How can you water your garden in the most efficient manner? For one, we don’t want to over water the garden and create puddles all around. Second, homeowners don’t want to pay for excessive water use. Here, we present to you some smart watering tips for your garden.
Collect and Reuse Water
One of the best ways to reduce your water bill is to reuse water. For example, you could use rainwater landing on the roof by installing a water tank. Even if you have a narrow space, you will likely find a slim tank or any similar water-harvesting equipment to make good use of rainwater. Likewise, you should reuse your cooking water. When you steam your fresh vegetables, you could put it in a container instead of letting it go down the sink. However, you shouldn’t apply it to your garden while the water is still hot since the heat could easily damage or even kill your plants. Instead, it’s best to let the cooking water cool down first.
Similarly, you could collect the water in your shower. While you are waiting for the water to be warm or hot enough, you could collect the cold water by placing a bucket or any sizeable container on the floor. Furthermore, you can reuse the old water in your aquarium if you intend to clean the tank. This water from the fish tank will likely have nitrogen and phosphorous, which are two of the main chemical elements found in fertilisers.
Consider the Weather Forecast and the Soil
A quick way to prevent wasting water is to check the weather forecast on the television or even on your smartphone. Before you water your garden with an automatic sprinkler system or with a hose, you should know if rainfall will likely occur. Not only will you save money, but you will also prevent seeds and seedlings from being dislodged due to an excessive amount of water. On a related note, you should also consider other factors that will lessen the need to water your garden.
For one, seasons such as autumn and winter are characterised by cool temperatures. Compared to the hot summer season, your plants wouldn’t need to be watered as much during these periods. Second, you can reduce the water if your area has a high humidity and isn’t prone to strong, dry winds. Third, plants in your garden that grow in fully shaded or partially shaded areas wouldn’t require as much water as those that receive a lot of sunlight. Consequently, you must consider the soil in your garden. Sandy soils need more irrigation due to their poor water retention compared to clay soils that have a thick layer of moisture-providing mulch.
Use a Hose or a Drip Irrigation System
When it comes to watering your garden, depth matters more than frequency. Even when you water every day but with just a sprinkling of water, you are still forcing the root systems to grow in a shallow area. In comparison, deep watering will encourage root systems to firmly establish themselves in the soil. Specifically, you could water your garden only once or twice as long as the first two inches of the soil become irrigated.
We don’t recommend the use of an overhead sprinkler for your garden. While this is a good option for lawn irrigation, it isn’t good in beds since the water is prone to evaporation. Instead, you should use a hose or a drip irrigation system. These tools allow the water to travel down the soil and root systems faster. In particular, using the best collapsible hose with brass fittings will ensure that your garden receives enough water. This type of garden hose works great because it does not twist, tangle, nor kink due to how it expands during use and shrinks once turned off. It’s a good option if you have limited space in your storage area.
Some collapsible hoses have plastic connectors, but we recommend those with brass connectors due to their durability. Likewise, the brass connectors will likely have metal locks or rubber sleeves to resist extreme water pressure and prevent leaks.
Overall, smart watering could be achieved in many ways. Instead of simply throwing away rainwater or cooking water, you can collect it to irrigate your garden. Likewise, you can save water by taking the weather forecast and natural conditions into account. Furthermore, using the right irrigation equipment will help you provide sufficient water to your garden.
We hope that this article helped you in watering your garden in a more practical and efficient manner.