RHS Water in the Garden

8/2/2019 RHS Water in the Garden

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Saving water, time, and money: simple steps

Choosing plants that survive drought10 top tips to being water wise

.g.k/gg

Water in

the Garden

RHS/TimS

andall


2/6

Get Water Wise

Gardeners use about two-thirds o the domestic water

supply during hot dry spells. This huge demand is hard to

sustain in a drought so, not surprisingly, water companies

encourage gardeners to do their bit to help reduce their

usage. Thankully it is possible to have a beautiul garden

and still be water wise.

Use this leaet to discover our top tips or gardening withoutdraining mains water supplies. Then, i you wondered which

plants can take the heat, see our handy guide inside. Finally,

to fnd out how to make the best o the water you do have,

see our great ways to water section.

We hope you fnd this inormation helpul anddont orget theres plenty more on the RHS

website at .g.k/gg

Qck c

Therightamountofwatering

cansaveyoutimeandmoney,

aswellaswater

Usingrainwaterandgrey

watercanhelpcutyourmains

consumption

Mostlawnsandestablished

treesandshrubsdontneedwatering

Excessiveamountsofwater

simplydrainoutofreachof

plantsroots

Insufcientwatersprinkled

onthesoiljustwetsthesoils

surface-toensureyoure

usingwatercorrectlykeepon

reading


3/6

save Water,

time and moneyReducing the amount o water needed to keep a garden green and growingis surprisingly easy. Using just a ew simple tips its possible to minimisewater use; reduce the time needed to apply it; and even save money i youare on a meter. t bg jg bf,

ten Water-savinG tips

1 Grow drought-tolerant plants thatdont need as much help to survive2 Put saucers under containers so waterdoesnt run away and you can help

reduce the time spent watering

3Limit use o hanging baskets and

utilise water-storing crystals to reduce

the amount o watering needed

4 I possible, plant in spring or autumnwhen the ground is damp5 Avoid watering lawns they soongreen up ater rain

6Install water butts to collect rain

to use in dry spells

7 Mulch in late winter to lock in soilmoisture and prevent weeds growing8 Recycle water rom the kitchen andbathroom (see collecting and using

grey water right)

9

Remove weeds they use water

that your other plants can soak up

10 Prepare soil in autumn and winterto minimise moisture lossKey:savesmoneysaveswatersavestime

Ccg g g w

Plantscanbewateredwith

bath,showerandkitchenwater,

whichiscollectivelyreferredto

asgreywater.Soilandpotting

compostareeffectiveatlteringout

contaminants,includingsoapsand

detergents,sotheresnoneedto

worryaboutusingitonyourplants.

Howeveritisgoodhygiene

practicenottousebathandshowerwateron

ediblecrops.

RHS/NeilHepworth


4/6

Choosing plants to cope with dry conditionsneed not be daunting or costly. Drought-tolerant plants are simply those with cleverways o surviving with little water. Justlook out or the ollowing drought-tolerantcharacteristics

Cool CharaCteristiCs ac contain volatile scented

compounds that are thought to cool oliage

as they evaporate, reducing water loss

F, cc store moisture

or dry spells

G usually signiy drought resistance

h shade themselves with their own

hairs

l g loses less water than sot

leaves

lg, w are very good at shedding

heat without losing water

s shed heat and have ew pores

rom which to lose water

sk act as fns that cool the plant

n cc?

TheRHSPlantSelectorcanhelpyoupickdrought-

tolerantplantsatrhs.org.ukLikewise,theRHSPlant

Finderlistsmorethan60,000plantsandwhereto

buythem.Youcanalsobuyarangeofdrought-

tolerantplantsthroughtheRHSOnlinePlantShop.c.k/-g--g/

Key:planthasanRHSAwardofGardenMeritRHSPerfectforPollinators(attractsinsects)

p

Acanthus spinosus(bearsbreeches)

Alchemilla mollis(ladysmantle)

Dianthus(pinks,sweetWilliam)

Eryngium giganteum(seaholly)

Nepeta aassenii(catmint)Phlomis ruticosa

Phormium(NewZealandax)

Rosmarinus ofcinalisMissJessoppsUpright(rosemary)

Salvia ofcinalisPurpurascens(sage)

Salvia nemorosaOstfriesland

Sedum spectabile(iceplant)

Stachys byzantina(lambsears)

Stipa gigantea, S. tenuissima

(ornamentalgrasses)

Verbena bonariensis.Verbascum(mullein)

sb

Choisya ternata(Mexicanorangeblossom)

Cistus purpureus(rockrose)

Lavandula angustiolia

Hidcote(lavender)

PerovskiaBlueSpire(Russiansage)

Sarcococca hookeriana(Christmasbox)

Skimmia japonica

Stachysbyzantina

Alloftheseplantshaveoneormoreof

thesecharacteristics,ensuringtheyare

toughandeasytogrowonceestablished.

hot plant ChoiCes


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WhiCh WaterinGeQuipment to use?

h produce jets o water that can damage thesurace o the soil, resulting in water running away rom

plants. Solve this by attaching a lance or spray gun

Wg c without a rose (sprinkle head) behave like

hoses, but are more work! With a rose on, there is little run-o

sk have limited uses in most gardens such as

watering a large area ready or planting

ig based on seep and drip hoses allow

water to sink slowly into the soil, but they should only be

allowed to wet the top 30cm o soil

When do plants need Water?The best guide comes rom digging a hole to a spades

depth; i the soil eels damp at this depth watering is not

needed; i it eels dry then some plants will need a drink.

However it is worth remembering the ollowing too:

Drought-tolerantplants,mostlawnsandestablishedtreesand shrubs, and large ruit trees wg

Fruitandvegetablesusuallyc q w

wg. The quality and quantity however, is improved

by watering close to harvest

Whentheleavesarethecrop,suchaslettuce,theplants

should never go short o water. Wg b w

wk b g is usually sufcient

Containersneed q wg because they only

hold a limited amount o water. Apply water when thesurace o the compost appears dry

Great Ways to WaterWatering is not complicated, but there is more to it than just showeringthirsty plants. Here are some tips on how to water plants eectivelyand when to water or the best results

hw w

Applyitatasteadyrateat

thebaseofstems,aswetting

theleavesisawasteThesurroundingsoilshould

staydry,withallthewater

goingtotheroots

Alwayschecktheweather

forecastandonlywaterifnot

enoughrainfalls

Aimtosupplyenoughwatertojustmoistenthetop30cm

(1ft)ofsoil.Excesswaterwill

quicklydrainbelowwheretherootscanreach

RHS/TimSandall


6/6

2012 Royal Horticultural Society, 80 Vincent Square,

London SW1P 2PE

RHS Reg Charity No 22879 / SCO38262

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RHS Water in the Garden