This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
For eco-responsible gardeners, water conservation remains an important issue. How can we reduce our consumption of drinking water without compromising the beauty and production of our flowerbeds and vegetable garden? How can we deal with municipal restrictions and increasingly frequent periods of intense heat? Let’s see how to take simple and effective actions while preserving our crops.
Healthy water management in the garden starts with good soil work, choosing plants that are suited to their environment, and modifying and improving watering techniques. With these simple actions, you will help optimize your water use while preserving the health of your plants. Here are some valuable tips that will help you achieve your goals.
Good preparation of the soil… and the site
Whether it is ornamental flowerbeds, lawns or vegetable gardens, the quality of the soil directly influences the development of plants. This is why adding organic matter (compost or manure) in the spring or fall improves the water retention capacity of the soil, whether it is clayey or sandy. In flowerbeds and on grass, spreading it evenly on the surface is sufficient, but for the garden, it is preferable to target the species that are more nutrient-hungry in order to provide them with everything they need. In short, why prepare your soil well and take care of the planting environment? Because prevention is better than cure.
We avoid:
• Raised planting beds that dehydrate quickly.
• Row vegetable gardens that increase soil compaction through trampling during harvest.
• Mowing the lawn too short, which promotes drying out and infestations of harmful insects.
We adopt:
• Vegetable gardens in beds that make maintenance and harvesting easier.
• Longer lawn mowing (8 to 10 cm) at all times.
• Planting beds modulated according to the water requirements of the plants that will be installed there.
Water and plants
Choose plants that are adapted to the climate of your region, to the environmental factors of the site (wind, sun, shade, etc.), resistant to drought and plant them according to their water and nutrient needs. These simple actions will have a direct impact. Of course, you will sometimes have to compromise on your plant selection, but with the help of specialists, you will be able to see that there are a good number of species that meet these criteria. Great discoveries await you.
On the balcony
Potted plants require more frequent watering, especially if they are exposed to conditions that promote drying out. Here are some tips for reducing watering:
• use a potting soil designed for container growing;
• add compost (two parts potting soil to one part compost);
• place a saucer under the pots;
• respect the recommended planting space.
7 tips for eco-responsible watering
1. Water the base of the plants, not the foliage.
2. Use, where appropriate, drip irrigation systems which promote watering at the base of the plants in a very targeted manner.
3. Opt for moderate but deep watering to allow good root development of the plants.
4. Lower soil temperature by spreading organic mulch.
5. Weed regularly to reduce competition when watering.
6. Water only as needed. Established plants require less water than new plantings.
7. Do this early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid the water evaporating too quickly when the sun is at its zenith.
Rain is an ecological and free resource of good quality, perfect for outdoor horticultural uses. The installation of water collectors is simple, effective and allows this commodity to be reused during periods of prolonged drought, in the garden as well as on the balcony.
Choose the one that suits you
A good rainwater collector must be of sufficient size (300 to 500 litres). It should be equipped with one or two taps to extract the liquid, have a watertight cover with or without a mesh and, if possible, be mounted on a base. Most supermarkets and garden centres offer several models. For large gardens, opt for a model that allows you to connect one or more collectors that will empty into each other as needed. The choice is yours.
This content was produced by the Special Publications Team of Dutyrelevant to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part in it.