Conserving Water in the Garden

Here are some tips for conserving water in your garden:

• Water your garden in the late afternoon but not at night. It needs time to let the surface dry so mold and fungus aren't able to damage the plants.
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• Set out buckets to collect rainwater. It's much better for the plants because of the nutrients in it.

• Put newspapers around the plants when they are small and cover them with about an inch of soil. Saturate them with water. This will discourage weeds and slow down the drying process.

• Buy a soaker hose and thread it around the plants. It gets the moisture where you want it, into the soil near the plant and doesn't evaporate like it does with a sprinkler.

• Water generously rather than often. Surface watering doesn't encourage deeper root growth and makes it necessary to water more frequently.

Source: These tips came directly from the school of experience. My family had a garden every year and I was taught right there at home.

By Sandy from Elon, NC