What are the easiest things to do to start conserving water in the garden?

Question

I'm starting a garden in a new space this year and I'd like to be more earth friendly. Watering the traditional way is a little difficult because it's an urban space and hoses and whatnot aren't available. Does anyone have suggestions on ways to reuse water or conserve water?

Answer 1

Aside from collecting rain water (which might not be such a good idea, as it can lead to mosqiutos finding your yard as a great spawning place), you can water your plants either a hlaf hour before sunrise, or right after sunset - this will allow the max water to be absorbed without evaporation - watering at night can cause fungal growth.

Although its expensive, a drip irrigation system might work. You can make manual drip irrigation by taking empty soda bottles a pricking a hole in them, and spiking them into the ground next to plants - that will provide water over a period of time directly to the roots - nothing lost.

Answer 2

Everyone is right about collecting the rain water.  However, you should also plant drought hearty plants that don't require so much water.  Also plant plants and flowers that are native to your area.  They require less water as well.

Answer 3

install a grey water collection system?

http://www.greywater.net/

Answer 4

collect rainwater from your house gutters.  

put a gallon jug filled with water into your toilets to reduce it filling completely.

take shorter showers.  

always large loads in the laundry and filled dishewasher.

In the summer, I have two large dehumidifiers in my house.  I  used that water for my garden-both tanks are usually filled in about 2 days.

Answer 5

have a few buckets or a tank that can collect rain water.

could also have some plants that dont need alot of watering

Answer 6

One thing that you can do is to cover the areas with 2"-3" of mulch to prevent loss of moisture due to evaporation, as well as to add organic material to the soil.  If you live in  urban area and can compost your waste, use the compost to add to your garden.  Good compost with adequate organic material will hold on to the moisture in the soil.

When you water, you don't vae to water indiscriminately, use a watering can and water at the roots.

Lastly, plant items that are native to your conditions.  Discuss this with your local nursery.

Best of luck.

Answer 7

Ideally drip hoses would be the way to go.  But, since you imply you may be using a watering can, bucket or some such thing, water in the evening so that less water has a chance to evaporate and pour the water close to the plants' roots.

If you wash dishes by hand, that water can be used in the garden.  Collect rain water.   But, be sure to use it before mosquito larvae have a chance to develope.

Answer 8

plant drought tolerant plants

remember that if you use 'waste water or grey water' for your plants what is in the water they will absorb and will taint the taste of any edible foods you grow IE soapy water from a bath or laundry the soapy taste will be in the veggies you grow.Best thing is to set up rain barrels on downspouts and collect the water that way 45 gal plastic drums are relatively cheap 10.00 are reusable year after year place a screen over the opening to prevent a mosquito breeding area

Answer 9

Besides mulching, there's a product that can be worked into the soil that captures and holds water. The water don't soak down into the soil as much and it's held around the roots. This is especially good if there's no way of getting water to the area.

Mulching keeps evaporation down, as well as retarding weed growth. It can also hold moisture.

Answer 10

RAIN WATER HARVESTING,CONSERVATION & SOIL CONSERVATION

has been done already since Babylonian times,and is a part of the more advanced Agriculture,that existed with the Egyptians,,Moors, Arabs and probably many more

Initial energy on Extensive earth works to shape the land to be receptive to water absorption,is to be recommended.

Make terraces when farming on slopes

use living and any other type of barriers on steep slopes to collect and contain any organic material that is about and mobile

In Permaculture the rule is to harvest water to the point of Zero runoff.

This means that all of the rain that falls on an area is absorbed by the terrain and not a drop leaves it.

By building dams,ponds or Swales, with inter connecting ditches,

Bio swales to absorb water

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

If there are enough of these ;the places ,where before ,the rain water ran over the ground into the rivers and on to the sea ,in a matter of hours or days.

It now runs into absorbent dams or Swales and saturates the ground and eventually reaches subterranean water deposits ,taking many months to do so.

Or it fills up ponds that can be used for Aquaculture.

And so a convex situation that repels water is transformed in a concave ,absorbent one and turning the area in to a sponge.

The more it looks like the moon the better,many holes and if they do not hold the water but leak ,the water is not lost it is in the ground for months

In Spain and Portugal , many examples of ancient Moorish Water harvesting be found ,such as Aqueducts and tanks underneath the patios ,which collect the rain water from the roofs ,.

NOTE

The roof water of a building can run via a ditch ,trough the chicken house ,cleaning it and end up fertilizing the vegetable plot

(this is called the creation of energy flow).

WATER CONSERVATION

IN THE HOUSE one can connect the sink straight to the toilet cistern and so use the water twice ,first to have a shave and then to flush the toilet

also if you bend the ball valve you can regulate the level of the cistern

Always have your Grey water and Black water systems separate,so that the sink and shower water goes directly into the garden saving on irrigation and at the same time ,making the sewage smaller and easier to deal with ,

This also goes and irrigates the garden but via a cistern of two compartments and a French drain ,on which you plant trees,

And cars can be washed with rain water ,it does not have to be drinking water.

ON THE LAND ,

Only use small tractors for initial shaping and earth works

then preferably no till methods

Heavy machinery compacts the soil and will raise salt content to the surface do not have too many Cows

which will do the same

Compacted soil does not absorb much water.

Economic systems of irrigation, like drip irrigation

and water harvesting design,

Use a lot of stone walls ,that condense water in the night

and plant leafy plants ,for the same purpose,

Build wind breaks ,to counter act the drying effects of the wind and farm towards Aggro forestal ,using as many trees as possible to limit evaporation

Using shade nets before we have tree cover

Have some tall scattered shading trees at intervals to break the suns rays.

MULCH & SOIL CONSERVATION

Cut down the weeds before they produce seeds and leave them where they fall.

They will cover the ground add organic matter on top,(you can use saw dust,leaves green or dry),

Plant big leafed plant around the plots to use for mulch

The humidity is preserved underneath and promotes the development of worms(there exists no better compost than their excrements)and a variety of micro biotic life which together within the mulch produce more topsoil.

The mulch also keeps the ground temperature even and guards against the impact of the rain ,which would other wise brings salt to the surface if on unprotected land.

Mulch also prevents the soil from drying out because of the sun and,wind erosion.

Try to minimize disturbing the top soil so that organic structures remain intact and continue working ,building soil.

Plant DIVERSE,in guilds and companion planting to spread the chemical requirements and releases to preserve soil balance,

Do not use chemical fertilizers use compost.

Answer 11

When I was in elementary school, we had this project where we put this plant in a 2 liter bottle, and covered it up with the cap.  The water inside would evaporate, get to the top of the bottle and drip back down.  It was like a mini green house.

Answer 12

The obvious one is to use "clean" wastewater rather than fresh, purified water that's safe to drink. Plants don't require that.

You can bail water from your bath, catch water from your shower (except the part where you rinsed out the shampoo), or set up a catch system for rainwater.

Find a way to store water in or near the garden without letting it evaporate (a Rubbermaid tub with a tight seal?) and get yourself a good watering can. I don't know about you, but I feel more 'involved' in a garden when I water by hand.

Answer 13

Whatever happened to "Rain Barrels"

  During depression, everyone had a rain barrel.

How about a cistern?

Bermuda depends on cisterns.

Answer 14

the easiest way is to choose plants that need very little water.