July - 2002
Water
conservation
In recent years we have become more aware of the
fact that although we are an island and surrounded by water, there has been a greater
demand by all of us on our fresh water, and with many people having a metered water
supply, the need to conserve that precious commodity has become even more important. On
this page I have hopefully given some useful information about water storage, usage and
conservation:
In the garden
Reducing evaporation in the soil will
also reduce the need for watering. If your soil has a dense covering of plants, the hot
sun will not get through, the ground will stay cooler and water will evaporate less.
Conserve rain water by diverting it into
storage facilities or ponds, from your house, garage and greenhouse roofs. This will save
you money if you have a water meter, and plants and fish will thrive on natural rain water
rather than hard tap water with chemicals in it.. Ensure that leaves and
debris are kept out of the storage facility by fixing a mesh grill to act as a filter.
Water storage facilities need to be light proof and situated in a cool part of the
garden.
Using mulches on the soil will conserve
water and add goodness to the soil. Mulches can be bark, compost, coco-shells or even
grass cuttings. If you do use grass cuttings, be careful that they don`t turn into a solid
mat that prevents rain from penetrating. I find mushroom compost good value for money and
have recently had two lorry loads delivered, which has given me a three inch covering on
all of my borders.
Increase water retention in soil by
ensuring there is a high level of organic matter worked in. Have a go at making your own
compost using vegetable peelings, used tea bags, grass cuttings, used compost and of
course plants that have finished flowering. You can also use organic material that has
been shredded. Mine never looks quite as good as in books or on TV, but it does an
admirable job.
Watering your garden is best done in the
later part of the day when it is cooler, and preferably not windy. Only water the garden
when the plants look a little sorry for themselves and give the soil a thorough soaking,
getting right down to the roots. Don`t worry about your lawn - even though it may turn
brown through lack of water - it will survive, and soon green up when the rain
comes. You may consider an irrigation system worth installing, it is something I would
certainly do if my garden were smaller.
In the house
Saving waste household water for the garden
will save you money if your water supply is metered. Much waste water is suitable for
watering plants, and down pipes from baths and sinks can be fitted with diverters which
allow the water to be collected. Be aware that waste household water needs using fairly
quickly as it will soon become stagnant, and don`t attempt to recycle water from toilets
or dishwashers.
A shower will use far less water than a
bath, but if you prefer bathing, try to share a bath with a friend as the authorities told
us to do in previous water shortages! To save wasting water, fill kettles only with the
required amount of water, put a brick in the toilet cistern, and finally, don`t leave taps
running...
Weeding
The chemical companies make a fortune out of weedkillers and for those who
like tidy neat gardens with little effort, they are a necessity. The following chemicals
serve all my different weeding needs:
Pathclear is applied once a year, in the Spring, on
my patio, drive and path areas. It keeps these areas weed-free for the whole season.
Roundup is for the stubborn stuff such as Dandelions, docks,
nettles, bindweed, thistles and brambles.
 I am gradually eliminating all the weeds from our garden having lived
here for three years, and putting a thick mulch on the borders has definitely zapped the
weeds there. However the annual weeds such as the prolific `Rose Bay Willow Herb` will
always be around and will just get pulled out as they appear. It can be quite therapeutic
to do a spot of weeding by hand, and is one of the pottering sort of jobs that I enjoy,
much like dead-heading the flowers that are finished...
Next month I will be spotlighting taking
cuttings..
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