Multiple heat waves have wreaked havoc on our lawns this year, but there are methods to be both water-conscious and achieve your greenest lawn yet. This is according to environmental gardening expert Angela Youngman, whose latest book, The Water-Efficient Gardener, explores how we can shield our gardens from climate change impacts whilst transforming them into vibrant and biodiverse sanctuaries.
Groundwater depletion, devastating floods and severe drought periods are all increasing, making water-conscious gardening practices more crucial than ever, she explains. “All you’re doing is wasting water. We haven’t got enough water to keep lawns alive and they will come back in autumn,” she says according to The Independent.
“But in high summer if you have a heatwave, it makes sense to use a digging fork to put a few holes in the lawn so that when the rain comes it’s got somewhere for the water to go, it stops the lawn becoming too compacted and the water won’t drain away on to your path or where you don’t want it to go.”
Even without a hosepipe ban in place, steer clear of using a hosepipe as it tends to scatter water haphazardly, Youngman warns. Instead, opt for a watering can and direct it towards the plant’s base, not the foliage. In fact, she says a watering can offers greater precision for targeted watering.
Automatic watering systems can be very efficient because you can time them to trickle out at the plant’s roots for a certain period. In greenhouses, you could place plant pots on capillary matting, which soaks up water like a sponge and then distributes it more slowly.
Alternatively, soak strips of capillary matting to dip into your plant pots from, say, a bucket of water, like a wick.
You can also use grey water, to save on bills. Youngman says that water which has been used for washing vegetables, rinsing, or even cooking (used for boiling veg in a steamer, for instance), is perfect for watering your plants, once it is cool.
“It can also absorb nutrients from eggs and vegetables which have been boiled in cooking.” Just make sure not to add any salt to the water when you are cooking, which will make the water unsuitable for watering plants.
She adds that you should catch water that has rinsed your vegetables in a washing-up bowl, but don’t use water that you’ve washed greasy plates or other crockery in—and don’t use water in which you have put detergent.
