6 water conservation suggestions for your garden

Conserving water for your garden can help you improve the look of your property and it is also better for the environment. Here are 6 water conservation tips that will help you make the most of this important resource.

Program your sprinkler system or manually water your garden early in the morning. This helps the water penetrate the soil before the sun rises and provides moisture throughout the day even when the sun reaches its high point. Watering at night can work as well, but the water often sits too long in the soil with this method and can promote the growth of fungus and mold.

You can group plants based on their watering needs to allow sprinkler systems to target a wide area without over- or under-watering plants. For example, if your garden has vegetables such as cucumbers, zucchinis, squash and pumpkins, they usually require about the same levels of water. Also think about planting drought-resistant plants and flowers such as threadleaf tickseed, bluestem, Russian sage and sea lavender.

Well-designed irrigation and sprinkler systems can be helpful for ensuring that you direct water to the proper areas of your garden and lawn. However, Canadians dealing with harsh winters need to make sure they properly winterize their systems. Otherwise, water can freeze inside and lead to burst pipes and water loss over the long term.

To winterize your irrigation system, ensure that it is completely drained of water before freezing temperatures hit. One of the best ways to do this is with the blow-out method, which uses highly pressurized air attached to the mainline of your irrigation system to blast out any water. However, the process requires proper safety and eye protection. If you are unsure about carrying out this process yourself, consider hiring a contractor to ensure proper winterizing of your irrigation system.

This is a simple yet effective way to conserve water. Rather than allowing rain water to run into streets and sewers, place a rain barrel at the end of your downspout to collect the water caught by your gutters. You can then use this water to water your plants during dry spells.

Using mulch in your garden can help plants retain moisture and stop evaporative loss, so be sure to use this around flowers, trees and shrubs. Also, try to use soils and composts with water-retaining gels or granules in your containers and hanging pots as these can help keep your plants moisturized for longer periods of time.

Although a nice, big lawn can look great, it is important to break up your lawn with trees and shrubs if you truly want to conserve water. These larger plants can help soak up water, reduce water runoff, stop soil erosion and provide shade for other plants that need less sun or water. On top of all that, they also help soak up carbon dioxide and thus improve the atmosphere.

With these methods, you can greatly improve the look of your garden, give your plants the water they need and help conserve water resources.