Tuesday, August 26, 2008
How to Reduce Your Garden Water Bill
During the heat of summer, most avid gardeners find themselves torn between having a beautiful yard and garden and paying much higher water bills. In some areas of the country, there are even restrictions as to how much watering you can do on your yard and garden during certain times of the year. There are actually many ways you can reduce the amount of water you use in your garden though, which also reduces your water bill, and makes the restrictions of your neighborhood not a problem.
Water under your plants instead of over them. When you spray water on top of your plants, and on the leaves, they are not able to absorb it overly well. This is even worse during the hotter days of summer, because the water evaporates quickly. And, if the sun is extremely hot when you spray the plants, they can actually be burned. A much more efficient way to water the plants, is to water them from the underneath along the ground. By watering the ground that the plants are in, the water is able to seep down and reach the roots which will help water the plants with very little of the water evaporating into the air.
Along the same lines, make sure you do not just sprinkle the ground around the plants. This is known as shallow watering, and it primarily just wastes the water. Because the water is not able to soak into the ground, it never reaches the roots of the plant you're trying to give water to. And on hot days, that light sprinkle of water will simply evaporate into the air.
Water early or late. If you water your yard and garden in the middle of the day, you will again notice that the water evaporates before it has a chance to benefit your plants. By watering early in the morning, the water has a chance to soak down into the ground before it gets too hot. The same applies when you water late in the evening, but in some parts of the world this can cause problems such as promoting diseases and fungus growth.
Avoid using water sprinklers. Water sprinklers are yet in another way in which water can be wasted when you're trying to water your yard and garden. Again, because the water is being thrown around in the air, and landing on top of your plants, it has a tendency to evaporate quickly. A much better way for both the health of your plants, and your water bill, is to use a drip or soaker hose system.
Water under your plants instead of over them. When you spray water on top of your plants, and on the leaves, they are not able to absorb it overly well. This is even worse during the hotter days of summer, because the water evaporates quickly. And, if the sun is extremely hot when you spray the plants, they can actually be burned. A much more efficient way to water the plants, is to water them from the underneath along the ground. By watering the ground that the plants are in, the water is able to seep down and reach the roots which will help water the plants with very little of the water evaporating into the air.
Along the same lines, make sure you do not just sprinkle the ground around the plants. This is known as shallow watering, and it primarily just wastes the water. Because the water is not able to soak into the ground, it never reaches the roots of the plant you're trying to give water to. And on hot days, that light sprinkle of water will simply evaporate into the air.
Water early or late. If you water your yard and garden in the middle of the day, you will again notice that the water evaporates before it has a chance to benefit your plants. By watering early in the morning, the water has a chance to soak down into the ground before it gets too hot. The same applies when you water late in the evening, but in some parts of the world this can cause problems such as promoting diseases and fungus growth.
Avoid using water sprinklers. Water sprinklers are yet in another way in which water can be wasted when you're trying to water your yard and garden. Again, because the water is being thrown around in the air, and landing on top of your plants, it has a tendency to evaporate quickly. A much better way for both the health of your plants, and your water bill, is to use a drip or soaker hose system.
