| Water is arguably our most precious | | | | erosion. |
| resource. All living things need water | | | | 3. Use drip irrigation - preferably |
| to survive. But we don't just want our | | | | under the mulch or soil surface. There |
| productive organic food gardens to | | | | are purpose made recycled hoses |
| survive, we want them to thrive! And a | | | | available now that are perfect for the |
| growing plant uses a lot more water than | | | | job. You can save up to 90% by using |
| one that is just surviving. Every part | | | | drip irrigation rather than a sprinkler. |
| of the plant growing process uses water. | | | | 4. Only water when it is needed and as |
| When plants start to become dehydrated | | | | much as is needed. If you're not sure, |
| they stop photosynthesising, close their | | | | try the finger test. Yes - poke your |
| stomata, stop taking in nutrients and | | | | finger into the soil to see if it is |
| stop growing. It can take a few days for | | | | moist or dry. Make sure the water |
| some plants to recover even if there has | | | | penetrates as deep as the roots, but |
| been no tissue damage. So it is vitally | | | | it's a waste to water any deeper than |
| important not to let your plants become | | | | that. |
| dehydrated (just like yourself). | | | | 5. If you live where summers are really |
| Not enough water can kill or stunt your | | | | hot, plant crops under partial shade. It |
| plants. Sometimes mild water stress can | | | | could be shade from a pergola or tall |
| be a good thing, as it encourages plants | | | | plants such as sweet corn. |
| to send their roots down deeper into the | | | | These are simple methods to reduce your |
| soil, making them more drought tolerant. | | | | water consumption. You could also |
| The aim is to use as little water as | | | | consider collecting your own water. If |
| possible without causing stress. | | | | we all had rain-water tanks attached to |
| Ways to use less water | | | | our houses it would not only give us |
| 1. Create soils that are made up of | | | | clean, free water, but would reduce the |
| humus and organic matter. These soils | | | | amount of water that ends up in our |
| can hold lots of water and plants can | | | | storm water drains. It is also much |
| easily draw it up. It has great | | | | better for food gardens as mains water |
| water-holding capacity as well as having | | | | is often high in salts, chlorine and |
| a high nutrient content. | | | | fluoride. |
| 2. Mulch the soil surface. This reduces | | | | Re-use of "grey" water is also another |
| evaporation, keeping the underlying soil | | | | way to reduce how much water we consume. |
| moist for longer. Any mulch is better | | | | It can be used on lawns and other plants |
| than no mulch, even if it's underfelt | | | | in the garden that are not for food |
| (the older kinds are safer) or | | | | production. |
| newspaper. This also prevents soil | | | | |