Watering is necessary during the summer period. But water is an expensive and scarce resource, so it should be economical and efficient.
Here are some tips to save water
Prefer watering in the evening, as late as possible, so that the soil is cooled to avoid immediate evaporation on contact.
For young plants, it is advisable to be more vigilant and to water more regularly than well established plants.
In pots and tubs, your plants require almost daily watering during hot periods. Water gently, so that the substrate soaks up the water.
When your soil is heavy, it is better to water heavily and less often because it retains moisture longer. In a light soil, you will have to water more often, because the water does not stay.
Let your plants suffer a little between two waterings so that the root system develops in depth. A superficial watering favors a surface development of the roots and thus makes them more sensitive to drought.
Do not wet the foliage of plants sensitive to fungal diseases such as roses, tomatoes or curcubitaceae in the vegetable garden.
Water your heather plants with recuperated rainwater. To do this, install a tank under a gutter outlet. Or simply leave a trash can open in a corner of the garden.
Hoe at the foot of the plants when the soil is compact. The water will penetrate deeper into the soil. "One hoeing is worth two waterings". This advice also applies to planters.
Remove weeds that compete with your plants.
To prevent water evaporation, mulch your soil with pine bark, grass clippings, cardboard or newspapers for example. The mulch will form a protection against the rays of the ground that heat the soil and will allow to keep a certain humidity underneath. Mulch will also prevent weeds from growing.
Mulch is also very effective for pots and planters in full sun.
Did you know?
- Approximately half of all water treated during the summer is used to water lawns, gardens and vegetable gardens.
- A lawn sprinkler that sprays 19 liters of water per minute uses half as much water in one hour as it takes to flush 10 toilets, take two five-minute showers, run two dishwasher cycles and do a full load of laundry.
- The human body loses 2.4 liters of water per day. We replace some of it by drinking and the rest by eating.
Source: Environment Canada
