Water is becoming scarce and consequently more expensive, so let's save it. Here are some tips to preserve it.
Limit water loss through evapotranspiration by mulching or sowing green manure (you also encourage the phenomenon of dew), these practices increase the absorption capacity of the soil during heavy rains and prevent the growth of "weeds" that compete for water with your cultivated plants.
Make sure that your soil has a good clay and humus content by making regular compost contributions, you will thus optimize its water and nutrient storage capacity. The use of a root stimulator expands the root exploration zone in the soil and allows plants to better resist periods of water stress.
Prefer underground watering, drip systems localized at the foot of the plants or microporous hoses to avoid wetting the foliage and risking cryptogamic diseases.
Choose plants adapted to the climatic conditions and in particular to the periods of drought if they are common in your region, always keep in mind not to go against nature.
Some examples of plants according to their water needs
Vegetables requiring almost no watering: garlic, onion, shallot, potato, asparagus, artichoke.
Vegetables requiring a lot of water: cucurbits, lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage.
Trees that require a lot of water: willows, alders, poplars, ash trees (they are a real pump to drain your soil; in summer, one of these trees can take several hundred liras per day).
Plants that require relatively little water: gorse, lavender, rosemary, fescue, arbutus, broom, tamarisk, boxwood, houseleek, euphorbia, sedums and, as a general rule, rockery plants, aromatic plants, ornamental grasses, conifers.
Which water to choose?
As far as possible, do not use tap water: it is cold, chlorinated and increasingly expensive!
Prefer rainwater: many models of rainwater harvesters and cisterns are available in stores. Do not hesitate to choose a large storage capacity: the investment will quickly pay for itself.
Did you know that?
1 m2 of roof space can recover about 600 liters of water in one year (depending on the region).
