Typically I do not water the garden every day. I have always preferred to allow my plants to weather some of the hot days so they can develop denser root systems as they search for water.
Over the years, this approach has served me well; however, late spring and summers are getting much hotter in our area and I find that I need to water my garden more often between rainfalls. Another factor that increases my water use is that I grow in raised beds more often now than I did in the past, and those dry out faster.
I know my plants thrive when using rainwater and I prefer using it. It is cost effective and nutrient-rich in comparison to faucet water, but when my plants are thirsty, they are not picky. During extremely hot and dry times like we have recently endured, my rainwater supply is quickly exhausted and my plants feel the stress. So I resort to using city water more often.
To save on my water bill and keep my plants healthy, I needed to find effective ways to water less during the summer. To start, I asked myself a series of questions to reevaluate my soil and watering methods.
- Which plants seem to be struggling the most, the ones in raised beds or in the ground?
- What is my soil composed of?
- Is the soil exposed to too much direct sunlight?
- When am I watering?
- Am I watering long enough?
My Observations:
I noticed that the plants in raised beds were struggling more than the ones planted directly in the ground. The soil was drying out too fast because I did not mix my native soil with my bulk purchase of compost. I was lacking dirt –topsoil mixed with some clay soil– so my compost-only beds were drying out fast, especially the ones receiving the most direct sunlight. Those beds often required morning and evening watering while the ground plants were fine with watering once a day three times per week.
I questioned if I was watering long enough; the compost was compacted and it often required longer water soaking than I was providing. With longer periods between rainfalls, I could also use more rain barrels to capture more water as well as a faster method to water so everything would get a good soaking.
My Solutions:
My water saving solutions consisted of amending my raised bed soil where I could by mixing in topsoil/clay soil/fine wood chips with my bulk purchased compost-only beds. Next year, I will purchase that mix of compost and topsoil. Next, I need more rain barrels to capture more rainwater and to incorporate soaker or drip line hoses with an easy on-and-off solar powered switch/lever that is attached to my rain barrels, perhaps even with a timer. Also, cover any exposed soil with wood chips or straw to help keep in the moisture and limit evaporation. Finally, to refresh the leaf foliage early morning top watering is fine but direct root watering and soaker/drip line will be key in limiting water waste and evaporation.
In my desire to have healthy plants and water less, I learned a lot as I answered these questions. I would encourage you to do the same. If you don’t already have or use rain barrels, find a way to incorporate them into your garden layout to help nourish your plants and save on the water bill.
Happy gardening!
Shana Williams
