5 water saving tips when watering your garden this summer
Let us keep our surroundings looking as green and lush as possible while using as little water as we can.
GOOD soil, fertiliser, and water are the three key things that help to create beautiful green gardens around the home.
This is according to Sean Granger, a general manager at the Granny Mouse Country House & Spa, which is known for its beautiful garden setting. With summer upon us, Granger shares tips for saving water when watering your garden.
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“Drought and lack of water is common in KwaZulu-Natal, and so we often pass on the many lessons we have learned that enable us to keep the surroundings looking as green and lush as possible, whilst using as little water as we can,” he said.
Granger shares these tips to save water:
1. Plan your garden: choose the right plants for the right spaces and put those needing more watering in areas where there is more natural water and less harsh sunlight. Group plants with similar water needs together if you can. More importantly, choose plants that are water wise and don’t require constant and copious watering.
2. Time your watering: The general rule is not to water during the hottest parts of the day when the heat causes rapid evaporation and your plants are left thirsting for more. Early mornings are best as temperatures are low and there is also not usually too much wind. Evenings are second best but beware leaving leaves covered in water as the sun sets, as this could encourage the growth of fungi. Pots are often best watered in the evenings.
3. Install a good drip based irrigation system rather than using wasteful overhead sprinklers: Again, the idea is to contain wastage by minimising evaporation. Adding a timer will help if you tend to forget to switch off.
4. Harvest water: Whilst the obvious one is to install rainwater harvesting tanks to catch water from gutters, there are a number of other places where water can be saved for re-use. Keep a bucket handy to store water that would run down the drain while you are waiting for it to warm up for a shower or to wash your dishes. Re-use nitrogen and phosphorous-rich water to water your flowers when cleaning out your fish tank.
5. Air conditioners and valves handling the overflow are great for watering plants. Position pots to catch the drips.
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