As summers become drier and winters wetter, there's never been a better time to get a water butt or two.
Water consumption in the garden
Plants that are healthy (not under or over-watered) will have similar properties to the plant below.
During the summer, check your garden each morning and assess overnight rainfall and the appearance of your plants. This should give a good indicator of whether your plant will need feeding that day.
Also, by watering your garden in the morning, you are discouraging slugs and pests and allowing the water to draw up through the roots before being hit by the midday heat. This encourages growth and keeps your garden healthy.
Why do I need to think about water use in my garden?
By using a water butt and harvesting rainwater, less water from the tap will be used.
Water butts prevent more than just excess water consumption, they also save each household money. Experts believe that by switching off the hose, consumers will save £1.50 and more than 1,000 litres of water each hour.
Why is a water butt great for the garden?
Besides the financial and environmental benefits of a water butt, adding a water-saving system to your garden means you have water when you need it.
Have you ever found that after prolonged rainfall those plants near your house are drenched and damaged? This may be due to overspill from your gutters. When plants are exposed to too much water, it can overload the soil and plants consume too much liquid as a result. This can cause plants to blister, tear, and rupture in places, which is known as edema.
When a water butt is fitted to downpipes, it filters the water straight into the water butt and takes excess water quickly away from the gutters. This reduces the chances of overflowing pipes and prevents the overspill from landing in the plants below.
