How to conserve water in your garden

Kim Stoddart, editor of The Country Smallholder’s sister magazine, Amateur Gardening, and a leading expert on more resilient methods of food growing, looks at how to conserve water in your garden during the hot, dry months.

My private water supply can run very low indeed during the summer months when the weather is dry, so I’ve learnt how to enable plants to make do without having as much liquid refreshment on tap. After such a wet, wild start to the year, full water butts are no doubt at the ready for many, but here are some ideas for making life easier while also benefiting person, plate and planet this summer.

USE GROUND COVER
Bare soil will dry out quickly when exposed to the glare of the sun, so ground cover plants will help keep moisture in the soil for longer, as well as helping you to make the best use of edible space.There are many ways to help protect the ground depending on the crops you like to grow. From sprawling umbrella winter squash leaves trailed around plants, to filler crops such as nasturtium, salad leaves and rocket, work with what you like to grow to help plug those gaps.

I like to use a lot of stone in my gardens and find it works incredibly well in myriad ways. It is freely available in my area as field stones are often left by the side of the road and building rubble is frequently seen. I get very excited about both and when a veg bed is getting established, I will use stones of all sizes to help prop up plants, cover the soil and help deter neighbourhood cats from attempting to go about ‘their business’ on newly-mulched soil.

This technique is especially useful in the community garden I run for Creuddyn, asI’m only there a few times a month and it enables plants to thrive and grow in this low maintenance way whatever the weather. Using stone in this way also helps attract beneficial predators such as spiders and ground beetles, and can protect against an excess of rain in the process.

Always make sure that the area is relatively slug-free before adding stones (they like to hide under them), though having said that, large stones can be used to encourage slugs into one place for easier removal. Otherwise, over time, natural predators will also use the stones as a refuge and can really help with natural pest control. If stone isn’t available to use, work with what you can find in your area. Pots, wood, card board and bricks for example could all be used in a similar and effective way.

MAKE YOUR WATERING COUNT
Water deeply and for longer (on the ground, especially around thirsty plants) early or later in the day when weather is cooler, and then it can permeate deeper. Surface watering, especially in hot weather, will dry out quickly. Soil that isn’t dug and which is well composted or mulched and treated naturally without the use of chemicals is likely to have a much better structure as it can hold onto water for longer to benefit your plants. The many creatures that lie beneath, such as earthworms, are valuable garden assistants if they are left to thrive.

MULCH, MULCH, MULCH
Many ingredients can be successfully used as ground cover around especially water-hungry plants to help lock water in for longer. This is especially handy for container growing, or if you are going to be away, during a prolonged period of heat and drought. Water deeply and then apply a thin layer of compost, grass clippings, wood chip, leaf mould, chopped and dropped plant material, anything you have to hand can work incredibly well for longer-lasting, easy results.