Moisture, Mulch and Water Wisdom!
Every day is a school day and today I’ve been researching some facts with regards to becoming more water wise! Did you know that we use about two-thirds of our household water on our gardens during the warmer seasons?
Although we’ve had loads of rain, I do have my fingers crossed for a lovely dry and warm summer and there are a few things we can all bear in mind when planting during the Spring which will hopefully save some water in the Summer and benefit our gardens at the same time.
Using large containers can help as they hold more soil and more water
A good quality compost will encourage even water absorption, check out our specially formulated compost here
Adding mulch when planting will really help to keep the soil and the roots damp for longer
Planters manufactured using non-absorbent materials means the water will ideally be absorbed by the compost and plant, check out our planters here
Grow some drought tolerant plants that will survive with less water like our Cordyline and Erysimum
Using saucers underneath planters can really help to catch water and stop it from just running away
Planting in Spring and Autumn is the perfect time for most shrubs as this is when the ground is usually damp
Avoid watering your lawn if possible, the rain can usually cover this for you
As we all know water butts are a great idea to save rainwater for another day. Rainwater is preferred by all plants especially acidic plants such as Rhododendrons as it is slightly acidic. Rainwater is soft water, free of chemicals and salts yet contains some natural feed derived from organic matter from rooftops and also has some low levels of nitrate plant food too
Recycling water when you have a bath or do the washing up is a great idea in the summer and the compost is very clever as it filters out the not so tasty soapy bits! Don’t store used bath or dishwater though as it can go very smelly and avoid watering the leaves of plants as some of your favourite bath soaps and potions could damage them.
Keeping weed growth to a minimum as they will use available water your garden has. – It won’t hurt to have a ‘wild patch’ in your garden containing dandelion or rosebay willow herb as these are loved by pollinating insects but remove before they set seed.
When you are growing trees in your lawn it’s a good idea to chop away the grass to form a 60cm radius from around the stems of trees applying a 5cm thick mulch of bark or grass clippings higher at the edge and lower around the trunk which helps to trap in moisture and supress further weed growth.
I enjoyed having this little re-cap lesson and I will certainly be taking these ideas on board as it’s a win win for us and the environment.
Take care,
Lins x
Lindsey (Customer Service)