your lawn for sports or other activities, consider a drought-resistant alternative turf grass such as zoysia or buffalograss.

3. Double-dig and/or build raised beds.
   
   Prepare your garden beds carefully by loosening the soil much deeper than the traditional 8 inches. Deep beds allow plants to stretch their root systems deeper, increasing their ability to tolerate drought.

4. Add lots of organic matter.
   
   Organic matter improves soil structure and drainage, preventing water from stagnating and pooling on the surface, and from sinking too quickly into the ground. Starting a compost pile is one of the best ways to get plenty of rich humus to add to your garden. You can also overwinter beds with a thick layer of weed-free straw, shredded leaves, or manure, and dig the mulch in when you're ready to plant.

5. Mulch.
   
   Mulch protects the soil by shading it and keeping it cool and moist longer than exposed soil, reducing the need to water. Organic mulches such as straw and wood chips also add organic matter to the soil.
   
   You can also use the plants themselves to create a living mulch by planting them slightly closer together than recommended. As they grow taller, they will shade the soil and keep it cool and moist longer than exposed soil.

6. Choose infrequent, deep waterings over frequent, shallow ones.
   
   For the vast majority of plants, it is better to water deeply once or twice a week than lightly every day. frequent shallow watering encourages shallow root systems, which are vulnerable to drought.

7. Water in the early morning or late afternoon.
   
   Mid-day watering wastes a lot of water thanks to evaporation, but watering too late in the day may encourage mold and rot if the plants stay wet all night. In most areas, watering at sunrise or in the late afternoon are the best choices to ensure healthy plants.

8. Water close to the soil.
   
   Overhead watering leaves too much water on the leaves, where it is easily evaporated, especially on sunny or windy days. Watering close to the ground puts the water where the plant needs it - in the soil.
   
   A good length of hose and a watering wand is a good way to guide the water where it needs to go without the need to do much carrying or bending over. For thirstier plants, consider investing in a drip irrigation or soaker hoses system.

Tips & Warnings

• Xeriscaping is the art of water-wise gardening. Though it's most popular in desert and Mediterranean climates such as California and the Southwest, the principles work just as well in temperate and even rainy climates.

Resources

• Easy Ways to Improve Your Soil
• Choosing an Alternative Lawn
• The Vegetable Gardener's Bible
• Xeriscape Handbook
• Gaia's Garden

[cherold598]

on 3/22/2009 Very informative and well-organized article about how to save water in the garden.