Keeping your garden green during a heatwave whilst saving water and cash

MSE_James

With much of the country experiencing a prolonged spell of dry, warm weather, we were wondering what your MoneySaving (and water-saving) tips for looking after your garden might be.

This NASA image shows that the effect of the drought is visible from space:

https://twitter.com/liamdutton/status/1557428329669615617  

One Dorset man has prepared well, collecting 440 gallons of rainwater over the winter:

https://metro.co.uk/2022/08/10/dorset-dad-stored-2000-litres-of-rainwater-to-save-garden-from-drought-17162643/

But for those of us who haven't planned in advance, what are your tips for protecting your plants when there are hosepipe bans in place (or likely to be soon), minimising the use of water and the cost too?

twopenny

Bit late for this crisis James.
Possibily setting sections of pipe with holes drilled in the buried part for spot watering of large pots and established trees and shrubs. Around the latter not just one.
You can use buried water bottles with the end cut off and sticking out for veg and shrubs, trees. 

 Collect water you use running the hot water, use washing up water. Put a wide topped bowl,jug in the shower.
Unfortunately a lot of these things don't apply with the new boilers and dishwashers.

When there is wet late spring put mulch down or stones, gravel to keep damp and roots shaded.

However when it's got to this stage of months without rain you can only hope to keep the roots alive in the hope they recover for next year.

twopenny

Any pots small enough sink in a bucket of water.
Wait for the bubbles to stop and remove. 
This should last a few days.

Larger pots that can be lifted put in a washing up bowl of water.
Tip a good bit of water over the top of the pot. You should have some bubbles appear meaning the air round the roots has been forced out.

Fill a finished bottle that contained milk and use to water. It will produce a little nutrient.

fatbelly

All my washing up water goes outside now. Doesn't matter is there is a bit of soap in it or a few bits. Anything in pots is getting soaked every day. It's 8 pm now and still 27 degrees so plants are drinking like mad.

The grass is still looking not too bad - guessing it's the tlc I gave it earlier on as it hasn't seen water for a few weeks.

Woolsery

The Dorset man has prepared well because he  has the finances, foresight and the free time to do what he's done, but in a well run modern country it shouldn't be necessary for individuals to take precautions against the loss of basic amenities.

It's a little late to read 'The Dry Garden' by Beth Chatto and garden appropriately this year, but it's only about a tenner and I suspect this isn't the last time we'll face the prospects of a drought, especially on the eastern side and around the metropolitan heat island.

flowercandle

It’s never to late to start saving water. Be ready for the next heatwave. For the plants I mulch well in spring and all year round I empty the leaves out of used teabags onto the soil and over a year it really makes a difference. I also bury chopped up banana skins. I got two Water butts and I use old 10 litre paint tubs to store water in too (if u keep the lids you can stack em and put a plantpot on top) - any local decorator would gladly give them to you! 

KxMx

My boiler is currently in eco mode, so takes a long time to get the water hot enough to use.
I stick a watering can under the tap while it's heating and fill it up with the run off. 

WeAreGhosts

I'm showering with a bucket - running off the first 10 seconds of water that's freezing, that goes in the bucket & then stand I the bucket next to me, it's amazing how much it catches. Also, if you have a shower over the bath put the plug in and then scoop the collected water into a bucket. I watered a decent amount of the garden with it this evening.

(at the same time, my neighbour was filling up the large paddling pool for his grandkid. we don't have a ban, yet, but soon will do, so felt a bit of a berk scooping bathwater out  )

twopenny

I also use the run of cold water waiting for the hot to come through.

It's at leas 3 or 4 litres each time. It goes in a watering can, bucket outside the back door and then into an inherited dustbin I painted ready for the garden.

Normally it saves for the hot spells but it hasn't rained more than once briefly in over 2mts so all waterbutts are empty.

Now washing up water used for established trees or plants, tomatoes. Not small pots as they can't deal with the soap.

I also have a dripping gutter so when we do get rain a bucket goes under. Amazing just how much is collected.

Alnat1

As this is MSE can I say, why run all that water from the kitchen tap until it's hot? If you get 4l out before it's hot, it means 4l of hot is left in the pipes after you turn the tap off, then it goes cold! Cheaper when washing up to boil 1/2l in the kettle and top up with cold water. Also, wash hands in cold water (unless very greasy/dirty) and don't let the boiler fire up/tank empty.

Doesn't help with watering plants but would save you money.