Water conservation tips

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Water conservation tips

My area just had another inch and a half of rain, the rain barrel is full and my grass/weed lawn is actually still mostly green!

However, we are headed into the time of year where our yards and gardens can get crispy…  So here are some tips from the University of Minnesota on water conservation:

• Water your garden in the morning, before temperatures rise
• However, water your containers in the afternoon…  yup.  Research shows that container plantings do better if water in the afternoon.  Nope, I don’t know why
• Avoid evening watering, as this can lead to fungal growth
• Mulch, mulch, mulch!  Up to 70 percent of water can evaporate from the soil on a hot day. Mulch is one of the best moisture holding tools you can use. Use coarse mulch at a depth of 3-4 inches.
• Increase organic matter in your soil.  Organic matter absorbs many times its own weight in water, which is then available for plant growth
• For those newly planted plants,  water once or twice a week, so the soil is wet to a depth of 12-18 inches for trees and shrubs or 6-8 inches for annuals. If you’re not sure how much water this is, try this.  Water your garden, wait an hour or so to allow the water to sink in, then dig a hole about 1 foot deep. Is the soil moist at the bottom of the hole? If not, water more. If it is sopping wet, water less.