Ways to conserve water use your garden
With drought conditions declared across the country and more areas hit by water shortages due to the heatwave, water companies have started to introduce hosepipe bans in certain areas.
However do not despair, you can still keep your gardens looking beautiful without wasting water. Here we take a look at what you can do to conserve water use in the garden.
Restrictions
During a hosepipe ban, use a garden hose or gun, sprinkler or pressure water for domestic or allotment purposes. This means you cannot water your garden with a hosepipe, fill a swimming pool or paddling pool, clean windows, fill an ornamental fountain or pond with a garden hose or use a hosepipe or pressure washer to clean your car. paths, driveway, decking or patio.
Anyone caught breaching a ban or using hosepipes to water would be committing an offence and could be fined up to £1,000 under the Water Industry Act 1991.
At the time of writing, South East Water, Southern Water and Yorkshire Water have introduced bans with Thames Water set to announce one imminently.
What you can do to save water in the garden
You can still water plants using a watering can, bucket, or using rainwater from a water butt. In some areas, drip irrigation systems can be used but please check the regulation with your local water company.
Gardenesque has a range of self-watering to remove or minimise the stress of watering during a ban. Our self-watering planters are made up of two parts – a pot that holds the plant and soil and a removable tray that sits at the bottom. The tray has small holes so the water can drain into the pot’s reservoir at the bottom. Water moves up from the reservoir through the channels to the main body of the planter when the soil is dry. Excess water is kept in the planter’s reservoir and can be released into the soil when needed.
Rain can be conserved by filling or maintaining a water butt. It’s eco-friendly and an invaluable source of water during dry conditions. They are easy to install and collect water from the roof downpipe into a receptacle that can be used to water plants and containers.
Another solution is to use grey water from baths, showers and washing machine water (from rinse cycles). This is easy to collect in buckets, washing up bowls and watering cans. It is recommended that you use it in 24 hours to avoid any bacteria growth, and direct it as close to the roots of plants as possible.
Don't pour any unwanted water away - use it on your plants, even cooled water from your kettle or leftover from cooking. In hot weather, the RHS says watering in the morning will help discourage pests and diseases, while evening watering can often mean if the conditions are cooler that less water is lost to evaporation.
By following our tips whilst these bans are in force, you can conserve your water supply and keep your garden looking its best, without wasting water and help your plants thrive during the drought.
For more water-saving tips:
