Reducing Water Waste: Keeping Your Garden Healthy With These Sustainable Tips

Water is the lifeblood of a garden. Without it, plants and vegetables wither away and die. To have a successful and productive garden, it needs to be well watered. This is easier said than done, however. Water sources are getting more expensive, and as we rely on our gardens more for food production and scenery, the demand for water is growing.

It is possible to keep a garden blooming and vegetables growing by reducing wastewater and collecting and reusing it to maintain our flowers and plants. Here are some top tips for water sustainability, so you can keep your garden in good health without putting excess stress on the planet or your water bill.

Collect Rainfall

The biggest water waste by far is letting the precious rainwater that falls from the sky drain away. Sudden downpours can be great for grass and bedding plants, but they end as quickly as they start. When the garden needs to be hydrated again, it has all drained away. By installing water butts to your downpipes, you collect and store excess rainfall to use later. This cuts down costs on the utility bill and saves vital water from going to waste. Ask your neighbours how they collect rain if you are stuck for inspiration, as they could give you relevant advice.

It will be in your best interest to utilise rainfall harvesting equipment to reduce water waste effectively. “If everyone started to use the rainwater that falls from the skies, there would be far less pressure on the planet’s water reserves.” say experts Tanks For Everything. Installing a rainwater harvesting system in your garden will allow you to water the plants, whatever the weather, without using your mains water system. This helps your garden to thrive even if there is a hosepipe ban in place.

Mulching And Composting

You may not think either of these common gardening tasks can help you to reduce water waste, but you are wrong. Mulching can help you save water for your favourite blooming plants and vegetables. By putting down a deep layer of mulch around bedding plants and in vegetable gardens you are helping the soil to retain moisture. The water needs to be in the ground for plants to bloom and vegetables to grow.

When the rain falls, the water still makes it through the mulch and into the soil. The mulch then protects the soil from water evaporation and frost. This keeps water where it needs to be, around the root system of your plant. The moisture in the soil is how plants absorb nutrients. By retaining more water, you are maintaining a plant’s food source, prompting growth and increasing yield. Protecting surface water with mulch results in bigger and better blooms and more successful vegetable harvests.

Work With The Sun And The Seasons

Timing is everything. Your garden, plants, and vegetables all change throughout the day and go through periods of work and rest just like we do. To save water and sustainably nourish plants they must be watered at the right times of the day. How much and how often plants are watered will change through the seasons too. Just like humans, they have a feeding routine that they need to stick to for better health and growth.

What time of day you water your plants is incredibly important. The best rule for green-fingered gardeners is to only water when the sun is low in the sky. For most of the year, this means watering plants either early in the morning or early in the evening. When temperatures are higher in the spring and summer your garden may need attention day and night. In cooler months, most plants, grasses, and vegetables will only need one serving of water per day. Seasonal precipitation will do the rest.

Wash Pots Then Water Pots

The kitchen sink is a goldmine for sustainable savings. The water we use to wash dishes, clean vegetables, and even clean clothes can all be saved and reused to water plants or the lawn. By choosing ecologically friendly detergents, you can feed your plants and vegetables with the wastewater from the washing-up bowl.

This technique is perfect for watering potted plants. If you are willing to make some minor changes in your washing-up routine, you can switch your kitchen drain to a water butt and save it for later. This is great for watering the lawn. You do have to be careful about what goes down the plug hole, and remember to use cleaning products that are friendly to the environment.

Taking these steps towards water sustainability helps you save money and the planet and helps your garden bloom. Use the water that you have more efficiently, save as much as you can, and reuse household wastewater to keep your garden healthy with these sustainable tips.