Follow these simple water-saving tips to protect your garden throughout the summer.
1. Show your lawn some tough love
- Growing your grass out longer than usual during dry spells can keep moisture locked in the soil.
- Don’t be tempted to frequently water your lawn. Even if it turns brown during warm, dry spells, it will quickly recover once the rain reappears.
- Irregular soakings of water will also help your lawn grow more resilient during future dry spells, as it will start to dig deeper in the ground in search of water.
2. Keep your soil nourished
Through the warmer summer months, your soil may appear dangerously dry at root level. To fix this, digging in a healthy supply of nourishing material will help enrich the soil and make it more absorbent and effective in retaining moisture during dry times. This can be done via nutritious, organic matter, such as compost, leaves, lawn clippings and animal manure.
3. Invest in a water butt
Installing a water butt can save up to 5,000 litres of water each year. Not only do water butts slash your water bills, but the rainwater they catch is preferable for your plants, as opposed to treated tap water.
Shop the range here to find the best suited for you.
Browse our water butts collection here.
4. Water with caution
When watering your plants, try using a watering can as opposed to a hose or sprinkler, as this is a much more efficient water saving method.
A great way to ensure your plants receive sufficient watering through the summer, is via our range of Irrigatia solar automatic watering systems. Using solar power, they detect the weather and alter watering conditions accordingly, diligently feeding your garden to conserve water within your home.
Available in C12 and C24 sizes, the systems are quick and easy to install, saving you money from the second they’re up and running! Shop the range here.
Take a look at our Irrigatia Solar Watering Systems here.
5. Cut down on food waste
Around 7 million tonnes of food and drink is wasted each year in the UK, and more than half of this amount could be eaten.
Our wide range of composters are the perfect answer to depositing your leftover food scraps to minimise waste, and divert food being sent to landfill.
Ranging from the UK’s best-selling Blackwall Compost Converter to the strong and sturdy HotBin - which takes all food waste, including bones and carcasses - we have all your composting needs covered. View our range here.
6. Prioritise young plants and seedlings
Established plants will be more resilient in withstanding longer periods of time with little or no water. Similarly, leaving plants and shrubs to dry out until they slightly start to wilt will cause them no harm. Watering too often however, will cause shallow rooting, and weaken the plant.
7. Invest in water retaining crystals
Water retaining crystals quickly absorb hundreds of times their own volume of water, doubling up as a water reservoir to feed and enrich plant roots, particularly in the heat and threat of draught we’re currently in. They can be used in growbags, or used in the garden for new trees, plants, and shrubs to minimise water loss during watering.
8. Plan ahead with your gardening
In hot weather it’s important that wildlife is cared for too. Rather than watering your lawn, leaving a container or bowl of water for birds to drink and bathe in is just what they’ll need to cope with this heat. Additionally, catering for bees and other insects via a saucer or bowl with water and stones in will keep your garden’s ecosystem thriving.
Watering your outdoor plants in the early morning or later in the evening is the ideal time to stop water from being evaporated in the midday heat. Take care to water the soil so the liquid and goodness goes straight to the plant’s roots.
9. Use greywater in the garden
‘Greywater’ is any water that has been left over from the home, such as from the shower, the sink, laundry water, but excludes toilet water. Greywater from baths and showers can be used to water non-edible plants in your garden. Just make sure the water has completely cooled beforehand, and to not pour it straight onto foliage.
10. Go for drought-resistant trees and plants
With a bit of research, you can find some amazing trees and plants that require little to no irrigation, all whilst storing carbon and releasing fresh oxygen into your garden too. Flowers such as Geums, Anchusa azurea, and Bearded irises are just a few of our favourite drought-tolerant plants.
Similarly, adding a layer of mulch (such as compost or wood chips) around your trees and plants will also help slow the evaporation of moisture within your garden to conserve more water and stop the surface from drying out.