FERGUS – If you have ever been to Bermuda you will notice all buildings have white roofs.
The reason is ingenious. When Bermuda was first discovered in 1503, it was also discovered there was no fresh water anywhere on the island. This is because the island was created from a volcano making it impossible for fresh water springs to develop.
The original inhabitants created a way of harvesting rain water with roof tops made of white limestone, stepped to slow down heavy rainfalls and help the gutters collect all the water to be stored in tanks under the house.
This approach, invented 500 years ago, continues today. All homes in Bermuda are self-sufficient with rainfall supplying all their water needs. Just think, no water rates to worry about.
We use this approach in a smaller way with rain barrels. The rain water is free, 100% natural and very inexpensive to set up.
Your garden plants will be happy and keep growing throughout the summer with water high in nutrients and without the chemicals (chlorine and fluoride) found in tap water. I noticed even with the little rain so far this spring my neighbour’s rain barrels are half full.
How often you water varies depending on the temperature, rainfall, humidity, season, plants and light intensity.
You need to irrigate more frequently when the temperatures are high and plants are growing in full sun.
It’s hard to anticipate the rainfall, however, there are a number of things you can do to help keep lawns and gardens looking good and be more efficient with water usage.
For example, many gardeners tend to water lightly during dry weather. As relaxing as hand watering can be, it is not an effective way to irrigate plants growing in the ground.
Roots only grow where there is adequate moisture. Hand watering results in a shallow root system. Shallow root systems are unable to tap reserves of water deeper in the soil so become prone to drought stress. Eventually your plants become dependent on you watering them constantly.
To irrigate properly, water needs to be applied slowly and thoroughly to penetrate deeply into the soil. Applying about an inch of water to medium textured soil will accomplish this. A thorough watering should only be necessary for established plants once a week.
Early morning watering is preferred. This will give plants moisture going into the hottest time of the day when they need it most.
Also if sprinklers are used, watering early morning reduces water lost to evaporation.
Soaker hoses are great, made of material that oozes water slowly. These apply water very efficiently and can be left in place or moved easily. You can cover soaker hoses with mulch so they are not noticeable.
Most people use sprinklers. To figure out how long to leave your sprinkler on to apply one inch of water, place several empty cans in the spray pattern of the sprinkler.
When about an inch of water has accumulated check how long it took. This is how long it takes to water the area thoroughly.
Finally, keep your landscape beds well mulched. A layer of mulch covering the soil cuts down on evaporation, conserves soil moisture, reduces watering frequently and even helps keep weeds out.
Our climate has been getting dryer the past couple of years. If we use some common sense and some of the great tools available we can continue to grow and enjoy our gardens. We can’t change what Mother Nature gives us but we can do our best to help when she needs some.
Happy gardening.
By Ken Johnston,
Fergus and District Horticultural Society