Conserving water can be a gardener's best contribution

Conserving water, to me, is a bit like learning to eat healthier or recycle materials at home. It’s a habit … a lifestyle change. And it’s an important one.

On Tuesday, one of the top news stories on WRAL.com was Raleigh Could Soon See Tighter Water Restrictions. I can tell you from experience, the best time to begin conserving water and establishing responsible water usage practices is when we’re not scrambling through a drastic emergency water restriction. Consider changing your habits now, so that you can incorporate them into your daily lives, rather than grumbling at enforced restrictions.

Here are some best practices I’ve learned about over the years. Some of these I’ve incorporated to my gardening repertoire; some I still grumble about during enforced restrictions.

• Supplemental watering is more important to young plants than established ones.
• It’s okay for your fescue grass to brown out and go dormant during times of drought; watering keeps it active and prolongs the inevitable … plus it encourages the roots to grow nearer to the surface and weaken the grass.
• Use a soaker hose, placed at the base of your plants, so that water can slowly trickle down, directly saturating the root system (a saturated root system can mean that you need to water less frequently).
• Mulch around the base of your plants to keep weeds at bay (they can steal precious water away from viable plants) and hold in moisture.
• Collect rainwater when it rains. You can use the formal (and sometimes expensive) rain barrels from your local Public Works and Utility Department, or you can use buckets or inexpensive plastic trash barrels. Set them out in your garden to collect falling rain; be sure to keep a lid or screen on top to keep out unwanted debris and to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. For serious rainwater collectors, you can hook up your collection vessel to your rainwater down spout to catch water rolling off of your roof. Note, however, that there is some conversation about chemicals from roof shingles may effect healthy plants … I don’t know that I prescribe to that notion, though.
• I have a terrific gardening book, Movable Harvests: The Simplicity and Bounty of Container Gardens, by Chuck Crandall and Barbara Crandall, that suggests keeping buckets in the bathroom. Put them under the tap when you turn on the tub or shower. When the bucket is full, sit it out on the porch to acclimate to the ambient air temperature.
• Water in the morning on a calm day (or if restrictions are in action, on your allotted day) … and DON’T water if rain is forecast for the day.
• Grow drought-tolerant, or water efficient plants.
• Enrich soil with compost or peat moss.
• Check your sprinkler systems to make sure all couplings and hoses and other equipment to make sure there are no leaks or loose seams. Adjust the timer so that it won’t water on rainy days or the day after.

What water conservation tips do you have?