Watering wisely

Water is a valuable resource even in our climate and we can use various techniques in the garden to preserve it, explains Dr Anton Rosenfeld, knowledge officer of Garden Organic

- Dr Anton Rosenfeld

The predictions are that global warming will bring more extreme weather events, such as high winds and intense rain followed by long dry periods. For the gardener, this means a regular supply of water becomes less dependable, and it is more important than ever that we treat every last drop as a precious resource not to be squandered.

LOOK AFTER THE SOIL

When we think of conserving water, our minds always turn first to water butts, but we shouldn’t neglect the important role of a healthy resilient soil in storing water.

A healthy biologically active soil with good levels of organic matter encourages deep rooting. The deeper the plant roots, the bigger reserve of water that the plant can access. For a typical silt soil, each extra 10cm (4in) increase in rooting depth gives the plant access to 10 more litres of water per square metre. That’s one large watering can’s worth!

Growing green manures with a deep tap root such as alfalfa or grazing rye with a fine root system will help to improve your soil structure so that the roots can make the most of the soil moisture. Adding organic matter such as compost will also help your plants root better, and help lighter soils hold on to water more effectively. Organic matter will also help to promote biological life such as mycorrhizae - fungi that latch on and extend the root systems of plants.

MULCH AND SOIL COVER