Watering Wisely
‘’Each one of us must do our best to protect our water sources and not waste water. We must teach our children to open the taps only a little while using them. Only if everyone awakens and acts concertedly can humanity continue to survive’’ Amma. Matruvani June 2023.
Amma says that when she sees a leaky tap, she instantly wants to run over to it and try to plug it up any way she can. She says that it makes her feel upset as though she herself is bleeding.
Water was scarce during Amma’s childhood, and she faced daily hardships collecting water from the only water pipe that existed in her village. She would queue up early in the morning only to be able to get water by the evening. When a wind turbine was installed to power a water pump, the villagers had to wait for hours or even days until the wind started blowing. Today, despite the advances in science and technology, the situation in the World is still no better. Today, one in four people cannot access ‘safely managed water’. Amma says that water on earth is drying up, yet we still waste water. In the past people conserved water and respected and worshipped nature. As we look back at June, which was the hottest month on record in the UK, we may start to reflect on how fortunate we have all been so far and think about ways of preserving this most valuable commodity.
So, here are some water saving tips to try in the garden:
Harvest your rainwater. Install a water-butt (or two or three connected) that is linked to a drainpipe to collect the rainwater coming off your roof. As well as at the bottom, also add a tap to the top of your water-butt to make use of the runoff during sudden downpours. This can be permanently linked to a hose pipe that feeds into a soaker-hose watering system in your polytunnel or greenhouse. We have this set-up in out garden, and it works. In the rainy weeks and months, we don’t need to water in the polytunnel at all.
Water your garden in the early morning before the sun is high to prevent it drying up before it has had time to sink into the soil. Watering at dusk is a second best, but watering at night will encourage slugs.
Use a watering can rather than a hose pipe and direct the water towards the base of the plants individually so it goes straight to their roots. Although this takes longer, it saves much water and allows the gardener to check up on the health of each plant too.
Mulch around your plants with homemade or good quality compost. This helps retain water, keeps the soil moist and prevents soil erosion. Adding about 5cms of mulch around each plant protects the surface roots which do most of the work.
Mould a concave shape in the mulch around each plant so that the water ‘puddles’ around the base of the plant and is directed where it is most needed.
Recycle the grey water from the kitchen (make sure there is no soap in it) and keep a container under any old drippy taps to fill up a watering-can that you can keep nearby. Grey water is best for well-established plants such as trees or shrubs rather than seedings or young plants.
Dig a ‘deep-bed’. If you are starting a new garden, consider digging a ‘deep-bed’ which has a layer of well-rotted manure or compost placed at the bottom of the bed. When watering newly establishing plants, soak the bed well but less frequently to encourage the tap roots to follow the water down and grow deeper. When the roots reach the manure layer, the plants grow strong and healthy. Deep-beds allow you to grow plants closer together, which also prevents evaporation on the surface because the leaves of adjacent plants can touch, creating a microclimate beneath their mini-canopy. This also keeps down weeds.
Save the seeds of your drought resistant plants. As the world’s climate changes, our garden plants will need to adapt to droughts and other changes in weather conditions. Saving the seeds of the plants that did well in your garden will mean that they carry these survival genes, and you are more likely to get another healthy crop the following year. More information about seeds and seed saving here.
Make a pond. A pond is nature’s way of capturing water! Sounds obvious, but you only need a very gentle slope to also make use of the natural force of gravity. You can position the pond and design the garden so that the runoff flows where you want it. A pond is also, of course, very beneficial for wildlife and attracts amphibians to the garden that keep the slug population down.
Slow down, sink and spread runoff rainwater in your garden. Learn how to make little spreader dams, earthworks and swales. For more information on utilizing water flow, click here.
In the past people had a deep respect for water. Amma tells us that all homes in India used to have a sacred grove in their grounds where there would be a revered pond and trees such as fig, banyan or peepul. When it became popular to destroy these groves, she says the air and water began to lose its purity. In the UK, it is common to find holy springs existing near churches and other revered sites. It may surprise readers to discover that there is also one running under the MA Centre in Bromley!
We hope this blog may inspire you to save water in your garden, and if you like it, please do follow GreenFriends UK.
Om namah shivaya
Chloe, Eben and GreenFriends
Sources:
Matruvani June 2023
Garden Organic July 23 Newsletter
www.permaculturenews.org
Embracing the World
Embracing the World (ETW) is a global network of humanitarian organisations inspired by the Indian-based humanitarian initiatives of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math. Embracing the World exists to help alleviate the suffering the burden of the world’s poor through helping to meet each of their five basic needs — food, shelter, healthcare, education and livelihood — wherever and whenever possible.
Amma, the founder of ETW, teaches that everyone — rich or poor — has the power to make a difference in the life of another, and that no selfless gesture is insignificant. Rather, it is the selfless actions we perform for one another that hold the keys to true peace — the peace of the individual, the peace of the community and the peace amoung diverse culture, nations and faiths.
GreenFriends
GreenFriends, the environmental branch of ETW, is a rapidly growing, global grassroots movement promoting environmental awareness and local participation in conservation efforts in over 23 countries. GreenFriends’ unique approach integrates ecology with the core values of selfless service and awareness of the unity of all life.
