One thing to consider when trying to garden is your water usage. How can you make the best of what the earth supplies to garden and save money at the same time?

Garden Smart

Think about how you can strategically garden to minimize water use.

Water your garden in the early morning hours (before 9 or 10 am) This allows the plants to hydrate before the heat sets in.

Maximize native drought tolerant plants.

Group plants together according to their water needs. Your drought tolerant plants will not need to be watered as much as the more thirsty plants allowing you to concentrate most water usage to one area.

Water plants directly at the roots. Use a drip irrigation system if you can. You can use gallon drink containers with small holes poked in the bottom to slowly drip water your plants.

Set your watering system to a timer to minimize waste.

Keep weed out. They are unnecessary water suckers.

Mulching your bed keeps the soil moist and cool. Mulching also helps keep weeds from rooting.

Compost helps you soil retain water.

Rain Barrels

Rain barrels are an option that allows you to save water to use in your garden. It’s a much better option than letting your sprinklers run non-stop especially if you live someplace were water is at a premium.

Considerations

Place your barrels close to your crops and be mindful of potential mosquitoes.

Depending on the size of your garden you may need several containers placed around the garden. Many barrels can be fitted with spouts for a hose and gravity fed.

Many cities have programs that provide rain barrels but it yours doesn’t you can build your own or simply use a covered container with small holes that allow for collection of water.

I use mosquito dunks. Water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes so the dunks will Kill any larvae and eggs before they hatch. Dunks are safe for crops.