Many individuals love gardening, but it is not always easy to create a great garden, especially in areas where there are water-shortages.
Growing plants and even a vegetable garden in containers is one method of getting around water shortages, water restrictions and droughts, when the correct strategies are utilised.
Save Water at Home with Container Gardening
Some individuals have tried container gardening but have given up due to the fact that they have to water more frequently and often do not have the time, or because commercial potting mixes tend to dry out quickly, causing container gardens to actually repel water.
Here are some great ideas to save water at home by using the correct containers to create a container garden that can provide you with an abundant harvest:
Using the wrong containers for your garden can result in them drying out because they allow too much moisture water-loss. Avoid using porous planters such as terracotta or using coconut/coir fibre liners in hanging baskets as they leach nutrients and moisture too rapidly.
Dark containers heat up too quickly because they provide little insulation, making the potting soil dry out too quickly, which can damage the roots of the plants. If you already have dark coloured pots, place them in the shadier areas of your garden.
Use self-watering containers that slowly ‘wick’ moisture up from the bottom or install upturned bottles (with holes in the lids) or drip irrigation to trickle water into your planter to ensure that you do not over-water. You can also use water-spikes that will direct moisture into the root zone where it is most needed.
Put pot saucers beneath your containers so that excess water does not run out the bottom but can be ‘wicked’ back up into the pot; add a thin layer of coir peat or gravel to the saucer to prevent mosquitoes breeding.
Make your own potting mix by adding moisture-holding ingredients like rehydrated coconut fibre, which is hydrophilic, or vermiculite, which also holds moisture and minerals, and is an efficient insulator that will help extend times between watering.
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