Advice on efficient watering
Watering is necessary during the hot season. But as water has become expensive and rare, it must therefore be used effficiently and economically.
Here's some tips:
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Water as late as possible in the evening as the soil will be cooler , thus reducing evaporation on contact.
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You should be more attentive to young plants, as they need more regular watering than older ones.
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Plants in pots or trays need watering almost everyday during very hot weather. Water slowly so that the substratum soaks up the water properly.
- If your soil is heavy, water less often but abundantly, as heavy soil keeps humidity for a long period. If soil is light, water more often as the water doesn't stay long.
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Allow plants to thirst a little between waterings so that the root system develops deeper in the soil. Watering on the surface encourages roots to develop on the surface, leaving them more exposed to drought.
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Avoid watering the leaves of plants subject to cryptogamic diseases like rose bushes, tomato plants or members of the melon family in the vegetable garden.
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If the soil is compact, hoe the foot of the plants. Water will penetrate deeper in the soil. 'A good hoeing is worth two waterings' as the saying goes. This advice also applies to garden boxes.
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Get rid of weeds, which compete with your plants for water.
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To avoid evaporation of water, mulch your soil with pine bark, grass clippings, paper or cardboard. Mulching will protect your soil from sunlight (which heats the soil) and will help retain the humidity underneath. It will also stop the development of weeds. It is equally efficient in pots and trays exposed to sunlight.
Did you know ?
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About half of all water used during the Summer is used to water lawns, gardens and vegetable patches.
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A lawn sprinkler which sprays 19 litres of water per minute uses one and a half times as much water in one hour as 10 toilet flushes, 2 five-minute showers, 2 dishwashing cycles and a big clothes wash.
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The human body loses 2,4 litres of water per day. The human being replaces this partly by drinking and the rest by eating.