How not to waste water with the garden

To reduce water waste in your garden (or even your vegetable patch) without sacrificing healthy plants, you can adopt several strategies that involve systems, the right time to water, and how to direct the water jet. 

• Before you start watering, Check actual watering needs by checking the soil moisture by inserting your finger a few centimeters into the soil. Many gardens are overwatered.
• Automated irrigationIt allows you to measure the water supply and, using special testers, suspend it if it rains or if the soil is still damp. The most efficient automatic irrigation is the one to drop It delivers water directly to the roots and can significantly reduce waste compared to traditional sprinklers. The important thing is to periodically check for leaks or clogged nozzles.
• Water at night. The soil isn't too hot, it absorbs water better, there's no rapid evaporation, and the roots of plants and grass aren't stressed. Furthermore, sometimes it's not a choice but a requirement, if the municipality issues a specific ordinance, as increasingly happens in the summer.
• Conchette around the roots. Useful for not wasting water and directing it immediately towards the roots.
• Water on the ground, not on the leaves. It promotes the development of fungal diseases, especially on certain plants (vegetables, roses, etc.). It is useful, however, in the evening, on indoor tropical plants that spend the summer outdoors in the shade, and on hydrangeas, hostas, and other species that prefer high humidity.
• Collect the water. The recovery in tanks or barrels of therain water, and also the one used for washing vegetables and fruit, allows it to be used for watering.
• Using special sheets and shredded bark, wood chips, pine cone scales, hazelnut shells, lapilli, etc., mulching is the solution that protects the soil from moisture loss and the development of weeds.
• Shade delicate plants. In summer, shading nets are invaluable for plants that suffer damage from intense sun and for recently transplanted vegetables; it helps protect from storms with rain and
• Choose your plants carefullyCacti, succulents like agave and elk, and many other species that tolerate heat and drought well are also the best solution for minimizing work and avoiding losses of plants sensitive to extreme heat and drought. Many Mediterranean, African, or Australian flowers can produce very long blooms while still requiring little water.
• Rustic lawn. A lawn composed of heat-tolerant grasses, such as couch grass (Cyonodon dactylon), tall fescue, Pennisetum “Kikuyu” and Poa pratensis “Barimpala”, which germinates quickly and spreads vigorously, uses less water than a fine, delicate English lawn.

Read also:

• How to prepare your garden for the summer heat
• How to decorate your garden with recycled materials
• DIY garden composter