Water Plants Just Enough
Did you know more than 50% of residential water use is spent outdoors? And it’s estimated that some homeowners over-irrigate by as much as 60%! Find out how to keep a beautiful garden while also tending our most precious resource—water.
Your Impact
Action Steps & Tips
Introduction
Plants are good for the soul! However, water is precious and it is important to be careful with our water use. The good news is with a bit of planning you can do both. There are a number of steps you can take to ensure thriving gardens without excess water use. Your plants will thank you—over watering can actually hurt plants and watering the right amount will keep your plants healthy.
1Plan your garden
If you are considering redoing your garden, a bit of planning can go a long way towards lowering water requirements.
Set up microclimates. Plants have different water needs. Watering your entire garden extra to satisfy only the thirstiest plants can lead to overwatering the rest. A lot of overwatering can be remedied by placing plants with similar needs together in “microclimates” to avoid unnecessary irrigation. Setting up microclimates also creates a more self-sustaining habitat for the plants, which will benefit from the shade and moisture of their neighbors.
Consider sun, wind, and shade. In addition, planning your plants around other characteristics of your site like sun, shade, wind, and soil will give your plants a healthier environment and better chance of thriving. Healthy plants need much less water than stressed plants!
Choose natives. Choosing native or drought-tolerant plants for your garden can greatly reduce the amount you need to water your garden.
2Help your soil retain moisture
Add mulch. A hot summer day can zap up to 70% of the moisture in the soil from evaporation. Much of that can stay firmly in the ground by using a good layer of mulch. Mulch can be made of wood chips, grass clippings, shredded leaves, compost or other materials. A layer of 3-8 inches, depending on your garden’s needs, can lower watering needs substantially and also hinder weeds by blocking the light they need to grow.
Add compost. Adding compost to your soil also increases the water-holding capacity of your soil, retaining water and lowering watering needs. Add at least one inch of compost each year.
Remove weeds. Finally, weeds need to be kept in check as they will otherwise steal the water intended for your plants. A good groundcover, complementing your perennials, is another good way to keep weeds down and soil damp.
3Irrigate wisely
Water just enough. It's easy to want to “overwater” plants to make sure they have enough, but it is actually better to give them just enough water. Overwatering can actually stress your plants. Many plants don’t need to be watered every day. Try reducing your watering schedule a bit and observe your plants. They might do fine—or even better—with just a bit less water! Look up the recommended water needs for your plants.
Water efficiently. It’s easy and tempting to reach for the hose, but try using a watering can when your plants are thirsty or set up a drip system that will limit unnecessary water use. You’ll get a feel for how much it really takes to keep your garden happy.
When and where to water. When and where you water makes a big difference. The sun evaporates water quickly, so water early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid evaporation. Most importantly, put the water where the plants need it. Try to water as close to the roots as possible to avoid unnecessary evaporation.
Soaker hoses and drip systems are great at putting the water where your plants need it. They also keep the areas between plants dry which helps limit weed growth. Sprinklers are much less efficient. Learn more about Installing Efficient Irrigation on the action page. If you have potted plants, note that water evaporates more quickly from terracotta pots. If you do have terracotta pots, consider using a smaller non-permeable pot inside.
Start watering! Implement the changes above that make sense for your garden and follow these tips whenever possible and mark this action done!
Extra Credit - Reuse water. Some of the water from our indoor water use like the laundry or shower is suitable for the garden. Find out more from our Install a Greywater System action.